LIVE AFL: Danger time for Port as Geelong reloads with stars in bid for finals revenge

Outright third on the ladder is on offer, and Geelong has been the better side for most of the night, but Port Adelaide’s dangerous forward line put them on the brink of victory.

The Power (8-3, 123.3%) are hoping to repeat last year’s thrilling 16-point qualifying final win.

The Cats (8-3, 130.6%) have won six of their last seven games and regained four stars including Patrick Dangerfield at selection.

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QUARTER-BY-QUARTER MATCH REPORT

There were no late changes for either side, with Boyd Woodcock (Port Adelaide) and Quinton Narkle (Geelong) the medical subs.

Jeremy Cameron kicked the opening goal of the night for the Cats.

Todd Marshall earned a free kick which resulted in Port’s first off a questionable blocking call.

Marshall was taken off with concussion concerns and Connor Rozee slotted the goal.

Tom Hawkins, who kicked 0.5 in the qualifying final last year after being manned by Trent McKenzie, had two early goals on McKenzie.

But impressive solo efforts from Rozee and Sam Powell-Pepper quickly got the hosts back in it.

Rozee’s ridiculous start continued with third and fourth majors, leaving the Cats shellshocked.

A late Mitch Duncan goal steadied things for Geelong, and they trailed 4.3 (27) to 5.1 (31) at quarter-time.

The power forwards got involved at either end as Charlie Dixon kicked his first goal, before Tom Hawkins got frustrated by the umps missing a block and gave away a 50-metre penalty.

A ridiculous Kane Farrell bender, followed by a Mitch Georgiades set shot major, gave the Power seven of the last eight goals of the game and a 21-point lead.

Then came the Cats. They were winning the territory game – Port were simply deadly on the counter attack – but finally got reward for effort when Cameron kicked a second goal and Hawkins added a third.

Consecutive majors for Lachie Henderson and Brandan Parfitt then put Geelong in front after a four-goal, nine-minute burst.

The visitors led 8.5 (53) to 8.2 (50) at halftime.

“I thought things went terribly right for Port Adelaide early … but it corrected,” Hawthorn great Dermott Brereton said on Fox Footy.

Parfitt found space inside 50 to give the Cats their fifth goal in a row, starting the second half perfectly.

They could’ve extended their lead further but Gary Rohan missed a simple set shot and then gave away a free kick for in-the-back on the Cats’ next forward entry. His mistakes proved costly when Ollie Wines goalled up the other end.

The game slowed down from that point, with the Cats wasting more chances and Port still looking more dangerous once they got the ball forward.

But then a perfect pick-up from Patrick Dangerfield gave Rohan the chance to make amends for his mistakes, and he did just that with a major.

Charlie Dixon goalled in the final minute of the term, but Rohan added one on the siren to put the hosts down 10.4 (64) to 11.8 (74) at the last break.

Cats coach Chris Scott appeared frustrated at three-quarter-time, indicating to a security guard that a fan in the crowd had done something.

Dixon’s third goal of the game got the margin back to three points to begin the fourth quarter, and a fourth gave his side the lead. Rozee’s fifth goal of the night extended it.

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Geelong players were in quarantine from Monday evening to satisfy the South Australian health authorities, so they could play this game as scheduled.

This match got underway at 7:40pm EST from Adelaide Oval.

Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504), or stream it on Kayo.

Follow Port Adelaide vs Geelong in our live blog below!