Geelong coach Mark Thompson rates Saturday's unforgettable come-from-behind win over Hawthorn not just as a turbo-charged boost for the Cats' 2009 campaign, but a reference point that his players will return to for the rest of their lives.

Gone for all money when they trailed by 28 points early in the final quarter, the Cats scored the next five goals and got up thanks to a behind scored after the final siren by Jimmy Bartel.

Thompson revealed he gave his players a half-time bake that was 'the best for the year', and rammed the message home at three-quarter time.

His post-match assessment, however, was much kinder.

"I said to them that when a coach sits there and says that anything can happen in a game of footy now you'll believe it, because to be 22 points down and to have two of your key defenders out, to get up and win is an extraordinary effort," he told his post-match media conference.

"They'll know exactly what that means for the rest of their lives."

"It rates up there and it was enjoyable just to sing the song to know that you had a victory like that."

Thompson was full of praise for Joel Selwood who racked up career-high stats in three categories - possessions: 42, marks: 10 and tackles: 11, plus nine clearances for good measure - all in the space of one outstanding afternoon's work.

The 21-year-old's performance must surely rank alongside the best the MCG has ever witnessed.

"He was an amazing player today, the best player on the ground," said Thompson of Selwood.

"He never lets you down and he rarely plays an average game - you can't say enough about him as a person and a player."

Thompson conceded the result could so easily have gone the other way and the Cats were fortunate the opposition failed to capitalise fully on an inside-50 count that ran Hawthorn's way 54-36.

"There were patches of the second quarter where we just played disgusting," he said.

"But that just makes it a little bit special to know that you're not having you best day, but to able to come back and still take the game on and still believe that you can win says a lot about the group."

"I think it might just really get us excited about the rest of this year."

Thompson said it was too soon to determine the severity of groin injuries to key defenders Matthew Scarlett and Harry Taylor, both of whom spent the second half on the bench.