Port Adelaide attacker Steven Motlop has kicked three goals in a 16-point win over Geelong in Thursday night’s AFL qualifying final.

The Power prevailed 9.4 (58) to 5.12 (42) at Adelaide Oval to secure a home preliminary final.

Geelong are tossed into sudden-death mode: a semi-final awaits against the winner of Saturday night’s elimination final between West Coast and Collingwood.

Ex-Cat Motlop tormented his former side as Port banked their first finals win since 2014.

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Motlop booted goals with his initial three kicks while fellow forward Brad Ebert kicked two majors in a brutal final which Port cracked open in the third term.

After leading by one-point at halftime, the Power slotted three goals in a match-defining 15-minute burst.

The spree created a 19-point advantage - the nearest Geelong crept thereafter was seven points early in the last quarter.

Port were superbly served by a battle-hardened ball-winning core of Ollie Wines (24 disposals), Travis Boak (22), Tom Rockliff (22), Robbie Gray (17), Ebert (16) and Hamish Hartlett (15).

Geelong’s Coleman medallist Tom Hawkins was goal-less and wayward, kicking 0.5, while teammate Rhys Stanley scored two majors.

Cat Brandan Parfitt (16 disposals) was influential while Brownlow medallist Patrick Dangerfield (22 touches, one goal), Mitch Duncan (19 possessions) and Sam Menegola (18 touches) had patches of prominence.

But their feats weren’t enough to stop the Cats sliding to a 12th loss from their past 16 finals.

Port’s victory came at a cost with winger Xavier Duursma knocked out and young forward Todd Marshall hurting a shoulder.

The Power held a three point quarter-time lead before a second stanza which was weird and wonderfully close.

The radar of Geelong’s Hawkins went astray: he missed one set shot and rushed another with a left-footer across his body which also missed.

Some bizarre umpiring decisions confused both teams and the quarter ended with Port’s Ebert slipping over yet still taking a mark and converting on the siren - moments later Geelong coach Chris Scott had terse words with the officials as they left the field.

The Power held a one-point buffer at halftime, 4.2 to 3.7, before making their third-term charge which featured further goals to Motlop and Ebert.

Port were 14 points up at the last change but Geelong’s Stanley reduced the margin to seven with his second major.

But the Power responded almost immediately with Motlop having a hand in it - he tapped to Peter Ladhams who snapped accurately and teammate Todd Marshall soon added another to seal the win.