Fremantle fought bravely until the final seconds to go down to Geelong by two points at Simonds Stadium on Sunday.

Freo's Michael Walters missed a snap shot kick for goal with a second to go from 20m out to allow the Cats to hold on.

It was the fourth game for the round decided by less than a goal, with Geelong winning 10.14 (74) to Fremantle's 11.6 (72).

It was a massive escape for the Cats, which won despite losing its skipper Joel Selwood to concussion in the first 45 seconds of the game and then being down to one fit player on the bench after Tom Stewart and Darcy Lang were injured.

Fremantle, which was without its own injured skipper Nat Fyfe and big man Aaron Sandilands, kicked seven unanswered goals in the first 20 minutes of the second quarter to open up a 34-point lead and then held the Cats at bay in the third quarter to take a 19-point lead into the last term.

However two goals to James Parsons within the first four minutes of the last quarter brought Geelong back in touch and then Tom Hawkins put the Cats in front at the nine-minute mark before the game settled into a classic arm-wrestle.

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said he was pleased with Freo's competitiveness, but conceded they tired.  

"That is AFL footy. That is the filter. You have got to be able to go as hard from first to last," Lyon said. 

From that point on neither team kicked a goal as the Cats blew chances to seal the game.

The Cats then looked to have the game in their keeping but Jordan Murdoch missed a kick to Dan Menzel, and Freo went from end to end to almost pull off a last-gasp victory with a gutsy run from Lachie Weller.

Fremantle, fielding their youngest team for the season, with 11 players having 50 games or less experience, with two of those playing their first game, were brilliant for most of the contest.

The inclusions of debutants Sean Darcy and Josh Deluca saw five players with less that 5 games experience, four of those being first year players, line up against the third-placed Cats.

Darcy didn't look out of place in the ruck with 40 hit-outs and 14 disposals.

Nick Suban blanketed Patrick Dangerfield for three quarters before the champion took hold in the last quarter – only to be let down by his kicking – and Lachie Neale won the ball in tight.

David Mundy was cool while Conor Blakely dominated across half back and the Hill brothers, Brad and Stephen were excellent.

However the Cats, which have only lost one of their past 16 games at Simonds Stadium – and only seven times in the past 79 – kept persisting despite fumbling all day.

However the Dockers know they are moving forward. 

"At the end of the day [with the] last kick of the day, we had an opportunity to win the game," Lyon said.  

"That is what we take out of it. Our ascendancy came from competing fiercely and using the ball well and defending well."

Medical room

Geelong: Cats skipper Selwood was knocked out in the first 45 seconds after clashing heads with Fremantle's Hayden Ballantyne. He was ruled out from the game with concussion. Stewart copped a knock to the face in the second quarter to finish his afternoon and may have suffered bone damage. 

Fremantle: Hayden Ballantyne kicked Tom Hawkins' calf during the first quarter and hurt his foot. He was treated on the bench before returning to the ground at quarter-time. Brad Hill appeared to hurt his leg late in the game but he then got up and running to affect the final contest and Fremantle said he was fine. 

Next week

Geelong has a huge game against Greater Western Sydney at Spotless Stadium. A win would go a long way to cementing a top-four spot, while Fremantle return home for a must-win game against St Kilda.  

More to come

GEELONG           2.0    4.5    7.9    10.14 (74) 
FREMANTLE       1.1    8.3    11.4  11.6 (72)

GOALS 
Geelong: Menzel 3, Tuohy 2, Parsons 2, Motlop, Menegola, Hawkins 
Fremantle: Tucker 3, Ballantyne 2, Walters 2, B Hill, Neale, McCarthy, Suban

BEST 
Geelong: Dangerfield, Tuohy, Lonergan, Menzel, Duncan 
Fremantle: Neale, Blakely, Walters, B Hill, Weller, Darcy, M Johnson

INJURIES 
Geelong: Selwood (concussion), Stewart (eye), Lang (knee), S Selwood (hamstring tightness)
Fremantle: Ballantyne (foot), B Hill (leg)

Reports:  TBC

Umpires: Hay, Harris, Pannell

Official crowd: 29,928 at Simonds Stadium