DESPITE losing Steve Johnson and Joel Corey to injuries in the first half, Geelong has entrenched itself in the top eight by scoring a gutsy 27-point win over Adelaide at Simonds Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
In a seesawing battle, the Cats opened a 33-point half-time lead, saw the margin reduced to two points early in the final quarter, then booted five of the last six goals to win 15.12 (102) to 11.9 (75).
The result moves Chris Scott's side, which was without suspended defender Matthew Scarlett, above Essendon into sixth place on the ladder.
It puts the Cats into the top six for just the second time in 2012 and was also the Cats' 34th victory from their past 35 games at Simonds Stadium.
The Crows' record this season has slipped to 13-4, although Brenton Sanderson's team remains in third place on the table.
Johnson's injury was the talking point of the afternoon.
The mercurial forward was felled at the opening bounce by a high bump from Crows midfielder Scott Thompson, which is sure to result in the Brownlow Medal favourite coming under scrutiny from the Match Review Panel.
After leaving the field with blood flowing from his mouth, Johnson was diagnosed with concussion and subbed out of the game.
And the Cats were down to only two fit men on the bench when Corey failed to reappear for the second half.
Corey, who was making his 250th appearance for Geelong, had gathered 18 possessions and won six clearances in a best on ground performance before he damaged a hamstring.
Yet his teammates were good enough to post their 11th win of the season.
"With still a really young group, it was really promising that we were able to fight and run away with when," Scott said after the game.
"We know Adelaide are a fit team. They've been conditioned well over a long period of time and they've been running out games well, so we knew they were going to come back hard."
Tom Hawkins led the way up forward for the winners, getting the better of Daniel Talia to boot three goals and take 11 marks, while Paul Chapman chipped in with three majors of his own.
Youngster Allen Christensen and old hands Joel Selwood, James Kelly and Jimmy Bartel, who was back from a two-match suspension, were all impressive performers in the middle of the ground.
Adelaide, which was without key forward Kurt Tippett (concussion) and ruckman Sam Jacobs (a late withdrawal with a hamstring injury), began with game with plenty of intent. Thompson shirt-fronted Johnson, and a short time later David McKay knocked over Bartel in a marking contest.
The Crows also did some early damage on the scoreboard, using the assistance of a strong breeze to kick the first two goals of the game.
Patrick Dangerfield, who booted two goals from more than 65m out during the third quarter, was the architect of Adelaide's comeback.
But his heroics weren't enough to deny a desperate Geelong outfit.
"We played some really good footy in patches, but we just couldn't string it together for four quarters," Sanderson said.
"So when the rain came in, we got within two points and then they were just a bit cleaner around the footy and a bit sharper around the contest, and we probably left too much to too few today.
"You can't be disappointed if you play a way where you just throw yourself at every contest, but we sort of just picked and chose a bit too much today."
Despite getting raucous boos from the crowd on the many occasions he had the Sherrin, Thompson was clearly the Crows' leading ball-winner.
He finished with 39 touches, while Dangerfield ended the afternoon with 33.
Crows forwards Ian Callinan and Taylor Walker, who was back from suspension, had seven shots at goal between them, yet they booted a wayward 1.6.
Geelong will be aiming to continue its late-season revival when it takes on the rampant Hawks at the MCG next Friday night.
Adelaide hosts Essendon at AAMI Stadium next Sunday.
GEELONG 4.3 9.7 10.10 15.12 (102)
ADELAIDE 3.2 4.4 9.8 11.9 (75)
GOALS
Geelong: Hawkins 3, Chapman 3, Mackie 2, Stokes 2, Duncan 2, Smedts, Bartel, Christensen
Adelaide: Dangerfield 2, Porplyzia 2, Vince 2 Mackay, Rutten, Jenkins, Sloane, Callinan
BEST
Geelong: Hawkins, Christensen, Selwood, Bartel, Chapman, Duncan, Corey
Adelaide: Thompson, Dangerfield, Vince, Porplyzia, Douglas
INJURIES
Geelong: Steve Johnson (concussion), Joel Corey (hamstring)
Adelaide: Sam Jacobs was a late withdrawal, Daniel Talia (cork)
SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: Steve Johnson replaced by Jackson Sheringham in the first quarter
Adelaide: Ben Rutten replaced by Brad Symes in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Farmer, Pannell, McInerney
Official crowd: 18,377 at Simonds Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
