The Cats are in the bottom four, with only one win from six games, while the Dockers are 5-1 and eyeing a top-four berth after Tuesday night's 6.9 (45) to 3.9 (27) win to open week six.
McCarthy racked up 29 possessions and kicked the last goal of the game as Fremantle recovered from a poor start and made the home side pay dearly for their early scoring inaccuracy.
Fremantle's Mim Strom dominated the undersized Cats rucks with 41 hitouts and forward Hayley Miller was crucial after halftime as the Dockers kicked clear.
Mikayla Morrison, who is back after two ACL ruptures, was doused with sports drink by Fremantle teammates at the end of her first AFLW game in 973 days.Â
Mikayla Morrison makes her AFLW return after 973 days out due to knee injuries 💜#AFLWCatsFreo pic.twitter.com/4DgjI5EouS— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) October 1, 2024 Fremantle's win adds to the celebrations as Mikayla Morrison returns from two ACL injuries.
"It felt amazing. It took a while to get into it, but once I went on I felt good, felt comfortable," Morrison told Fox Footy.
She added her mother and younger brother had sprung a surprise by joining other relatives in coming to the game.
Geelong dominated nearly every statistic in the first term - most importantly racking up 11 inside 50s to three.
But they could only manage 0.4 and that extended to 0.6, before Aishling Moloney marked and kicked their first goal at eight minutes in the second term.
Seconds before Moloney took the mark, her opponent Ash Brazill went down holding her chest and had to leave the field briefly - an incident that could attract match review scrutiny.
Geelong's Bryde O'Rourke had a rough debut, hurting her left shoulder in the first term.
She came back on with the shoulder strapped, but eventually had to leave the game.
Perhaps inevitably after Geelong botched their chance to build a significant lead, Fremantle turned the game on its head late in the second term.
Tunisha Kikoak snapped their first goal at 14 minutes and Miller added another two minutes later.
After a goal apiece, Geelong led by a point at the main break when they should have been much further ahead.
An outstanding snap from Sarah Verrier three minutes into the third term confirmed the change in momentum.
The Dockers kicked another two in the term to one behind and opened up a 16-point lead at the last change.
Cats defender Anna-Rose Kennedy was horribly unlucky to be penalised 50m after Gabby O'Sullivan marked late in the third term, gifting the Docker her second goal.
Fremantle led by 17 early in the last before Zali Friswell snapped her first goal of the game, after an outstanding pass from Moloney.
The Cats attacked repeatedly, but Moloney's snap midway through the last term was off target and it summed up their night.
Moloney was the barometer for the Cats, kicking 1.4 in a "nearly" game.Â
McCarthy capped her night by snapping the sealer with 30 seconds left, while Becky Webster had 27 possessions for the Cats.
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