Skipper out cold but Cats fight back to down Freo in thrilling Simonds scrap

GEELONG has paid a heavy price for its come-from-behind win over Fremantle, losing three players, including Joel Selwood, in the two-point victory.

Chris Scott’s side trailed by as much as 34 points in the second quarter at Simonds Stadium, but stormed home in trademark style to clinch a 9-4 record as one of the most even AFL seasons in history delivered again.

Selwood faces a battle to be cleared to take on Greater Western Sydney next week, while Tom Stewart (facial fracture) is facing a period on the sidelines.

Dockers star Michael Wal- ters missed a flying shot at goal from close range in the dying seconds — the final siren then sounding — as the Houdini-like Cats scored a heart-stopping 10.14 (74) to 11.6 (72) win.

The game wasn’t even a minute old when Geelong lost its skipper after he was knocked out in a sickening head clash with Dockers forward Hayden Ballantyne. Stewart then failed to emerge after halftime and Darcy Lang (ankle) was unable to take part in the final term.

All of that carnage took place after Lachie Henderson was withdrawn on Friday with a groin injury and youngster Jordan Cunico dropped out on game day with an ankle injury.

“I’d sum it up as a day when a lot of things went wrong for us,” Scott said, while also conceding the Dockers were without superstar Nat Fyfe. “We were really under the pump (in the second quarter) then at halftime and three-quarter time things didn’t look good for us.

“We were losing players, we had players out there who were sore and had to play through it.

“We weren’t playing our style of footy but one thing you can’t accuse our players of at the moment is giving up. When things were going against us we just found a way to stay in the game.

“It could have gone either way but in the end we think it was a win full of merit.”

In a season filled with upsets, Fremantle — without Fyfe and Aaron Sandilands — nearly provided the biggest of them all.

Geelong led by five points at the first break, but the fired-up Dockers slammed home the next seven goals to lead by 34 points before conceding late goals that reduced the margin to 22 points at halftime.

“I thought we had a real dip,” Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said. “I’m really proud of how they played.”

REPORTS: Pages 19-21