With their seasons virtually on the line, Geelong and Port Adelaide produced a thrilling and brutal performance on Friday night until the Cats blew the game apart with sheer determination and brilliance, winning by 23 points.
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But it was costly for both sides as dour Geelong defender James Kelly lasted nine minutes before going off with what turned out to be a right ankle injury. He turns 32 in December.
Port wingman Matt White was also helped off by two trainers midway through the second quarter with a left hamstring injury, and was subbed immediately.
Again, the early assessment for a quick return was not encouraging.
The Cats played with only two on the bench for a large part of the second half when Rhys Stanley, one of their best, received treatment in the rooms for knee soreness.
The review panel is certain to look at an incident in which the Cats' Steve Johnson appeared to strike Port's Hamish Hartlett to the head late in the second term.
And Joel Selwood also went off with blood gushing from his nose.
This was tough football, and with both sides going into the game at 5-5, they epitomised the cliche, "They came to play". It was finals-like aggression, and the result may mean just that – missing or contesting them.
Against a groundswell of talk that their stars were too old, that the next generation was yet to arrive and that the Cats would miss the finals for only the second time in 12 years, don't wipe them off just yet.
This was a gripping contest, which also delivered some gems in terms of superb chasing and tackling, quality marks and absorbing duels.
A one-handed mark and subsequent goal by Port's Chad Wingard was priceless.
The return of ruckman Stanley was significant until his leg injury.
With support from Mark Blicavs, the pair tested Port's virtually go-it-alone ruckman Matthew Lobbe, who was equal to the task.
However, it was the around-the-ground combination play by the duo that was really impressive.
The gruelling one-on-one changing contests went right through the match, and Josh Caddy on Port's Ollie Wines, Selwood on Travis Boak, while Corey Enright and Robbie Gray went at the ball hard and were valuable contributors to their respective sides.
Port seemed to have Geelong's measure early, but the Cats clawed their way back to lead by seven points at half-time after the lead had changed six times in a rugged second quarter.
As the game got tougher and longer, they found something else.
GEELONG 5.1 8.4 12.7 14.8 (92) defeat PORT ADELAIDE 5.2 7.3 10.3 11.3 (69)
Goals: Geelong: J Caddy 2, R Stanley 2, S Kersten 2, S Motlop 2, T Hawkins 2, C Gregson, C Guthrie, D Lang, S Johnson. Port Adelaide: C Wingard 4, J Westhoff 2, R Gray 2, A Monfries, J Schulz, T Boak.
BEST: Geelong: Enright, Blicavs, Caddy, Guthrie, Rivers, Taylor. Port Adelaide: Ebert, R. Gray, Broadbent, Wingard, Colquhoun, Wines.
Injuries: Geelong: J Kelly (ankle). Port Adelaide: M White (hamstring).
Umpires: Troy Pannell, Scott Jeffery, Nicholas Foot.
Official Crowd: 47,058 at Adelaide Oval.
