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Cameron, Smith star as Cats down Port amid injury chaos

Steve LarkinAAP
Recruit Bailey Smith has starred again in Geelong's big win over Port Adelaide. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)
Camera IconRecruit Bailey Smith has starred again in Geelong's big win over Port Adelaide. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP

Jeremy Cameron has booted seven goals as Geelong blitzed Port Adelaide by 76 points despite Brownlow Medallist Patrick Dangerfield being among five players suffering match-ending injuries.

Dangerfield, teammate Jack Bowes and Port pair Jason Horne-Francis and Lachie Jones all limped off with hamstring ailments in the Cats' 17.13 (115) to 5.9 (39) triumph.

Power halfback Josh Sinn was also substituted due to a left hip injury in a Saturday afternoon of mayhem at Adelaide Oval.

All five players were ruled out before halftime in a game broken by Geelong ace Cameron's seven-goal haul - but his heroics only came after he was hobbled by a first-half knock to a knee.

"Jeremy was sore but fortunately it was something that sort of got better as it went on - and that was obvious with the way he played," Geelong coach Chris Scott said.

But Bowes and Dangerfield face stints on the sidelines.

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"Dangerfield ... more minor than Bowes' is the feedback that I have got and a little less clear exactly what it is, which is a good sign," Scott said.

"We were sort of thinking through Dangerfield in the mid-season period so likely what it will mean for us is he will just miss a week or two more than we had planned during this period leading up to our bye."

The Cats have a bye in round 16 while Port will also send Horne-Francis, Jones and Sinn for scans.

"It was a significant hamstring day, wasn't it," Port coach Ken Hinkley said.

"Slippery conditions, weather - I don't know, all those things you have to consider. But it seems a bit too coincidental to have four, all in the first half."

The Cats improved their win-loss record to six-four while leaving the Power at a wobbly four-six.

Cameron's scoring was complemented by two goals from Ollie Dempsey (24 disposals) and trump recruit Bailey Smith's impact continued with 30 possessions.

Gryan Miers (27 touches), Mark O'Connor (28) and Max Holmes (22) were also instrumental in Geelong's fifth-straight win at Adelaide Oval.

Port captain Connor Rozee was busy at halfback with a game-high 32 possessions and ex-skipper Ollie Wines (28 disposals) and Ryan Burton (26) battled against the tide.

But with tall forwards Mitch Georgiades (one goal) and Ollie Lord (none) held, only effervescent Sam Powell-Pepper (two goals, 23 disposals) provided an attacking spark.

In contrast, Cameron triggered Geelong's scoring burst with two late second-term goals to give the visitor's a nine point halftime lead.

The Cats then flexed their muscles with a dozen goals to Port's two in the second half.

The Power's match total of 39 points was their lowest score this year.

And their 76-point losing margin is the eighth-heaviest defeat in Hinkley's 13-year tenure - his biggest-ever, and second-largest, losses came in rounds one and eight this season.

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