AFL LIVE: Cats pile on the pressure, embarrass star-studded Suns out of the middle under prime-time lights

It’s time for the Suns to lift here.

They know they are facing a huge challenge but they are better than what they showed in the first half.

Cats 51, Suns 23 with 19 mins to go in Q3.

Damien Hardwick can complain all he likes about the umpires, but that is just a standard variable opponents need to contend with down at Geelong.

The coach would be better off using his energy berating his midfielders, who are being completely outworked in the contest.

The Suns have 57 more disposals but trail in clearances, centre clearances and inside 50s and also on the scoreboard after failing to kick a goal in that quarter.

Geelong lead by 28 points having won the arm wrestle that quarter. Despite all that, it does not feel as though the Suns are that far out of the game. They just need to get to work when the ball hits the ground at stoppage, and kick accurately, and they can reel in this margin.

The Cats kept up the pressure on the Suns that term and they started to wilt as we approached half-time.

Jeremy Cameron may have received two soft free kicks, the second one in particular, but his two goals were reward for the persistence of the Cats.

They are asking questions that the Suns don’t have any answers to, especially at centre bounces where the Cats continue to win the footy.

Time to left Suns or stop talking about having premiership aspirations.

“The umpires are giving up some relatively soft ones tonight,” Jason Dunstall just said on Kayo Sports after watching a replay of the free kick called on Charlie Ballard as he contested a mark with a leading Jeremy Cameron.

Soft or not, Cameron still went back and booted his first of the night.

The Suns have struggled badly this term.

To make matters worse, Ollie Henry goaled moments after the restart as the Cats forced another turnover.

Cats 45, Suns 22 with four mins to go in Q2.

Jack Henry is back on the ground, but he appeared to be holding his ribs as Jeremy Cameron kicks his first goal. Cameron still appears to be favouring that troublesome arm of his, too.

Geelong have now kicked six unanswered goals and are destroying the Suns’ star-studded midfield out of the centre.

It’s irrelevant, of course, but footballers and white socks go together about as well as lettuce and tomato sauce.

Geelong defender Jack Henry is heading to the rooms with Cats physio Steve Saunders.

Remember, the Cats are already missing Tom Stewart tonight.

Ollie Dempsey has a sixth sense when it comes to sniffing out goals.

The wingman drifted forward as he is want to do and was front row centre as the ball fell off the pack and into his path where he quickly snapped it home.

Cats look ready to fire here.

Cats 32, Suns 21 with 12 mins to go in Q2.

Nine of the 11 highest possession getters on the ground are Gold Coast players.