Perth has always been a difficult place to play, with the raucous crowd and electric atmosphere, whether at the new Optus Stadium or the old Subiaco Oval.
It perhaps did not get the attention it deserved, but Geelong and Fremantle had quite an intense and entertaining rivalry throughout the 2000s and 2010s, playing out some classic contests that boiled down to the final moments.
One of those brilliant matches occurred early in the 2011 season when the Cats, fresh off a heart-stopping one-point victory over St Kilda, headed west to take on the Dockers in an early season road test.
It was a grand occasion with Paul Chapman reaching his 200th AFL game and Allen Christensen making his debut, while marking just the second match at the helm for Chris Scott in his coaching tenure.
But the celebrations would have to be put on hold, as Geelong faced a steep challenge against a rising Fremantle outfit in a game that hung in the balance until the last few kicks.
Striking the first blow on the road can be important for visiting teams to dampen the energy of the home crowd, but the Cats could not achieve it as Kepler Bradley curled home the opener for Fremantle.
It did not matter however for the powerful Cats side, Dan Menzel getting the ball rolling with Geelong's first goal in just his fifth AFL game.
James Podsiadly followed suit just 90 seconds later, before Menzel got involved once again to set up Steve Johnson deep inside forward 50.
A fourth unanswered goal came from the boot of Mathew Stokes, Geelong inflicting plenty of scoreboard damage and responding strongly after conceding the opening major of the contest.
Cameron Ling added a fifth goal for the Cats later in the first term, but Fremantle responded with three of their own to cut the margin to just five points at quarter time.
If the opening stanza was anything to go by, the stage was set for a see-sawing battle and it proved to be the case, as Geelong wrestled back the momentum early in the second term and extended their lead with a pair of quick goals.
Travis Varcoe had an impact with two goals of his own in the space of seven minutes, another brilliant finish from Menzel splitting the two, the Cats starting to look in full control with a 22-point buffer midway through the second quarter.
But once again, the ascendancy would be short lived as Fremantle struck back with three more unanswered goals, trimming Geelong's lead back to just three points heading into half time.
The prime mover for the Cats was Varcoe, who collected nine possessions and three inside 50s to go along with his two goals in the second term, but Hayden Ballantyne was keeping the Dockers in the contest and getting under the skin of some players in the Hoops.
After both sides were finding avenues to goal with relative ease in the first half, the teams found a better defensive formula after the main break and the scoring slowed down significantly.
Menzel slotted his third goal of the contest to kick the opening major of the third term at the 14-minute mark, Stephen Hill responded for the Dockers, before milestone man Chapman crafted a brilliant play to slot a sensational goal on the run.
When all was said and done, they were the only three goals kicked in the third term and the Cats increased their lead ever so slightly, taking a nine-point advantage into the final term.
With the pressure mounting, Mitch Duncan gave Geelong some breathing room early in the final term, taking a terrific contested mark and kicking an important goal to push the Cats' lead out even further.
Fremantle then gained control for an extended period of time but luckily for the visitors, they only kicked one goal from their next seven scoring shots and Jimmy Bartel answered with another for Geelong, keeping them more than a kick in front with time winding down.
But Ballantyne produced another spectacular moment in a brilliant solo effort, kicking a crucial goal for Fremantle to pull them back within five points with a minute and 43 seconds on the clock.
Geelong were able to steady the ship with the game on the line, the ball finding the hands of Mathew Stokes who put through the dagger with a brilliant finish from the boundary line, the Cats hanging on for an iconic 11-point victory.
Steve Johnson (24 disposals, one goal) received the three Brownlow votes, Menzel's three goals proved crucial, while Cameron Ling (29 disposals) and Corey Enright (28 disposals) were also instrumental in the victory.
2011 Round 2 – Fremantle v Geelong
FREMANTLE 4.4 7.9 8.12 10.18 (78)
GEELONG 5.3 8.6 10.9 13.11 (89)
GOALS: Menzel 3, Stokes, Varcoe 2, Bartel, Chapman, Duncan, Johnson, Ling, Podsiadly 1
DISPOSALS: Ling 29, Enright 28, Corey 27, Johnson 24, Chapman 23, Stokes, Varcoe, Kelly 22
BROWNLOW VOTES: Steve Johnson (3), Joel Corey (2), Stephen Hill (1)
GEELONG STARTING 22
3. Jimmy Bartel
4. Andrew Mackie
5. Travis Varcoe
6. Brad Ottens
7. Harry Taylor
8. Josh Hunt
9. James Kelly
10. Daniel Menzel
11. Joel Corey
19. Taylor Hunt
20. Steve Johnson
22. Mitch Duncan
26. Tom Hawkins
27. Mathew Stokes
28. Allen Christensen
29. Cameron Guthrie
31. James Podsiadly
35. Paul Chapman
39. Darren Milburn
40. David Wojcinski
44. Corey Enright
45. Cameron Ling
