GEELONG has put a dent in Brisbane's top-two hopes with an upset 10-point win on Sunday afternoon.

Not even a late flurry of Lions goals could prevent the 7.5 (47) to 5.7 (37) Cats victory on a sunny GMHBA Stadium.

Nina Morrison (24 disposals, one goal) was the star, dictating play in the middle and then worrying her opposition with her movement into attack, while Anna-Rose Kennedy (18 disposals, 581m gained) had a career-best outing deep in defence.

CATS v LIONS Full match coverage and stats

The Cats got the fast start on their home deck, becoming the first team to kick three first-quarter goals against the Lions this year, via the boots of Aishling Moloney, Jackie Parry, and Shelley Scott.

Those opening three goals came from just six inside 50 entries, unsettling a typically composed and well-drilled Lions defence.

Scott (two goals) played her best game of the season in her 75th AFLW appearance, keeping Lions captain Breanna Koenen occupied all day, and Moloney's athleticism resulted in 13 disposals and two goals.

Meanwhile the Cats had a plan to compete with Brisbane spearhead Taylor Smith, with Kennedy handed the task, and the ruck rotation of Kate Darby and Melissa Bragg dropped back to help block Smith's leading lanes.

It worked impressively, as Dakota Davidson became the most likely forward option for Brisbane in the first half, kicking her side's first goal before being ruled out for the second half with concussion.

Without Davidson, Brisbane looked uncharacteristically impotent in attack, struggling to generate genuine opportunities in the face of the sheer numbers in its forward 50.

Geelong simply did the little things right. Swarmed the ball carrier to create immense pressure, then spread dangerously when possession was won.

It was a hand to disrupt the flight of the ball here, or a knock-on there, and such efforts forced Brisbane's disposal efficiency to just 59 per cent for the game.

Brisbane tried everything. Courtney Hodder and Natalie Grider spent time on the ball, Tahlia Hickie and Lily Postlethwaite were shifted into attack, but none of it was enough to break through the Cats' relentless pressure and spread game.

Despite the loss, Charlie Mullins' star continued to rise with the teenager recording 18 disposals, one goal, as she never stopped running, and Orla O'Dwyer (14 disposals, two goals) made her return from a shoulder injury unscathed.

The loss the Lions needed to have?
This time last year, Brisbane capitulated under the pressure St Kilda applied, to record a 21-point loss in round nine. It proved to be a loss that spurred the Lions onto their second AFLW premiership. So, after Sunday's 10-point loss to the Cats, the question must be asked – is this the loss the Lions needed to have in order to propel them toward another flag? The games played out similarly, with Brisbane on the back foot from the start, unable to generate any real sense of control in the game. What it does, however, is make next week's opponent Sydney especially nervous to face the Lions.

An ugly fall
AFLW leading goalkicker Taylor Smith was well-held by Geelong's defensive structures, putting the pressure on Dakota Davidson to re-establish herself as Brisbane's main target in attack. She looked strong, kicking through the Lions' first goal against the run of the play, and presenting well in the aerial contest, but midway through the second term, as she took an impressive leading mark in the forward pocket, she came down hard and her head slammed into the turf. It took some time for the star forward to come from the ground, with Courtney Hodder taking the shot on goal, and Davidson was almost immediately ruled out of the game with concussion. Not only were there implications for the game in play, but for next week's clash with Sydney.

Bowen's misdirection
Late in the second quarter, as the Lions were threatening to establish some control, Mikayla Bowen made a moment of confusion work to her advantage. The winger-turned-forward took a mark on what she initially thought was her defensive flank, and as she worked herself back off the mark, she did well enough to convince direct opponent Poppy Boltz that they were further from the Cats' goals than they were. Once she in fact realised that she was in the front half, she was off and running, and neatly dobbed a goal from just inside the arc.

Up next
Geelong will make the trip to Perth to take on a smarting West Coast side at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday afternoon, while Brisbane returns to Brighton Homes Arena to host Sydney to close out week nine.

GEELONG            3.1    5.1    6.4   7.5 (47)
BRISBANE          1.1    2.4    3.5   5.7 (37)

GOALS
Geelong: Scott 2, A.Moloney 2, Parry, Bowen, Morrison
Brisbane: O'Dwyer 2, Davidson, Mullins, Long

BEST 
Geelong: Morrison, Prespakis, Crockett-Grills, A.Moloney, Kennedy
Brisbane: Hickie, O'Dwyer, Dawes, Mullins,

INJURIES 
Geelong: Featherston (hamstring)
Brisbane: Davidson (concussion)

Crowd: 2,850 at GMHBA Stadium