The Bulldogs defeated the Cats, 16.14 (110) to 14.12 (96), in front of 46,818 people – the biggest home-and-away crowd between the two teams.
After leading at the first two intervals and by 30 points midway through the third term, the Dogs were on target for a convincing win.
But inaccurate kicking in the first half by the Bulldogs kept Geelong in the game.
And when the Cats kicked 6.4 to 3.0 in the third quarter, it was game on.
When the Dogs reversed the trend in the final term (6.2 to 3.3), they recorded their first win over Geelong since round one, 2007, snapping a four-match losing streak against the back-to-back grand finalist.
Skipper Brad Johnson, who missed a shot after the siren in round nine against the Cats, played an outstanding match, with 22 disposals and two goals.
He was backed up brilliantly by reigning Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney (29 disposals, two goals) and potential 2009 Charlie Sutton medallist Matthew Boyd (25 touches).
Defenders Brian Lake, Jarrod Harbrow and forward Josh Hill (three goals) were also important players in the win.
For Geelong, superstar Gary Ablett claimed a game-high 40 disposals, with Joel Corey (29), Joel Selwood (33), Jimmy Bartel (31) and Cameron Ling (31) also among the thick of the action.
Adding to a disappointing night for Geelong, playmaker Paul Chapman, who has had an outstanding season, suffered an injury to his left hamstring. He came from the field at the 16-minute mark of the second term and didn't return.
The opening term started with a finals feeling to it. The contest was hard, tactics were in full force and it was played at a slick pace.
Punters who laid money on Harry Taylor to kick the first goal of the night would have been delighted with their earnings after the Geelong defender started proceedings with just his second major for the season.
It took 11 minutes for the Dogs to open their account, however, in a quick five-minute burst they were up by 13 points after majors from Mitch Hahn, Lindsay Gilbee and Hill.
But the Cats hit back late in the term with two in a row to close the quarter-time margin back to three points.
The Bulldogs upped the ante with an excellent second term.
Their pressure and intensity forced uncharacteristic errors from the Cats and as a result the Dogs took a 19-point lead into the long break.
Still, the Doggies should have been further in front, having kicked 4.7 to 2.3 for the term and almost doubling Geelong's scoring shots (19 to 10) in the first-half.
But five posters from the Bulldogs (courtesy of Shaun Higgins, Scott Welsh, Boyd, Johnson and Robert Murphy) kept the Cats in it. It was unfortunate Murphy's effort didn't go the distance after he maneuvered his way beautifully around the boundary line before his snap hit the woodwork.
The momentum was still in favour of the Dogs when the second half started. Goals from Callan Ward and Robert Murphy put the sons of the west up by 30 points.
Just as the Bulldogs looked set to run away with the match, the Cats staged an outstanding comeback. Geelong booted six of the remaining seven goals to reclaim a three-point lead heading into the final stanza.
The Dogs also had their concerns when Ward copped a knock to his shoulder, forcing him to the sidelines. But the talented youngster was back in the action in a thrilling final term.
In an enthralling period, it was goal for goal with several lead changes, until the Dogs changed tack at the 15-minute mark.
The Bulldogs landed three in three minutes via Johnson, Cooney and Hill to gain a 13-point break.
Although Geelong forward Cameron Mooney added his fourth at the 26-minute mark to reduce the deficit to eight points, when Bulldog Shaun Higgins marked and kicked truly after the siren, the Dogs added the cream on top of an excellent victory.
Western Bulldogs 3.5 7.12 10.12 16.14 (110)
Geelong 3.2 5.5 11.9 14.12 (96)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Hill 3, Boyd 2, Cooney 2, Johnson 2, Akermanis, Gilbee, Hahn, Higgins, Murphy, Ward, Welsh
Geelong: Mooney 4, Hawkins 3, Byrnes 2, Gamble, Mumford, Selwood, Stokes, Taylor
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Johnson, Boyd, Cooney, Hill, Lake, Harbrow, Eagleton, Murphy
Geelong: Ablett, Selwood, Bartel, Corey, Ling, Mooney, Scarlett, Mackie
Injuries
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Geelong: Chapman (hamstring)
Reports
Nil
Umpires: Vozzo, Ryan, Jeffrey
Official crowd: 46,818 at Docklands
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
