It was one of those 'where were you when it happened' moments for Geelong fans. 

After years of suffering, countless near misses, Grand Final defeats and plenty of heartache, the Cats faithful could not bear to watch as the magical 2007 season hung on a knife's edge in a thrilling Preliminary Final against Collingwood. 

It felt like a story that had been seen too many times before. Less than a kick separated the two sides with time winding down in the final term, Geelong clinging on in front of a jam-packed MCG, the hopes of breaking a 44-year Premiership drought teetering on the edge. 

Over 98,000 fans held their breath in unison, pulses were racing and the tension was almost impossible to fathom, as the Cats set-up around a forward stoppage inside their forward 50. 

Enter the one and only, Gary Ablett Junior. 

With the weight of an entire club and years of disappointment on his shoulders, the 'Little Master' relinquished all of it with one magical play that brought a roar from the Geelong crowd that no individual in attendance will ever forget. 

From the boundary throw-in, Brad Ottens set the play in motion with a brilliant hit-out to advantage, Ablett crumbed the pack and weaved his way out of trouble. 

The ball hit his boot, the sweetest of sweet snaps and it curled right through the middle, a remarkable goal under the most immense pressure. 

It is a highlight that is etched into the minds of not only Cats fans, but players too and as Joel Selwood reminisced on prior to Geelong's Hall of Fame event, it was the goal that set the club on a path to greatness. 

"There was plenty of times when I was watching Gary, that I actually thought I was in a different world," Selwood said. 

"Maybe it was 2007, the goal in the Prelim.

"But thank God it went that way, and thank God we had him."

Cameron Ling mirrored the sentiment when asked what was his favourite Ablett memory, noting how incredible it was that he could make the impossible look mundane. 

"I am plucking one amazing thing out of a million amazing things for Gaz," Ling said. 

"But that 2007 Prelim Final, the rove off the 'Otto' ruck work, the run and snap. He made it look as simple and as easy as could possibly be.

"The degree of difficulty on that and the moment of it and what it meant for us, was just through the roof.

"It was phenomenal play and he made it look like it was a kick in the park."

It was a play etched into Geelong folklore, and as the saying goes, the rest was history. 

Ablett's magic moment was enough to help the Cats cling on to record a famous five-point victory over Collingwood, progressing to the 2007 Grand Final against Port Adelaide. 

Geelong would break their 44-year premiership drought with the biggest Grand Final win in the game's history, bringing sheer elation and unrivalled amounts of joy to a town that had been starved of success for so long. 

That would be the start of the most successful era in the club's history, going on to win three premierships in the following five years, perhaps all starting with that famous snap from the 'Little Master.' 

Stephen Wells was also in agreement, saying the goal was his favourite piece of Ablett brilliance and highlighting Gary's innate ability to produce exactly what the Cats needed on the biggest stage. 

"In such a wonderful career, it is hard to think of just one moment," Wells said. 

"But what I do remember immediately is the goal Gary kicked in the last quarter of the 2007 Preliminary Final against Collingwood.

"It was a brilliant goal, we needed it at the time, we got through to the Grand Final and then Gary in the first quarter of the Grand Final was able to kick a goal as well.

"Those are the immediate memories I have, that 2007 Preliminary Final, brilliant."

While plenty of things have changed since 2007, some remain the same such as the remarkable rivalry between Geelong and Collingwood, which will write another chapter on Thursday night at the MCG. 

There has been an abundance of incredible moments between the sides, such as the famous Finals between 2007 and 2011, the heart-stopping 2022 Qualifying Final or even back to Round 8 last year, when the Cats held on in a game decided by a kick after the siren. 

Who will be the next Geelong star to etch their name into the record books of this historic rivalry?

Make sure you do not miss a moment of the action as the Cats take on Collingwood in a crucial clash on Thursday night at the MCG. Follow the link below to secure your seat through Ticketek.