PORT Adelaide used the premiership quarter on Thursday night to make its biggest statement yet in a record 11-game winning streak, underlining its flag credentials with a powerful burst against Geelong that set up a 38-point win at Adelaide Oval.
Jumped by the reigning premiers early and forced to come from 21 points behind, the Power flipped the game on its head with a brutal seven-goal run in the third quarter that sounded a loud warning to their rivals.
They then weathered a brief rally from the proud Cats early in the final term before slamming on another four unanswered goals to win 16.14 (110) to 11.6 (72) in front of a roaring home crowd.
The win further strengthens the Power's charge for a top-two finish, with Ken Hinkley's team moving to 12-2 and looking close to unbeatable in the second half of the season.
The result also makes Geelong's task of backing up its 2022 flag tougher, with the ninth-placed Cats now in a scrap to finish in the top eight with their 6-7 record.
They were made to look second-rate through a third quarter that saw Port dominate clearances (14-6) and inside 50s (14-9), ramping up their pressure and overwhelming the Cats.
Their ability to turn clearances into scores, which has been a major strength this season, was phenomenal as tall forwards Jeremy Finlayson (four goals) and Todd Marshall (three) capitalised.
Forward Sam Powell-Pepper (two) was also outstanding, while half-back Dan Houston continued a terrific season with 31 disposals and six clearances.
As good as they were after half-time, Port has rarely looked as sluggish during its winning run as it did in the opening quarter, getting caught on the back foot by Geelong.
The Cats were slick on the outside and dominated uncontested ball (62-29) as they raced to a 20-point lead on the back of some brilliance from Gary Rohan, who kicked three of the first five goals of the game.
The premiership Cat leapt over ruckman Scott Lycett and then tall defender Aliir Aliir to take contested grabs and set the tone for his team, which looked in total control at the first break.
The response from Port didn't take long, with the match reverting to a contested slog in the second term as the home team ramped up its pressure around the ball and started to control the stoppages.
Back-to-back goals through former Cat Quinton Narkle, who was making his Power debut as a mid-season recruit, and Finlayson cut the half-time margin to just seven points.
The Cats still had reason to believe they were in control of the contest, but it wouldn't last, with Powell-Pepper launching the Power's seven-goal run early in the third term with some magic from the pocket, gathering at pace and dribbling the ball through with the outside of his right boot.
A stoppage domination ensured for the next 20 minutes as the Power's forwards lined up for their turn, with Finlayson's third goal deep in the quarter extending the lead to 30 points.
Geelong, to its credit, had one more effort to give and was able to cut the margin to 12 points early in the final term after premiership veteran Isaac Smith snapped on his left.
But their short run was quickly snuffed out by a Power team that showed its vast array of weapons might be even more dangerous than the competition suspected.
PORT ADELAIDE 2.6 5.8 12.9 16.14 (110)
GEELONG 6.2 7.3 10.4 11.6 (72)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Finlayson 4, Marshall 3, Powell-Pepper 2, Narkle 2, Butters, Byrne-Jones, Drew, Burton, McEntee
Geelong: Rohan 3, Hawkins 2, Smith, O'Connor, Dangerfield, Henry, Cameron, Close
BEST
Port Adelaide: Houston, Marshall, Powell-Pepper, Finlayson, Butters, Rozee, Wines
Geelong: Holmes, Z Guthrie, Tuohy, Rohan, Duncan
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Geelong: Nil
LATE CHANGES
Port Adelaide: Junior Rioli (illness), replaced in the selected side by Quinton Narkle
Geelong: Jon Ceglar (adductor), replaced in the selected side by Zach Tuohy
SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Riley Bonner (replaced Josh Sinn in the third quarter)
Geelong: Jack Bowes (replaced Tanner Bruhn in the third quarter)
Crowd: 36,316 at Adelaide Oval
