Geelong has slumped to a fifth defeat in six weeks, falling to a second half surge from the Giants in a 13-point loss at ENGIE Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

A strong first half had the Cats in full control and they powered away to a 39-point lead in the third quarter, but they had no answers as momentum swung violently in GWS' favour in the final term, the home side kicking nine of the last ten goals to seal the result. 

Still firmly entrenched in a tightly packed ladder, Geelong will now face an uphill battle with six games remaining in the home and away season, with a five-day break ahead before taking on St Kilda next Thursday night. 

Shaun Mannagh was among the best players on the ground, collecting a career-high 33 disposals and kicking four goals in a desperate attempt to will his team over the line. 

Ollie Dempsey (22 disposals, three goals) impressed throughout the afternoon, Max Holmes (34 disposals) provided plenty of run and carry, while Tom Stewart (18 disposals, eight intercepts) fought valiantly across half back. 

Even the most diehard Geelong supporters could not believe their eyes when Jeremy Cameron strolled into the Cats' defensive 50 to commence Saturday's match, but it was a move that paid dividends early as he matched his disposal tally from last week inside the opening four minutes, while also helping to set up the opening goal of the game. 

Ollie Dempsey unfurled his Superman cape early as he kicked three goals, while also taking an outstanding mark late in the term. Shaun Mannagh was keen to match the star winger's output with two majors of his own, and it resulted in the Cats taking a healthy 18-point lead into quarter time. 

In general play, Geelong were simply dominant as they recorded 14 more inside 50s than their opponent in the opening term, but it was the ever-reliable Tom Stewart who was perhaps having the biggest impact with five intercept possessions in the quarter alone. 

The Cats continued to generate chances in the second term but goals became harder to come by, with Ollie Henry and Oli Wiltshire netting the only two majors of the quarter, but Geelong also tightened up defensively, limiting the Giants' run and increasing their lead to 25 points by half time. 

Remarkably, the Cats recorded nearly double the inside 50s by the main break and nobody provided more forward run than Dempsey, who finished the half with 14 disposals and three clearances to go with his three goals. 

Bailey Smith and Max Holmes continued to find the footy with ease collecting 33 disposals between them, Jake Kolodjashnij did a sensational job in keeping Jake Stringer to just two disposals a week on from his seven-goal outing against Fremantle, while Oisin Mullin also restricted Finn Callaghan to just nine possessions in the first half. 

It took less than 20 seconds for the Cats to get rolling in the third quarter, with a dangerous forward surge cleanly handled by Ollie Henry who fed the ball through to Smith, and the superstar made no mistake on the run to extend the margin. 

Even having his shorts nearly ripped clean off was not enough to slow Mannagh down, as the crafty forward curled home a humorous goal of the year contender and his third of the contest, kicking the Cats to a game-high 39-point lead with time winding down in the third term. 

But just when it looked like Geelong were in full command, the Giants struck back with two late majors of their own to close the gap to 27 points at three quarter time, igniting the contest and adding some intrigue heading into the final term. 

The tension in the Geelong camp was not eased as the fourth quarter commenced, with GWS adding three more goals in under four minutes, cutting the lead even further with an abundance of time still on the clock. 

With still 13 minutes remaining, the Giants added a sixth consecutive goal and with momentum completely flowing the way of the home side, Geelong's buffer was trimmed to just two points. 

Shaun Mannagh produced another bit of magic with a phenomenal finish on the run, his fourth goal providing Geelong a brief moment of respite in a brutal quarter of football. 

But it was not to be, as GWS responded with three more goals to seal the deal at ENGIE Stadium. 

2026 AFL Season - Round 18

GWS GIANTS        2.2   3.6   5.10   12.14   (86)  
GEELONG CATS     5.2   7.7   10.7    11.7   (73) 

GOALS
GWS: Brown 3, Hamilton, Bedford 2, Stringer, Himmelberg, Cadman, Briggs, Callaghan 1
Geelong: Mannagh 4, Dempsey 3, Wiltshire, Smith, Knevitt, O.Henry 1

BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Oliver, Taylor, Briggs, Ash, Greene, Brown
Geelong: Smith, Mannagh, Holmes, Dempsey, Cameron

INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Gothard (shoulder)
Geelong: J.Henry (throat), Bruhn (TBC), Cameron (shoulder/collarbone)

LATE CHANGES
Greater Western Sydney: Nil
Geelong: Mark O'Connor (injured), replaced in the selected side by Mitch Knevitt

Crowd: TBC at ENGIE Stadium