The Roos now sit at 6-6 for the season after going down 14.10 (94) to 12.12 (84).
They were let down by some inaccurate kicking during a frantic final term, posting a wasteful 2.7 compared to Geelong's 2.2.
Brent Harvey's major at the 16-minute mark which made the gap only 11 points, was the last goal of the match.
With four goals, Leigh Harding was the only tall to shine on a bleak afternoon for the Roos, with Saverio Rocca unable to shake off Matthew Scarlett and Drew Petrie blanketed well by Tom Harley.
Veterans Adam Simpson and Anthony Stevens had plenty of the footy through the middle, but lacked support.
For the Cats, David Wojcinski was excellent all afternoon through the midfield, as were Cameron Ling, James Bartel and Corey Enright.
Andrew Mackie was dominant early, kicking three goals in the first quarter, but was hurt in a marking contest with David King in the second term and didn't take any further part in the game.
But it didn't seem to matter too much, with Kent Kingsley filling the void with two second-term goals, both from strong leads. And in the last, Gary Ablett secured the four points with two majors into the wind.
Despite kicking into a significant breeze blowing towards the city end, the Kangaroos got away to a fast start, scoring the opening four goals of the match. It was the biggest lead in what was a tight match
However, the Cats fought back, booting five of the next six to lead by a point at quarter time and thanks to some excellent work at the clearances, the hosts earned themselves a 19-point advantage midway through the second term.
The shifts in momentum continued when the Kangaroos, with their season at a critical point, dragged themselves back to within three points at the main break.
Unlike its efforts in the first period, Geelong made far better use of the wind in the third quarter. Shannon Grant made Paul Chapman pay the full price for some ill-discipline, the livewire Cats player conceding a 50-metre penalty in the middle of the ground.
But from that point, the home side took control, slamming through three goals including two from the edge of the centre square from Ben Graham and Josh Hunt.
When Wojcinski crumbed opposing ruckman Mark Porter's tap just before just three-quarter time and snapped accurately from 15 metres out, the Cats led by 15 points with a quarter to go.
Kangaroos coach Dean Laidley was pleased with the approach of his players despite the loss.
He described the defeat as 'a teaching tool for the players' to look at in the future.
"To come down here and half-way through the last quarter miss a couple of opportunities, it could've quite easily fallen our way," Laidley said.
"But we stuck at it, and stuck at it, and we had a multitude of chances to win the game."
In the next round the Kangaroos face the West Coast Eagles at Manuka Oval.
Geelong: 5.1 9.5 12.8 14.10 (94)
Kangaroos: 5.0 9.2 10.5 12.12 (84)
Goals: Geelong: Mackie, Ablett 3, Kingsley 2, Graham, Moloney, Chapman, Wojcinski, Hunt, Ling 1
Kangaroos: Harding 4, Grant, Rocca, Harvey 2, Wells, Brown 1
Best: Geelong: Wojcinski, Gardiner, Bartel, Scarlett, Mooney, Ablett, Ling
Kangaroos: Grant, Harding, Harvey, Harris, Makepeace, Simpson
Injuries: Geelong: Mackie (rib), Riccardi (shoulder), Enright (shoulder)
Kangaroos: None
Changes: Geelong Haynes (back tightness) replaced in the selected side by Mackie
Kangaroos: None
Reports: None
Umpires: Coates, Nicholls, Wenn
Crowd: 21,612 at Skilled Stadium
