GEELONG has made it back-to-back triumphs in Premier Cricket's Club Championship after a dominating performance on the final day of the regular season.
The Cats trailed Melbourne by five points on the club championship table heading into Saturday's final round of matches and needed the Demons to drop at least one game to Essendon to give themselves any chance of retaining the title they won for the first time last season.
Geelong won in all four grades of its clash with Frankston Peninsula, highlighted by a brilliant bowling performance by its first XI.
The Cats routed the Heat for just 70 with leg-spinner Jeremy Hart making a triumphant return from injury with 4-22 from 9.5 overs and young paceman Jake Reed ripping apart their top order with 3-17 from six overs.
Geelong chased down its victory target in just 13 overs with stand-in captain Liam Buchanan blasting 53 from just 33 balls with 11 boundaries before he was dismissed with just one run needed.
It was just his third half-century of the summer, but a timely one heading into the first week of the finals next weekend.
The Cats claimed 19 of a maximum 20 points across all four grades over the weekend to finish the club championship on 596 points with Melbourne consigned to a runner up finish on 567 points.
The Cats will return to Frankston's Butler Oval for a qualifying final showdown against the Heat after jumping from seventh to fifth spot on the table thanks to other results going their way.
Geelong will be further boosted next week with star batsman Aaron Finch available for its finals campaign after Victoria's Sheffield Shield season ended on Saturday.
"It was just a fantastic club effort," a delighted Cats coach Damian Shanahan said. "We put the onus back on our group to produce the results and it was fantastic that we got back from Frankston and watched the last 25 overs of fourths game.
"The club song was sung with real passion among the guys from the firsts, seconds and fourths and it was great for the young guys to experience that."
After winning the toss and sending Franskton into bat, the Heat never recovered after slumping to 4-18 when Luke Muller claimed the key wicket of former Victorian opener Nick Jewell (3).
"Reedy is bowling really hostile at the moment with great pace and shape as well and 'Bluey' Muller was great in creating pressure through dot balls.
"Once again Jeremy came on and ripped into the middle and lower order and got the job done.
"We bowled exceptionally and fielded exceptionally."
Shanahan said there were pleasing signs in Buchanan's innings.
"Liam hit the ball on the ground and we know that if he controls himself from going aerial, he'll make runs more often than not," Shanahan said.
"That's what we want him to do in the finals."
