Experience, strength, nous and hardness served Geelong well in a one-sided AFL Second Semi Final against an undermanned and overwhelmed Fremantle at the MCG on Friday night.

Chasing their third premiership in four seasons, the Cats' reward for their 69-point victory - which was more workmanlike than dazzling - is a date with minor premiers Collingwood in a sudden-death preliminary final in seven days' time.

Geelong set up the win with a club record eight-goal-to-one opening term before cruising to the line 20.15 (135) to 10.6 (66).

The Cats had 12 individual goalscorers and got tremendous drive from their engine room.

Gary Ablett, Jimmy Bartel, Paul Chapman, James Kelly and Joel Selwood all gathered 30 possessions-plus, while James Podsiadly, Mathew Stokes and Steve Johnson shared the scoring honours with three-apiece.

Fremantle's gamble to play Aaron Sandilands backfired badly.

Hobbled by the knee injury he picked up in last week's win over the Hawks at Subiaco, the 211cm giant had no impact on the contest whatsoever.

It was clear that all was not right when Sandilands lined-up in a deep forward position rather than in the centre circle at the opening bounce.

He managed to see out the game but finished with 28 hitouts - many of them ineffective and well short of his season average of 35 - nine kicks, one mark and just two clearances.

David Mundy gathered a team-high 30 touches and skipper Matthew Pavlich top-scored with four majors, but the Dockers' best was the versatile Michael Johnson who, when he wasn't deputising for Sandilands or tagging Cameron Ling, provided plenty of spread and dash on a wing.

Freo sprung a minor surprise when Des Headland - whose last game at AFL level was way back in Round 4 - was named as a late inclusion for first-year forward Jesse Crichton.

The feeling in the Fremantle camp was that Headland's experience generally - and in particular at the MCG where he tasted premiership glory for Brisbane in 2002 - could make the difference in a tight contest.

The punt came to naught when the 29-year-old picked up a knee injury in the first five minutes of play which seemed to rob him of speed off the mark.

Geelong had the opening score on the board inside the second minute of play when Selwood slipped goal-side of Adam McPhee at a stoppage.

The Cats' second was the best of their eight for the term.

Corey Enright started the move when he forced a turnover at half-back and launched the ball to the attacking edge of the centre square where Mooney marked and popped it into space for Shannon Byrnes who had a clear path to goal.

Stokes, Johnson, David Wojcinski and Podsiadly (twice) added their names to the scoresheet and the result was as good as settled by the time Tom Hawkins marked and goaled on the quarter-time siren.

The shell shocked Dockers regrouped at the break and managed to match the Cats - on the scoreboard at least - in the second quarter with 3.1 to 2.6.

Livewire forward Michael Walters slotted two for Freo and Chris Mayne got the third when he outmarked Hawkins in the goalsquare.

Geelong dominated the inside-50s for the term 20-9 and were entitled to expect something better than a return of just two goals - to Podsiadly and Mooney - from eight scoring shots.

The Cats kept the Dockers safely at bay with a four-goal-to-three third term that extended their lead to 49 points at the last change.

Geelong took it up a notch in a final term that was more about keeping something in reserve for next week than making any grand statements.

GEELONG: 8.1, 10.7, 14.13, 20.15. (135)
FREMANTLE: 1.1, 4.2, 7.6, 10.6 (66)

GOALS: Geelong: Podsiadly 3, Johnson 3, Stokes 3, Wojcinski 2, Mooney 2, Byrnes, Selwood, Hawkins, Bartel, Ling, Ottens, Chapman
Fremantle: Pavlich 4, Walters 3, Mayne, Fyfe, Duffield
BEST: Geelong: Ablett, Ling, Chapman, Bartel, Mooney, Johnson, Wojcinski, Stokes
Fremantle: Johnson, Pavlich, Mundy, Walters, Broughton, Fyfe
INJURIES: Geelong: Nil
Fremantle: Headland (medial ligament)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Jesse Crichton replaced by Des Headland in Fremantle's selected side
UMPIRES: Vozzo, McBurney, Chamberlain
CROWD: 45,056 at the MCG