MELBOURNE is set to finish second and avoid the imperious North Melbourne in the first week of finals after defeating Geelong by 14 points, but the win may have come at a considerable cost.

Skipper Kate Hore sent a scare through the Demons camp after coming to the bench late in the game following a collision with teammate Eliza McNamara that left the star forward on her haunches, and is set to undergo a head injury assessment post-match.

CATS v DEMONS Full match coverage and stats

It aborted her effort to reach 100 career goals – stranded on 99 – but more importantly, a concussion will rule her out of next week's final.

Geelong had nothing to play for but pride, as well as sending retirees Meg McDonald, Kate Darby and Shelley Scott (injured) out on a high.

But the Cats weren't going to end their season without a fight, proving their mettle around the ball with a tough attack on the footy, but lacked the class of Melbourne when entering forward 50, with the Dees securing a 9.5 (59) to 6.9 (45) win.

Cats fans might have been forgiven for wondering where this effort was all season, with the ferocity and defensive discipline at a finals-like level.

The unlikely pairing of 177cm Tayla Harris and 167cm Rachel Kearns provided an entertaining aerial battle, with the springy Cats defender given latitude to fly for her marks against one of the competition's very best overhead.

Fullback Tahlia Gillard provided a big highlight when she kicked her first AFLW goal in her 46th match, running from behind Megan Fitzsimon while her teammate lined up for a set shot, and slotting truly when she received the handball. 

It gave Melbourne a four-point lead at half-time, after the Cats had blown a number of opportunities in general play.

Harris was a constant thorn in the Cats' side, working hard all over the ground and presenting hard on the lead, although her set shots left a bit to be desired.

She finally kicked truly on the stroke of three-quarter time, capping off a five-goal term for her side, which turned out to be the game-winning lead.

Nina Morrison – Geelong's likely captain next year – was superb throughout the game, finding plenty of the footy across all four quarters and kicking two goals, while Tyla Hanks was equally damaging the other way, clean and classy all over the field.

Zanker's eventful third term
Eden Zanker kicked a goal from a stoppage that Tom Hawkins would have been proud of, taking the ball out of the ruck and kicking it high and true above her head, and her second just a minute later blew the margin out to a game-high 10 points halfway through the third. She then had to leave the field a few minutes later with a nose which was bleeding profusely. A HIA was avoided, but the dreaded bandage around the middle of the face was not.

Farewell to some AFLW favourites
McDonald, Darby and Scott have been part of the AFLW landscape since day dot, having an impact on the competition across various facets of the game. Scott, the oldest remaining AFLW player, was the dairy farmer from Colac, starting her career at Melbourne and finishing at Geelong. Darby's late career resurgence after having daughter Ella paved the way for others, while McDonald is a noted leader and is already forging a career in commentary. The Demons stuck around to farewell the trio, while former Cats skipper Mel Hickey was on hand to interview them on broadcast.

GEELONG           1.3     2.5     4.6     6.9     (45)
MELBOURNE      1.2     3.3     8.5     9.5     (59)

GOALS
Geelong: Morrison 2, Bowen 2, Moloney, Mason
Melbourne: Zanker 4, Wotherspoon, Gillard, Hanks, Hore, Harris

BEST
Geelong: Morrison, Prespakis, Kearns, Bowen, A. McDonald
Melbourne: Hanks, Harris, Zanker, Heath, Chaplin, Hore

INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
Melbourne: Hore (head knock)

Crowd: 2214 at GHMBA Stadium