Patrick Dangerfield has risen to the occasion, brilliantly leading Geelong to a 31-point AFL win over the ladder-leading North Melbourne.

The star recruit produced one of the best games of his stellar career as the third-placed Cats broke away in the second half to beat the league leaders 15.15 (105) to 12.2 (74).

After two upset losses to Collingwood and Carlton, the Cats have returned to form emphatically with wins over GWS and now the Kangaroos.

And they beat North without suspended key forward Tom Hawkins.

Dangerfield had a career-high 48 possessions and kicked two goals on Saturday night at Etihad Stadium.

Fittingly, his second goal 13 minutes into the last term gave the Cats a 28-point lead and put the result beyond doubt.

It was the Danger-Joel double act for the Cats, with their captain Joel Selwood amassing 38 possessions.

Their outstanding performances in the midfield showcased exactly why Geelong worked so hard to lure Dangerfield from Adelaide.

If Sydney beat the Giants on Sunday, the Swans will take top spot from North.

The Kangaroos have a massive match next Friday night against Hawthorn, and the Cats also face another significant test from the Western Bulldogs.

It was a bad night for North, with captain Andrew Swallow concussed in the second term and forced out of the game.

Front-line midfielders Ben Cunnington and Nick Dal Santo were also clearly hampered by leg injuries in the first half.

The inaccuracy that has become a worrying feature of the Cats’ game in the past month was again a factor in the first half.

They had kicked a wasteful 5.9 to half time and trailed by 10 points.

Two goals in two minutes at the start of the third term immediately erased that deficit and Geelong were away.

The Cats kicked 10 goals to four in the second half and, against one of the league’s best midfields, won the clearances 48-32.