Geelong coach Mark Thompson is looking forward to being truly tested, after admitting his side needed only bursts of their best to comfortably down Port Adelaide on Sunday.

The Cats' 18.14 (122) to 13.10 (88) victory at Skilled Stadium was never in doubt once they built a 40-point quarter time lead after starting the game with the breeze at their backs.

While the Power fought back to within 30 points at half-time, the Cats, powered by complete midfield dominance, blew them away with a 6.4 to 1.1 third term to ensure they cruised home.

Port put on a burst of six goals in 15 minutes midway through the final term to add respectability to the scoreboard, when the contest was effectively over.

Thompson, whose unbeaten side has been similarly patchy in downing West Coast and Fremantle by small margins in the past two rounds, said he was satisfied.

"We did enough, our first and third quarters were fantastic football," Thompson said.

"Obviously the second and fourth weren't great, but we've ended up winning the game by 34 points, so it's a reasonable effort."

He admitted his side probably had their minds on next Sunday's top of the table clash with St Kilda entering the final term, and would need to be much better over four quarters in that game.

"We fluctuated so much in one game of footy," he said.

"We can't afford to do that next week, so the challenge and excitement of playing the top team in the competition will automatically get the boys up for a pretty solid performance."

Power coach Mark Williams, whose side has slumped to a 6-7 record with four losses in the past five rounds, took some solace out of his side's final term flurry.

With the Power belted by 93 points in their last start, against the Western Bulldogs in Darwin, Williams feared a similar trouncing could be on the cards during the third quarter.

By three-quarter time, the Cats had entered their forward 50m arc twice as often as Port, such was their midfield control, led by a superb 36-disposal effort from Brownlow Medal favourite Gary Ablett.

But the Power dominated the final term, winning it 6.6 to 2.1, as the Cats eased off, to give Williams some cause for hope.

"From two weeks ago when we played up in Darwin, when we came back with our tail between our legs, at least this time we can come back with the knowledge that we fought the game out," Williams said.

"Our supporters who hung in there to watch the last quarter will be feeling like they got something out of the game anyway."

He said it was difficult to expect his inexperienced team - missing injured stars Chad Cornes, Shaun Burgoyne and Daniel Motlop - to battle against a hardened Geelong outfit.

"Geelong are that strong, that hard to tackle, that convinced that they can just walk through tackles," Williams said.

The Cats lost defender David Johnson to a calf injury, while Port midfielder Peter Burgoyne was reported for a high bump on Geelong's James Kelly.

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