GEELONG has kept its top six hopes alive with a tough 20-point win over Melbourne, proving to be a step above the gutsy Dees.

But the 18.9 (117) to 14.13 (97) victory may have come at a cost, with freshly re-signed champion Patrick Dangerfield appearing to suffer a groin injury in one of his signature burst runs.

DEMONS v CATS Full match coverage and stats

The final margin doesn't reflect Melbourne's effort, with Harrison Petty booting two of his four goals in the fourth term, but Geelong was able to kick into a higher gear in the last 10 minutes, with Shannon Neale (five goals for the game) and late inclusion Ollie Henry (four) sealing the deal.

Melbourne's ball movement has been patchy at times this year, but the Demons were incredibly pinpoint in the first quarter, with their only failings coming in front of goal.

Pace was the order of the day, with Kozzie Pickett and Harry Sharp proving too quick in the first stanza for Geelong's Irish speedsters, Oisin Mullin and Mark O'Connor, while Bayley Fritsch's work across half-forward continually set up teammates closer to goal.

Such was Pickett's early dominance, he received (and acknowledged) a rapturous round of applause when running to the bench 15 minutes into the match.

At the other end of the field, second-gamer Lukas Cooke had his work cut out for him, manning man-mountain Shannon Neale, who booted three in a quarter and a bit.

Veteran Tom McDonald – who'd been warming the bench for minutes reminiscent of the old days of the interchange – was then moved onto the Cat.

Latrelle Pickett had a five-bounce run down the vacant MCG win, but his shot drifted wide, and it was one of a number of blown opportunities for the Dees who should have converted more of their opportunities in the first half.

Typically, just as the eye started wandering through Geelong's fixture, idly wondering if the Cats were any chance of missing finals should they drop this match, they tightened right up around the contest and produced a seven-goal second quarter, taking a 20-point lead into half-time.

Brad Close appears to have recaptured some form, while Gryan Miers slowly worked his way into the match, his trademark swing kick increasing in lethality as the game progressed.

By contrast, Melbourne missed the class of the injured Caleb Windsor, particularly when the tide began to turn, while Daniel Turner left a hole in defence that wasn't quite filled.

Tom Stewart jarred his shoulder in a tackle on the eve of half-time, but it seemed to kick him into gear, patrolling the backline like the Stewart of old as the Dees struggled to clear Geelong's offensive half.

After Melbourne's first half of inaccuracy, it was Geelong's turn to blow chance after chance, kicking 2.5 for the third term while a dangerous Fritsch took full advantage, kicking his second and third goals.

But Cat blushes were somewhat spared when Harvey Langford gave away a 50m penalty for a protected zone infringement late in the third, marching James Polkinghorne to the square and keeping up a three-goal buffer.

Young ruck Mitch Edwards can hold his head up after his battle against Max Gawn, who dominated the stoppages, but keeping up with the Melbourne skipper around the ground.

Latrelle Pickett's night ended in the third term after an accidental elbow to the back of the head in a marking contest, and was ruled out with concussion, while Jacob van Rooyen received treatment on a busted nose.

Kozzie v Oisin
It was a much-discussed match-up heading into the game – Melbourne's superstar midfielder against Geelong's in-form stopper. Kozzie definitely had the better of the Irishman in the first quarter, but Mullin worked his way back into the contest in the second and third terms, holding the Dee to five touches in that period. Mullin (and coach Chris Scott) will walk away thrilled with having held the potential matchwinner to 14 and a goal.

Danger hobbled?
The skipper pulled up sore after attempting to burst through an opponent in the second quarter, continually feeling for his groin. Dangerfield then spent the first 10 minutes of the third term on the bench before rotating into the goal-square, and on the rare occasions he made it outside 25m, was moving slowly and gingerly. He finished up the match on the bench, with ice on his calf and physio attention on his groin. There'll no doubt be a watch on his load management in the last month of the season, given upcoming games against Essendon, North Melbourne and Richmond.

MELBOURNE     4.4      6.8       9.9     14.13     (97)
GEELONG           3.0     10.4    12.9     18.9     (117)

GOALS
Melbourne: Petty 4, Fritsch 3, Langdon 3, K.Pickett, Tholstrup, Laurie, Langford, 
Geelong: Neale 5, O.Henry 4, Wiltshire 3, Polkinghorne 2, Atkins, Close, Mannagh, O'Connor

BEST
Melbourne: Steele, Sparrow, Tholstrup, Petty, Fritsch, K.Pickett
Geelong: Atkins, Smith, O'Sullivan, Neale, Stewart, Humphries

INJURIES
Melbourne: L.Pickett (concussion), van Rooyen (nose)
Geelong: Dangerfield (groin)

LATE CHANGES
Melbourne: Nil
Geelong: Sam De Koning (illness), replaced in selected side by Ollie Henry

Crowd: 49,292 at the MCG