Geelong has snapped its four-game AFL losing streak, spoiling St Kilda's party for duel Brownlow Medallist Robert Harvey with an 18-point victory at the Telstra Dome.

Steve Johnson, returning from a fortnight in the seconds, and Paul Chapman kicked three goals apiece as the Cats won 12.10 (82) to 9.10 (64), leaving Geelong and St Kilda on three wins apiece after seven rounds.

Harvey was chaired from the field after he broke the club games record, playing his 324th game for the Saints to surpass former teammate Nathan Burke's mark, but the loss took the gloss off the occasion.

Ruckman Brad Ottens was outstanding for the Cats, who used the ball better and played with much more run for most of the game.

Leading by 23 points at three-quarter time, the Cats squandered several chances to put the game away early in the last term.

Sensing one last chance, St Kilda counter-attacked with two goals to draw within 14 points.

With the game in the balance, Saints key forward Nick Riewoldt took a strong mark and had a shot about 30m out, dead in front.

But he sprayed the kick and five umpires - the goal umpire, two field umpires and two boundary umpires - consulted before it was declared a behind.

A minute later, Kane Tenace goalled on the run to give the Cats breathing space.

For much of the night, St Kilda looked well off its best in a big game for the club.

Harvey led the team out onto the ground with his three children Connor, Remy and Alyssa.

The Saints were also wearing commemorative guernseys with an image of Harvey on the front.

But the veteran midfielder was unusually quiet for most of the game with 13 touches as his opponent Jarad Rooke proved an effective party pooper.

Rooke also kicked the first goal of the game and the Cats led by six points at the first change.

The first quarter was played at a furious tempo, with Saints forward Aaron Hamill and Geelong defender Steve Johnson forced from the field after they collided.

In a big blow for St Kilda, Hamill did not return for the rest of the match.

After quarter time, the game became much more static and only five goals were kicked for the game 10 minutes into the second term.

But goals to Henry Playfair, Paul Chapman and then Johnson piled the pressure onto the Saints, with the Cats leading by 15 points at the main break.

Hamill has a jarred knee from the first-quarter collision, while Johnson needed injections to his bruised hip to keep playing.

Geelong smashed St Kilda in the clearances 37 to 15 - an unprecedented imbalance during Grant Thomas' six-year tenure as coach.

Cats coach Mark Thompson had a feeling during the week his side would rebound, saying training was the best it had been in about a month.

"We had our sharpness back, our intensity, and that has been missing," he said.

"I'm very relieved to have them (the players) back."

Apart from Ottens and fellow ruckman Steven King, several other senior players had strong games, including full-back Matthew Scarlett and midfielder James Kelly.

Thompson said he warned Kelly this week that his spot in the senior side was tenuous.

"It was clearly his best game for the year, he found out exactly where he was during the week - as they do most weeks, but this week it was from the head coach.

"It would be a bit embarrassing and not right for a quality player like that to be out - he's fired back in the best possible way."

Thomas refused to blame Riewoldt's straight-forward miss in the last quarter for the result, saying: "it's a little bit like the dog that stopped for a pee, he might not have been hit by the car.

"You can't go to those isolated incidents - generally speaking, Geelong, full credit, they've had their backs to the wall, they've had four defeats.

"They were too tough for us, too hard for us."

Thomas said his side looked lethargic after two six-day breaks and was "extremely disappointed" it could not mark Harvey's milestone with a win.

"We would have loved to have rewarded Rob Harvey with a win, but it wasn't to be," he said.

"It's the old story of being prepared to pay the price and I think Geelong was prepared to pay a bigger price for the spoils tonight than we were."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP