GEELONG has survived a huge scare from a spirited Port Adelaide to book a preliminary final clash with Hawthorn, overcoming a 23-point half-time deficit to run out 16-point winners.

But the Cats' 13.18 (96) to 12.8 (80) win was soured after Paul Chapman was reported for rough conduct following a third-quarter bump on Port forward Robbie Gray.

Chapman's contact with Gray was similar to Lance Franklin's bump on Sydney Swan Nick Malceski in round 23 – low impact but head-high – that earned the star Hawk a one-match suspension, sidelining him from Hawthorn's qualifying win over the Swans.
Chapman would be a massive loss if suspended, having put an injury-plagued season behind him to star for the Cats against the Power with four goals.

The Cats looked uncharacteristically flat in the first half as the Power outmuscled them at the stoppages and spread harder into open space.
But Geelong looked a different team from the opening bounce of the second half after starting with Steven Motlop, Steve Johnson and James Kelly in attack.

The Cats piled on five goals to one in the premiership quarter to go into three-quarter time seven points up, and looked home when they led by 23 points at the 21-minute mark of the final term.

But two quick goals to Port, the first a spectacular banana from the boundary line by Justin Westhoff, put the Power back within 10 points with nearly three minutes left to play.

But Cats skipper Joel Selwood then put on a crucial tackle in the centre to stop another potential Port forward thrust, and Geelong hung on from there.

Steve Johnson (25 possessions and two goal assists) was one of the catalysts for the Cats' comeback win, along with Motlop (25 possessions and two goals) and Mathew Stokes (28 possessions), who had 14 touches in the game-changing third term.

James Kelly (28 possessions) and Selwood (27 possessions and one goal) did a power of work through the midfield for the Cats, while Tom Lonergan kept Jay Schulz to two goals.

However, Tom Hawkins was quiet in his return from his lingering back injury, kicking two goals and taking just three marks (all uncontested).

A week after upsetting Collingwood, Port lost no friends with a performance that suggests its young list has a bright future.

Westhoff (three goals and 19 possessions) worked extraordinarily hard at both ends of the ground, while captain Travis Boak (26 possessions) led from the front and was well supported by Matthew Broadbent (23 possessions and one goal) and Kane Cornes (21).

The contest looked set to stick to a predictable script when the Cats jumped out to a 12-point lead at the 18-minute mark of the first term.
To that point, Chapman had kicked the only two goals of the match, and Port's skill level had yet to catch up with its commendable pressure.
However, the Power then started to find their targets and piled on the last three goals of the term to go into quarter-time six points up.
Port carried that momentum into the second quarter, beating the hardened Cats in the clinches and running them off their feet in the open.
The Power translated their dominance onto the scoreboard with a four-goals-to-one term that sent them into half-time 23 points up and in pole position to pull off their second major finals upset in as many weeks.

GEELONG 2.2 3.6 8.12 13.18 (96)
PORT ADELAIDE 3.2 7.5 8.5 12.8 (80)           

GOALS
Geelong: Chapman 4, Hawkins 2, Motlop 2, Duncan, Bartel, Corey, Christensen, Selwood
Port Adelaide: Westhoff 3, Schulz 2, Gray, Ebert, Monfries, Lobbe, Logan, Broadbent, Hartlett

BEST
Geelong: Chapman, Johnson, Corey, Selwood, Motlop, Kelly
Port Adelaide: Cornes, Moore, Westhoff, Boak, Monfries

INJURIES
Geelong: Jared Rivers (ankle)
Port Adelaide: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: Jared Rivers (ankle) subbed out for Taylor Hunt in the fourth quarter
Port Adelaide: Sam Colquhoun subbed out for Aaron Young at three-quarter time

Reports: Paul Chapman (Geelong) reported in the third quarter for rough conduct against Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide)

Umpires: Stevic, Meredith, McInerney  

Official crowd: 52,744 at the MCG