RELIEF was the overriding emotion Geelong coach Chris Scott felt after watching his team kick the last goal of the game to defeat Port Adelaide by two points at Simonds Stadium.

The win keeps the Cats in the top four with seven wins and puts Port Adelaide, which has played one fewer game, back among the pack with five wins for the season.

Full match details and stats

Scott said it was an old-fashioned eight-point game as he considers Port Adelaide to be a genuine contender this season and remains hopeful the Cats will finish high on the ladder.

"In the context of the season [the win] is important because we think they are going to be up there and we hope we are too," Scott said.

The Cats had 72 more disposals, 14 more inside 50s and laid 15 more tackles than Port Adelaide but were behind with two minutes to go before Patrick Dangerfield kicked the match-winning goal to put Geelong in front.

WATCH Full Chris Scott post-match press conference

That it came from Dangerfield after he received the ball from Joel Selwood who won a hard ball at a stoppage was no surprise to anyone, least of all the coach.

However he was moved to talk about their effort with Dangerfield also laying five tackles in a desperate last quarter.

"We talk about them all the time but when the game is on the line and Joel Selwood gets the ball and flicks it out to Dangerfield you're in good hands," Scott said.

"It is such an asset as a coaching group to have players like that who you can look in the eye and know what they are going to deliver."

Five talking points: Geelong v Port Adelaide

Scott was not perturbed at the umpire's decision to call Charlie Dixon to play-on from a set shot after he ran down the 30-second clock before walking in to have a kick for goal saying the rule was clear.

It was midfielder Mitch Duncan and the skipper who were wise to the fact Dixon's time had elapsed and ran to tackle the big man, a moment that topped off a big game from one of the best support actors in the game. 

"He was fantastic. In the first half in particular he really set us up. His ball use was fantastic and he is a really, really hard runner and he was great in and around the congestion as well," Scott said.