The Cats snapped the Dons' six-match winning streak with an 18.12 (120) to 14.13 (97) victory that added to the round eight win over high-flying Melbourne to suggest Geelong are a legitimate finals contender after a poor start to the season.

Essendon had now lost three of the past four matches when captain Hird - currently nursing an eye injury - was sidelined.

The result also showed the importance of an accurate key forward, with Cats' sharp-shooter Kent Kingsley kicking seven straight goals while at the other end Matthew Lloyd kicked an uncharacteristic 2.4 with another shot out on the full.

Geelong's turnaround from the injury-riddled side that was flogged by Carlton in round two to being behind only St Kilda as the form side of the competition had been remarkable.

Geelong, and more particularly Kingsley started brightly, with the Cats forward kicking the opening three goals to begin a quarter that was a prototype of a Dome shootout, with the sides sharing 12 goals as Geelong went in four points up at the first break.

The pace moderated somewhat in the second term, but was no less intriguing in a match living up to its billing as game of the round.

Neither side was prepared to give an inch during the third term, making for an engrossing contest as a further two goals to Kingsley helped the Cats to a five-point lead at the final change.

The start of the final term was going to be critical, and it was Geelong which seized the initiative with three goals in eight minutes to establish a four-goal lead.

Essendon was not prepared to cede immediately, clinging within 17 points entering time-on, before it was fittingly that man Kingsley who sealed the result with his seventh goal.

Ben Graham up forward and Cam Mooney in the ruck combined for 19 marks to also be key players for the victors, with Paul Chapman damaging early and midfielders James Kelly and Cameron Ling prolific.

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