Geelong had to work hard to walk away with the four points on Thursday night, but some inspiring performances from some superstars and some impactful games from some unheralded players helped the Cats over the line against Adelaide. 

Across all three lines, the Cats were able to control general play for large portions of the night and staved off a late challenge from the visitors, despite briefly relinquishing the lead in the final term.

Check out some of the best performances from the victory below. 

Bailey Smith 

40 Disposals, 10 Tackles, Six Clearances

The game was waiting for someone to take control in difficult conditions and it was Geelong's dashing, headband-wearing icon that took the match by the scruff of the neck. 

Bailey Smith was absolutely everywhere on Thursday night, amassing an incredible 40 disposals and six clearances, while also showing a level of toughness around stoppages with 10 tackles. 

His drive forward of the football was also important, registering seven inside 50 entries and five score involvements along with a team-high 795 metres gained. 

Mark Blicavs 

24 Disposals, 11 Hit-Outs, Four Clearances

Thrust into the midfield for the majority of the second half, Mark Blicavs was pivotal in turning the tide in the final quarter and helped Geelong gain ascendancy around stoppages. 

In the second half alone, Blicavs collected 17 disposals and four score involvements while also winning three clearances in the final term to help send the ball into attack on numerous occasions. 

The brilliant utility finished the night with 24 possessions, 11 hit-outs and five inside 50 entries, while also adding six score involvements and four intercept possessions in a sensational display. 

Sam De Koning

18 Disposals, 12 Marks, Nine Intercepts

Facing Adelaide's highly regarded forward line is never an easy task, but Geelong's defence was up for the challenge and it was led by a brilliant display from Sam De Koning. 

The key back collected 18 disposals and took a game-high 12 marks (four contested), while also picking off an equal game-high nine intercept possessions and winning a number of crucial one-on-one contests. 

De Koning, Tom Stewart and Connor O'Sullivan picked off 27 intercept possessions between them and helped to keep Riley Thilthorpe and Darcy Fogarty to just one goal combined, a brilliant outing from Geelong's key backs. 

Oli Wiltshire

14 Disposals, Five Score Involvements

While a lot of his hard work will not show up on the stat sheet, Oli Wiltshire had a number of crucial moments in just his third AFL game. 

Registering five score involvements on a difficult night for forwards, Wiltshire's biggest impact came midway through the final term when he won a big one-on-one at half forward, getting a quick kick in which led to Jack Martin's third goal. 

Also able to apply great pressure inside 50 and force Adelaide into numerous mistakes, Wiltshire complemented fellow small forwards like Shaun Mannagh and Jhye Clark, having a significant influence on the contest. 

Jack Martin 

14 Disposals, Three Goals, Five Score Involvements

On a night where scoring was difficult and most forwards struggled to handle the ball cleanly, Jack Martin stood tall and capitalised on some crucial opportunities to help steer the Cats to victory. 

The experienced forward finished the night with three goals and five score involvements from his 14 disposals, also laying three tackles inside 50 to apply elite pressure and keep Adelaide's defenders accountable. 

Martin's last goal was sensational, gathering the ball cleanly below his knees and steadying to split the big sticks, kicking the Cats clear and giving them a handy buffer in the last quarter when Adelaide were applying plenty of their own pressure.