GEELONG has held off a surging Sydney to keep their NAB AFLW season alive with a three-point victory.

The Cats led at every change on Sunday before the Swans mounted a serious fourth-quarter challenge to reduce a game-high 21-point lead.

SWANS v CATS Full match coverage and stats

Lexi Hamilton's goal brought the Swans within four points late in the last quarter, but the Cats held on to win 5.14 (44) to 6.5 (41) in front of 3,127 fans at Henson Park.

Geelong's second victory of the year comes past the halfway mark of the 11-round season, having started the campaign with one win, four losses and a draw.

Georgie Prespakis (19 disposals, 13 contested possessions) starred in the absence of injured ball winner Amy McDonald, alongside Julia Crocket-Grills and Jacqueline Parry.

"It was hard to watch, but really exciting footy to watch," Cats coach Dan Lowther said.

"We've been in games up to our necks but we just haven't got across the line so the aim for today was to win.

"We move on to Richmond next week and (the aim) is the same. Whatever happens off the back of that (in terms of finals) is out of our control."

Sydney's season is hanging by a thread after it's third-consecutive loss, with matches against competition heavyweights Brisbane and North Melbourne ahead.

Coach Scott Gowans lamented Sydney's inability to convert late after his side lost to Essendon earlier this week by the same margin.

They also went down to the Western Bulldogs by seven points in round five after staging another second-half challenge.

"It seems to be the story, doesn't it?" Gowans said.

"It's frustrating at the same time, but also you've got to be proud of effort and intensity, and if you bring that each week, you just never know.

"We won't look too much at where we sit on the ladder or anything like that."

Geelong brought the heat early against the Swans, kicking the opening three goals to build a 3.2 to 0.2 lead at the first change.

With the breeze behind them in the second term, Sydney finally found reward on the scoreboard when Irish import Paris McCarthy kicked three goals in seven minutes.

McCarthy stunned the Cats' defenders when she snapped overhead after teammate Bec Privitelli's shot at goal fell short to reduce the margin to two points.

The former Gaelic footballer, playing her first match of the season, had never kicked an AFLW goal before Sunday.

Veteran forward Shelley Scott had an opportunity to rebuild a comfortable lead before half-time for the Cats after marking just in front of goal, but sent the ball wide.

Ahead by just seven points, Geelong could not make the most of their advantage with the wind and kicked one goal and three behinds before the final change.

The Swans came alive in the last term, with goals from Bella Smith, Privitelli and Hamilton, but could not leap ahead.

Laura Gardiner (30 disposals, five clearances) was the star in a Swans engine room missing Ally Morphett and Chloe Molloy, alongside Sofia Hurley (20, two).

The wind of change
A strong breeze blew across Henson Park for most of the afternoon and it proved to be pivotal, with 10 of the 11 goals kicked to the northern end of the ground. The only major against the breeze was a decisive one, with Aishling Moloney's goal for the Cats to start the fourth quarter the difference in the three-point win.

Paris is burning
Sydney's Paris McCarthy lived the saying 'when it rains, it pours' on Sunday. Having never kicked an AFLW goal before today, McCarthy incredibly slammed home three in just seven minutes in the second quarter. Having gone goalless in the first quarter, the Swans needed a lift and it came from their Irish recruit, including a brilliant snap over her head in the goal square.

Up next
With their season still alive, the Cats face a daunting task against the impressive Tigers next Saturday afternoon. The Swans have an even tougher challenge as they look to stay in finals contention, with a game against the red-hot North Melbourne in Hobart.

SYDNEY    0.2   3.2   3.4    6.5 (41)
GEELONG   3.2   3.9   4.12    5.14 (44)

GOALS
Sydney: McCarthy 3, Smith, Privitelli, Hamilton
Geelong: A Moloney 2, Parry, D Moloney, Crockett-Grills

BEST
Sydney: Gardiner, McCarthy, Hurley, Kennedy
Geelong: Crockett-Grills, Prespakis, A Moloney, Webster, Parry

INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
Geelong: Nil

Reports: Nil

Crowd: 3,127 at Henson Park