SHANNON Neale's five goals and another outstanding Bailey Smith midfield performance have powered Geelong to a stirring 10-point come-from-behind triumph over Fremantle.

Trailing by 35 points before half-time, the Cats stormed home in the second half to post a 16.14 (110) to 14.16 (100) victory at GMHBA Stadium.

CATS v DOCKERS Full match coverage and stats

Key forward Neale equalled his career-best goal tally as the focal point in attack alongside returning gun Jeremy Cameron (three goals) and Shaun Mannagh (three).

Smith (30 disposals, one goal) shone with midfield partner Max Holmes (32 touches, five clearances), as Geelong responded to its Opening Round loss to Gold Coast in fine style.

Luke Jackson did his best for Fremantle with 27 disposals, 22 hitouts, 10 clearances and a goal, helping Sean Darcy get the better of Cats debutant Mitch Edwards in the ruck.

Caleb Serong (30 disposals, eight clearances, one goal) worked tirelessly and Josh Treacy (two goals, eight marks) was a constant target forward of the ball.

Isaiah Dudley (three goals) and Shai Bolton (two) were dangerous at times for the Dockers, who led at every change, but not when it mattered most.

It could hardly have been a better start for Fremantle, which posted its highest first-quarter score outside WA, and the fifth-highest in club history.

The Dockers led 8.4 to 3.1 at quarter-time, winning the clearance battle and scoring from 75 per cent of forward entries.

But a fierce bake from coach Chris Scott sparked the Cats into action. Mannagh led the way with three goals in nine minutes after the break, but the Dockers responded with the next three to lead by a game-high 35 points.

Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield missed Opening Round with a calf injury and didn't have a touch on return until time-on of the second quarter.

When he finally did, a strong mark and hand-off set up the first of two Cameron goals just before half-time.

Geelong took that momentum into the second half and it looked as if the Cats would run over the top of their opponents when three Neale goals in eight minutes got the home side back within a kick. 

They hit the front for the first time at the nine-minute mark of the final term, when a 50-metre penalty against Andrew Brayshaw led to a Jack Martin goal.

Neale's fifth gave them just enough breathing space late and they held on in a tense finish.

Cats catch fire
The Cats needed a lift after a flat first term and it was Shaun Mannagh who stepped up with added Geelong's first three goals of the term to get his side going. Not to be outdone, big man Shannon Neale matched Mannagh's effort in the third term, kicking three successive majors of his own as the Cats ground the Dockers down.

Jackson brings his own footy
The athletic Dockers ruck was matched against young Cat Mitch Edwards and he took full toll on his inexperienced opponent. Jackson dominated at stoppage and around the ground, and even attended a number of centre ball-ups as a midfielder rather than a ruck, in a move that has been long flagged by coach Justin Longmuir. Edwards can take heart that he won't be the first opponent to cop a battering from Jackson if the big Docker remains in this sort of form.

GEELONG         3.1          8.4          13.8       16.14 (110)
FREMANTLE   8.4          11.8       14.12    14.16 (100)

GOALS
Geelong: Neale 5, Mannagh 3, Cameron 3, Clark, J.Henry, Dangerfield, Smith, Martin
Fremantle: Dudley 3, Bolton 2, Treacy 2, Serong, Amiss, Jackson, O'Driscoll, Reid, Young, Brayshaw

BEST
Geelong: Holmes, Smith, Neale, Stewart, Cameron, Mannagh
Fremantle: Jackson, Serong, Clark, Dudley, Young

INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
Fremantle: Nil

Crowd: TBC at GMHBA Stadium