As Geelong prepares to open their 2025 season on Saturday, we take a look back at a classic clash in 2017 between the Cats and Fremantle for this week's Time Cat-Sule.  

This match had a little bit of everything; spectacular goals, big marks, injuries and a kick on the final siren to decide the game. 

Trailing by 27 points late in the third quarter, a Patrick Dangerfield inspired Cats outfit mounted a stirring comeback to set up a grandstand finish in the final moments of the game. 

Dangerfield was outstanding that day finishing with 31 disposals (23 contested), 12 clearances and seven score involvements which ultimately landed him the three Brownlow votes. 

The Geelong skipper talked us through his memories of that game, recalling the tense finish at GMHBA Stadium. 

"They are extremely tough to play, they have had some champions over the course of my career and the battles we have had with them," Dangerfield told Cats Media. 

"Nathan Fyfe obviously has led that over a long period of time, their team has continued to evolve. 2017, that was peak Fyfe, you understand how good he is and how good they are as a team.

"Walters missed that shot late, it was one of those really tough and combative games."

The Cats were decimated by injuries during the game; Joel Selwood was concussed inside the first 45 seconds, Tom Stewart and Darcy Lang were injured soon after, and Geelong had one fit player on the bench by the start of the last quarter. 

"Remembering that game, when your captain goes down that is one of the biggest challenges, especially someone who is as influential as Joel is to the side," Dangerfield said. 

"You know it is serious when someone like him goes down, because normally there is nothing that can stop him but it was significant and early on in the game.

"As soon as you find out that he is not coming back and you are down a few on the bench, then it is about trying to find ways to manufacture that level of competitiveness. Everyone understand that they needed to stand up because the captain was down."

After a low scoring opening term, Fremantle gained the ascendancy in the second stanza as they piled on seven goals, taking a 22 point lead into the main break. 

Geelong fought hard after half time but could not chip into the Dockers lead, still trailing by 27 points just four minutes remaining in the third quarter. 

Needing a spark early in the final term, a brilliant defensive effort from Dangerfield set up James Parsons who curled home the opening goal of the quarter to trim the deficit. 

Parsons followed up with another crumbing goal just a minute later, the Cats cutting the margin to just seven points in the blink of an eye. 

Tom Hawkins followed suit shortly after, Geelong taking and holding onto a slender lead until the dying moments of the game. 

With 20 seconds on the clock, Fremantle made one last foray inside 50 and the ball ended in the hands of Michael Walters, who missed from 25 metres out and the Cats held on for a famous victory.

Alongside Dangerfield's mammoth performance, Mitch Duncan (30 disposals) and Zach Tuohy (28 disposals, two goals) were both instrumental, as was Mark Blicavs (21 disposals, 22 hit-outs) through the middle. 

ROUND 14 2017 – Geelong v Fremantle @ GMHBA Stadium

GOALS: Menzel 3, Parsons, Tuohy 2, Hawkins, Menegola, Motlop 1

DISPOSALS: Dangerfield 31, Duncan 30, Tuohy 28, Mackie 25, Menegola, Horlin-Smith 22 

BROWNLOW VOTES: Patrick Dangerfield (3), Michael Walters (2), Mark Blicavs (1)  

GEELONG STARTING 22 
1. Rhys Stanley
2. Zach Tuohy
4. Andrew Mackie
7. Harry Taylor
8. Jake Kolodjashnij
10. Daniel Menzel
11. Darcy Lang
13. Tom Lonergan
14. Joel Selwood
16. Scott Selwood
21. Jordan Murdoch
22. Mitch Duncan 
24. Jed Bews
26. Tom Hawkins 
27. Sam Menegola
29. Cameron Guthrie 
32. Steven Motlop 
33. George Horlin-Smith
34. James Parsons
35. Patrick Dangerfield
44. Tom Stewart
46. Mark Blicavs