The Power's win was essential ahead of a difficult late-Autumn calendar, including games against last year's grand finalists Hawthorn and Fremantle.

Chad Wingard ended the night with three goals, but it was the hard work of midfielders Travis Boak, Brad Ebert, Kane Cornes and Matt White who helped to stamp the home side's authority on the game after the main break.

While Boak and Ebert were impressive winning the clearance and rebound, Cornes kept Geelong skipper Joel Selwood to less than 20 touches while clearing the 30-disposal mark himself.

Boak's impressive performance finished with 32 disposals, nine clearances, five inside-50s and a Peter Badcoe VC Medal hung around his neck, such was the leadership and team effort he produced across four quarters.

Despite the scoring blitz in the second half, the game didn't go all the Power's way.

Pressure - as has often been the case with Port Adelaide games in 2014 – was high early, and the Power struggled to adapt to the intensity of the match with poor efficiency and turnovers proving costly.

With the Power’s first or second disposals missing targets too often, the Cats mopped up in their forward 50 to convert crucial early goals.

But for its poor use early, the Power was opportunistic, and started to damage the scoreboard through ambitious play.

Matt Lobbe converted the first from a set shot, before Aaron Young seized the initiative to launch a long bomb from outside 50 to post the Power’s second.

And with a crumbing goal to Hamish Hartlett, and a fourth from a regulation power run from Matt White, the Power was able to close within two points at quarter time.

Unfortunately it took time for the Power to get going – its playmakers and X-factor youth unable to get into the game early - and they were kept in the game by carnal inaccuracy from the game-controlling Cats.

But the Power clicked into gear midway through the second quarter and booted four goals to take a three-goal advantage into the long break.

It could have been more if Robbie Gray had heard an unusually inaudible siren as the clock finished for half time. 

Perhaps it was the excitement of the home crowd that drowned it out.

Gray made amends 20 minutes later though by combining with Jay Schulz and Chad Wingard as the opening goalscorers for the third term.

The trio’s early blitz extended a 36-point advantage in a start to the quarter and it was suddenly the Power with all the momentum. 

Despite two goals to Mark Blicavs and the substituted Josh Walker, the Power kicked out to a game-high 38-point lead at the final change.

As any rational football pundit would expect, Geelong hit back early when skipper Joel Selwood - well held by pro-tagger Kane Cornes all night - won the ball through the middle to help set up Tom Hawkins with a fast mark inside 50.

His goal got the dangerous-looking Cats on the board early, but the Power again lifted with Chad Wingard booting two for the quarter to push the Power's lead back beyond the reach of the visitors.

The victory is Port Adelaide's first over Geelong in six years and eight months, with ten consecutive losses including the 2007 Grand Final and 2013 Semi Final at bookends.

Port Adelaide now sits on top of the ladder, clear of the Hawks and Cats on percentage.

Its next game is against the GWS Giants at StarTrack Oval, Canberra at 2:10pm on Saturday 3 May.

SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE      4.2      8.3      13.6     16.11 (107)
GEELONG              4.4      4.9      6.10       9.13 (67)

portadelaidefc.com.au's best
Boak, Ebert, Cornes, White, Hombsch, Lobbe, Cassisi,

Goals
Wingard 3, White, Hartlett, R. Gray, Lobbe, Boak 2, Young, Schulz, S. Gray

Substitution
Sam Gray replaced by Jarman Impey in the fourth quarter

Peter Badcoe VC Medal
Won by Travis Boak (Port Adelaide)

Crowd
47,007 at the Adelaide Oval.