Trailing the Dockers by 39 points in the second quarter and 25 points at the start of the last, the reigning premiers showed they could play hard as well as fast, maintaining their unbeaten 2008 record 13.11 (89) to 13.10 (88).
Even after being kept to three points in the third term, Mark Thompson's AFL pacesetters found the will to see off the Dockers' pressure and then raise it, cancelling out Matthew Pavlich's five goals.
And in a breathless finish, the Dockers' skipper - playing his 150th AFL game in a row - could have won a famous victory for his side, but hit the inside of a post with a set shot with 30 seconds left.
In a game befitting the occasion, outstanding efforts from a legion of Dockers, Aaron Sandilands chief among them, were not quite enough to edge out the rampant Cats with three goals each from Cameron Mooney and Steve Johnson keeping their challenge alive.
And rather than the usual suspects of Gary Ablett and Jimmy Bartell it was Joel Selwood with 14 final quarter possessions who helped drag his side over the line.
A brutal and brilliant first quarter from the Dockers, one of the best they have played since reaching the finals in 2006, saw Geelong worried off their style with intensity not seen by a home fan at Subiaco this season.
Pavlich's first within two minutes was a mere appetiser of the term to follow, with Sandilands' full weight felt by Ablett, and Bartel having the pleasure of Josh Carr's company.
Mooney's first in his 150th game broke the Cats drought, but their 17-point deficit at quarter time should have been more after Shaun McManus and Dean Solomon hit the post, and Pavlich sprayed wide of an open goal.
Solomon's towering second mark over Hunt increased the air of disbelief, with Jeff Farmer equalising Steve Johnson's great kick to give the Dockers a remarkable six-goal lead.
But late in the term one glaring Fremantle error gave Geelong a chink in the armour they ruthlessly devoured.
Daniel Gilmore's errant kick across half-back was pounced on by the Cats, with Cameron Ling finding Darren Milburn for the visitors' third. Nine mesmerising minutes later, they had five more.
With the momentum clearly in Geelong's favour, the main break stifled it completely - with the Dockers efforts to stifle Geelong were easily as good as their attacking forays.
But the points gap at the last change again seemed not to phase the Cats, who took just 12 minutes of the final term to find the four goals needed to bring them back into it.
Matthew Stokes first appeared to have sealed the comebacks - until Pavlich's fifth from Palmer's pass set up the breathless finale.
The skipper's strike off the woodwork brought the Dockers within a point - and one last thrust was repelled by Perth product Harry Taylor to seal a dramatic ninth win a row for Geelong.
GEELONG 1.1 8.4 8.7 13.11 (89)
FREMANTLE 3.6 8.6 12.8 13.10 (88)
GOALS:
Geelong: S Johnson 3, C Mooney 3, P Chapman 2, D Milburn G Ablett, D Wojcinski, T Hawkins, M Stokes.
Fremantle: M Pavlich 5, D Solomon 2, G Ibbotson, J Farmer, R Murphy, R Crowley, R Palmer, A Sandilands.
BEST:
Geelong: J Selwood, J Corey, C Enright, C Mooney, P Chapman .
Fremantle: A Sandilands, P Bell, G Ibbotson, M Pavlich, R Crowley.
INJURIES:
Geelong: T Harley (buttock)
Fremantle: R Hayden (thigh), S Dodd (cork), A Grover (cork), D Headland (knee) replaced in selected side by S Thornton
Reports: J Carr (Fre) reported in the second quarter by umpire Kennedy for kneeing G Ablett (Gee)
Umpires: L Farmer D Margetts H Kennedy.
Official crowd: 38,022 at Subiaco Oval.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL of the clubs.
