AAP
Geelong bounced back in style from its first loss of the AFLW season, comfortably beating Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval.
Held to just 22 points in their defeat by North Melbourne last weekend, the Cats romped past that total in the first quarter on their way to a 28-point win, 11.4(70) to 5.12(42).
Midfield flyer Nina Morrison was as prolific as ever for Geelong with 32 disposals, although she got plenty of help from line-breaking defender Becky Webster who racked up 26 on her return from injury.
Chloe Scheer and Jackie Parry looked unstoppable at times in the Cats’ forward line, slotting six goals between them.
The Power found their way into the contest after the main break, with Geelong coach Dan Lowther admitting a similarly poor second half would get the Cats hurt against top-ranked Melbourne (4-0) next weekend.
“The aim was to come over here and set the tone from the start,” he said.
“I was pleased with our first quart er, but the next step for us is consistency over the four quarters.
“After halftime wasn’t what we would have liked to have played, but to have a good mix of contested (possession) and uncontested as well helped us control the game.
“It’s nice Chloe, throughout the four quarters, threatened in front of goal…it was good after last week’s disappointing second half, but we have a few areas to fix up with our (second-half) performance.”
The Cats jumped Port thanks to their efficient forwards, finding four unanswered goals in the first term with Parry and Scheer having their fingerprints all over everything.
Kate Surman’s running effort against her old side put Geelong 46-3 ahead in the second quarter, its largest lead of the match.
The Power did not score a goal until Gemma Houghton snapped one a minute before the halftime break.
A Port comeback looked unlikely, and two clever snaps from Ashleigh Saint in the third term were cancelled out by Scheer and Georgie Prespakis, who relished the Power releasing a hard tag on her with a huge term.
Port will be furious with its poor start and wasteful goalkicking, having won the second half but finding itself in too deep a hole after the game’s early stages.
Houghton, Port’s best player, added a third goal in the final term, but her side’s 5.12 return cost them any chance of pushing the Cats.
“Geelong are a very good team…we knew we’d have to play even a level above the win (over St Kilda) last week,” Port coach Lauren Arnell said.
“We moved away from our shape around the contest a little bit and they hurt us, like good teams do.”
Port’s Indy Tahau went down in the second term with a non-contact knee injury and took no further part in the game, the club suspecting she has suffered a tear of her anterior cruciate ligament.
