Geelong are sweating on the severity of Tom Stewart's knee injury after being brought back to earth in an upset seven-point loss to St Kilda.
Stewart was hurt when his right knee jammed into the hard Marvel Stadium surface on Saturday night as the Saints held off their fast-finishing opponents to prevail 15.8 (98) to 13.13 (91).
The five-time All-Australian was substituted out before halftime, adding to the Cats' woes after Bailey Smith (calf) was a late withdrawal.
St Kilda defied their own lengthy injury list to bounce back from a round-one thumping by Adelaide, breaking 41 points clear during the third term.
Geelong stormed home with seven of the last nine goals, but were held off by a spirited Saints outfit.
There was a flashpoint with a little more than four minutes left when a Brad Close goal on the line was overturned - ruled a rushed behind by Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera after both players swung their boots at a loose ball.
A goal would have dragged the Cats back within a kick with plenty of time to find a match-winner.
"They threw a lot at us and we knew they'd come," St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said.
"We would've liked a bit more composure but we take those lessons.
"It was contrasting halves, but a lot of positives to take out of it.
"We liked the space we lived in with spirit and effort, and that's a foundation for any team's performance, but we're certainly not getting carried away."
Jack Macrae (35 disposals), Jack Sinclair (25), Zak Jones (27) and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (29) were all influential for St Kilda, and Jack Higgins was the best of their goalkickers with four.
Marcus Windhager blunted Cats star Max Holmes in the first half and finished with 25 disposals and two goals, and Rowan Marshall fought tirelessly in the ruck.
There was some concern for the Saints, who lost Liam Stocker (concussion) and Hunter Clark (groin) to injuries.
Geelong, who thrashed Fremantle by 78 points at home in round one, were made to look second-rate during the first half by a slick Saints outfit that kicked six goals to one in the opening term.
"It wasn't Harlem Globetrotter stuff but I thought they were just so good early," Cats coach Chris Scott said.
"Sometimes you can look at those sort of games and focus too much on what you're not doing, and don't give enough credit to the opposition.
"Forget all the cliches that you hear from commentators who don't know what they're talking about around intensity - I just thought they were clean."
The Cats lifted late in the contest, with Patrick Dangerfield (18 disposals) and Ollie Dempsey (two goals) providing final-quarter sparks.
"In the end we got the shots and gave ourselves a chance to win. That's the positive," Scott said.
"So many things were going against us and it would've been easy to turn your toes up and say it's not our night, and you end up losing by 50 or 60 points.
"But we really had a chance to win. If a few things had have gone our way then we might've snuck over the line."
Lawson Humphries (22 disposals), Mark Blicavs (16) and defender Jack Henry were also strong contributors for the Cats.
Dangerfield faces possible scrutiny from the match review officer over a high arm that clipped St Kilda's Ryan Byrnes as he kicked the ball.
