Western Bulldogs skipper Brad Johnson missed a shot for goal after the final siren which would have ended Geelong's unbeaten run in the AFL game of the season so far at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.

The Cats held on to win 17.14 (116) to 17.12 (114), after the Bulldogs had charged back from 22 points down at the final change to fall agonisingly short of pulling off an upset.

Johnson, who was one of his side's best with four goals, had a shot from about 15m deep in the right forward pocket after the siren, but his checkside kick went across the face of goal for a behind.

Teammate Mitch Hahn had done superbly well to win the ball in the opposite pocket and boot it forward to set Johnson up for the chance to snatch the game.

Geelong midfield superstar Gary Ablett starred in his return from injury with 38 touches, while fellow midfield gun Joel Selwood was also superb with 32 hard-won possessions and half-forward Steve Johnson booted five goals.

The Dogs would have been desperately disappointed not to defeat the side who narrowly beat them in a preliminary final last season.

But they at least proved that the gap between this season's two unbeaten teams St Kilda and Geelong and the rest of the competition is far from the gaping gulf it had previously appeared.

Earlier, in an extremely high-class encounter, the Cats had threatened to blow the Bulldogs out of the contest at several stages.

They burst to a 26-point lead in the first term, kicking six of the first eight goals.

But the Bulldogs reeled them in with the last major of the first term and the first four of the second to briefly take the lead, including two in four minutes to Johnson to open the quarter.

The Cats steadied to take a 13-point halftime lead and then again looked set to destroy the contest when they kicked four goals in the opening eight minutes of the third term and at one stage in the quarter built a 36-point lead.

But Bulldogs' 300-gamer Jason Akermanis - who starred in his milestone match with four goals - kept his side in touch with the last two goals of the quarter to cut the gap to 22 points.

The Dogs then steadily narrowed the gap throughout a wonderfully entertaining final term, without ever managing to completely close it.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson said the tight scrap would do his team a world of good, after having had more comfortable wins in the first eight rounds.

"I'm not sure whether we really deserved to win or not," Thompson said.

"We spoke about how it is good to play in those really close games, sometimes we don't get them.

"There was good pressure on the players on the field, pressure on all the staff, good pressure in the coaches' box because we don't experience that much."

Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said it was as well as his side had played this season, but that was of little solace.

"We're obviously extremely disappointed because we came here to win, we didn't come here to have an encouraging loss and push the top side ... we could have won," Eade said.

He said Johnson had taken the miss hard, despite his strong showing throughout the game.

"He played extremely well, we were really pleased with his performance," he said.

"He was beating himself up a bit, he takes that personally, but it's not just one act that wins or loses you a game."

It was the second time in the space of a year Johnson missed a deciding shot after the final siren, having also done so against North Melbourne in round nine last season.

The Cats had some bad news, with Paul Chapman badly dislocating a finger late in the game, the bone breaking the skin.

He will need surgery, but Geelong have not ruled him out of playing against Essendon next Sunday.

Fellow forward Ryan Gamble fell on his head after marking late in the second quarter and was taken to hospital with concussion, but is expected to be available to play the Bombers.

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