A CONTROVERSIAL late free kick has shaped a Geelong victory on Saturday afternoon, the Cats making it three wins in a row after prevailing in a five-point thriller against Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval.

A scrambling Amelie Borg was dismayed to be whistled for a deliberate rushed behind with seven minutes remaining in the hard-fought contest, with Mikayla Bowen slamming through the last goal of the game to seal a memorable 6.9 (45) to 6.4 (40) win.

POWER v CATS Full match coverage and stats

There was plenty on the line with both sides taking a 2-3 record into the clash, with Geelong improving to 3-3 to stay in touch with the top eight.

"The girls had to really dig deep and play some late-in-game scenarios to see that last three minutes out with the score in our favour," Geelong coach Daniel Lowther said.

"As a coach that was a really proud moment, and shows really great growth and maturity from the group.

Bowen was at her brilliant best throughout, with a game-high 25 possessions, with Georgie Prespakis and Nina Morrison also important.

Indy Tahau booted two goals in a pulsating last quarter for the Power and Matilda Scholz was outstanding once again.

It was a grandstand finish to an entertaining contest of momentum swings.

On the same ground that the Power kicked an AFLW record high score a fortnight earlier, the home side was held scoreless in the first quarter by the miserly Cats.

Nina Morrison gave her side a deserved lead with the first goal of the contest, but the inaccuracy that has troubled Daniel Lowther’s side at times this season returned to limit the visitors’ lead to 10 points at the first break.

The heavens opened at the start of the second quarter, but the Power thrived in the rain.

A quarter-time rev up by coach Lauren Arnell had the desired effect with Katelyn Pope and Shineah Goody booting goals inside the first five minutes to put the Power in front.

Jackie Parry and Julia Crockett-Grills answered for Geelong in an entertaining term of end-to-end footy, but Port took a slender one-point lead into the main break thanks to a superb goal to Matilda Scholz in traffic and a cool set shot from Gemma Houghton.

A superb show of strength from Nina Morrison produced the only goal of the third quarter, the Cats star ripping the ball from her opponent’s grasp and slamming through her second major to help her side to a five-point lead at three-quarter time.

The Cats suffered a blow in the second quarter when Emma Kilpatrick was felled in a bruising tackle by Ebony O’Dea. Kilpatrick was able to leave the ground under her own steam, but she was ruled out with a concussion during the half-time break.

Crockett-Grills was also a casualty, the Geelong star leaving the game early in the final term with a hamstring concern.

Post-game, Arnell wouldn’t be drawn on the controversial free kick against Borg and lamented her side’s inconsistency with a 2-4 record at the halfway point of the season.

"Yeah, I think right after a game is probably not the time for me to comment on it," she said.

"I've no doubt there'll be some conversations about those types of decisions from today's game. But yeah, I prefer not to comment on that immediately post game.

"We understand what we're capable of, and what we're seeing is an inconsistency in how we show up.

"I think we are better than the inconsistency that we've shown this year, and we've played some good teams, it's just a test of maturity in our group and how we respond."

Pinpoint Port v stray Cats
Geelong’s difficulties inside attacking 50 this season came back to haunt them in the first quarter, the Cats on top but going astray in front of goal, with Parry, Crockett-Grills and Aishling Moloney all missing gettable shots. In stark contrast, when the Power did click into gear in the second quarter, the home side made the Cats pay for their inaccuracy, banging through four goals without missing.

Cuthbertson suffers fresh setback
Just hours before the opening bounce Port Adelaide announced that Janelle Cuthbertson had suffered another ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. The star defender had been on the comeback trail from the same injury when she suffered the fresh blow at training on Thursday. Cuthbertson was on hand at Alberton to present debutant Lauren Young, who played her first game after her own long ACL rehab, with her guernsey.

Up next
The Power will take on St Kilda at RSEA Park on Sunday at 1.05pm AEST. The Cats will host Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday evening at 7.15pm AEST.

PORT ADELAIDE        0.0    4.1    4.3    6.4 (40)
GEELONG                   1.4     3.6    4.8    6.9 (45)

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Tahau 2, Scholz, Pope, Houghton, Goody
Geelong: Morrison 2, Parry, Crockett-Grills, Moloney, Bowen

BEST 
Port Adelaide: Scholz, Woodland, Tahau, Heads, Dowrick, Brooksby
Geelong: Bowen, Morrison, Prespakis, Parry, Crockett-Grills, McDonald

INJURIES 
Port Adelaide: Nil
Geelong: Kilpatrick (concussion), Crockett-Grills (hamstring)

Reports: Nil

Crowd: 2,255 at Alberton Oval