GEELONG coach Chris Scott has lauded veteran superstar Gary Ablett for a "supreme" final quarter and conceded a lesser team would have rolled over if faced with the same predicament it found itself in at three-quarter time.
The Cats trailed the Demons by 23 points at the final change and were seemingly well out of the contest, but came roaring back to life to boot eight goals to three in the final term and clinch a nail-biting two-point victory.
Zach Tuohy's clutch set-shot after the siren was the difference in one of the games of the season.
CATS CLING ON Full match coverage and stats
Ablett's influence in the final term was telling, with the 34-year-old racking up 14 disposals (seven contested), five groundball gets, five handball receives, four inside 50s and two clearances.
Scott said Ablett, Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood were critical to the last-gasp victory, with Geelong winning the centre clearance count 8-1 in the final term.
"It was just a monumental effort from our guys… the guys around the ball including Selwood, Dangerfield and Ablett. Gary's last quarter was supreme around the ball," Scott said.
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Ablett has copped criticism this season for playing too safe and not being physical enough, but asked what the superstar midfielder standing up in the big moment meant, Scott was emphatic in his praise.
"That he wants to win, that he loves playing with this group. We have a group of players who love playing with each other," Scott said.
"We're not always getting it right at the moment, but when we do it's not difficult to generate when you've got a group that cares about each other."
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Scott always had confidence his team could mount a comeback and said the fashion in which the Cats won would be critical come the business end of the season.
"There would be occasions where teams are in those kinds of situations and they turn up their toes. But you can't say that about our group and I would've been saying that even if we didn't get the result," Scott said.
"It does set you up for something special if you have that in a group because it's very hard to manufacture if it's not there organically."
Rhys Stanley was also pivotal to the victory, with the Geelong big man playing one of the best games of his career against the AFL's premier ruckman in Max Gawn.
WATCH Chris Scott's full post-match media conference
"I am (pleased Stanley has grabbed his opportunity)," Scott said.
"To be honest I don't really hear much of the criticism, but you eventually hear bits and pieces.
"We have more information than other people that are making those observations, but he's fought his way through it and he's been really good for us for at least a month now."
Scott said he actually watched Tuohy's kick this time after he admitted he watched Max Gawn miss a sitter in round one from the bathroom.
"It was an emotional last quarter, especially when we gave up the first goal of the quarter early on," Scott said.
"It was obviously going to be a big ask against a team that had control of the game for most of the night."
WATCH Cats claw back in an epic eight-goal term
Geelong has moved to equal points (40) with Melbourne and will likely stay in the top eight when the round ends on Sunday, with Scott saying he hopes the club can ride the momentum generated from the incredible victory.
"Even if we didn't get the result it would've spoken to the care the players have for each other and the fight that's in this group and it's clear that every team, without exception, is going to have to fight and scrap if they want to achieve the ultimate because the competition's so close," Scott said.
"If we could bottle how we played in that last quarter we'll be very hard to beat."
