The Cats emerged with their unbeaten record intact and a timely reminder about the demands of football from the 19.10 (124) to 5.5 (35) win at Timboon yesterday.

Brett Hunger kicked six goals in a new role up forward and centre half-back Darren Kelly repelled waves of attacks to earn best-afield honours.

Cats coach Josh Parkinson said the contest was the ideal preparation with finals contenders Kolora-Noorat, Old Collegians and Nirranda to come.

They trailed by a point at quarter-time, 2.2 to 2.1, but kicked 17 of the next 20 goals. But victory came at a cost, with Xavier Mills suffering a first-term ankle injury.

“We got the contest we really needed early and we were able to respond and finally get on top,” Parkinson said.

“We need to make sure it doesn’t need a response, that we’re the ones pushing the subject early on and setting the tone. Hopefully it all falls into place.”

Parkinson was unsure how serious Mills’ ankle injury was. The Cats subbed him out at quarter-time, replaced by teenager Jordan Ryan.

“He thinks he’ll be right. He did it last week and tweaked it again during the week. He thought it was all right and went over on it again,” he said.

The coach played up the influence of Hunger, who took advantage of a rare stint in the forward line after spending much of the past two seasons up the field.

“He played as a leading forward (yesterday). He gives us a different type of forward, a bit more versatility. He’s got good hands, really quick,” he said.

“He got on the end of a few today but it was his pressure acts that were amazing, smothers, tracking his opponent at half-back.”

Jack Osborne was the Demons’ only multiple goalkicker with two. Jeff Rosolin, Ben Saunders and Dylan Cahill — for a third week running — were their best.