AFL round 14 Port Adelaide v Melbourne: Jason Horne-Francis, Aliir Aliir injury updates

Port Adelaide is sweating the fitness of Jason Horne-Francis and Aliir Aliir as they count the cost of their win over Melbourne at the Adelaide Oval.

Port Adelaide is hopeful stars Aliir Aliir and Jason Horne-Francis have avoided any serious injury.

The duo underwent scans on Monday after they suffered a knee and shoulder injury respectively in the Power’s win over the Demons at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Aliir’s scan was on Monday night so the Power will find out the extent of his knee issue on Tuesday.

The gun key defender had to be subbed out of the win at three-quarter time after suffering a knock to his knee.

The initial belief among the Power’s medical staff is that it is not too bad, and it might have irritated a previous issue there.

Horne-Francis had his scan on Monday afternoon after he hurt his shoulder late on.

It has structurally tested well giving the Power hope that it was more of a tweak or a stinger if anything.

“It is not too bad, painkillers are definitely helping,” he said on Monday.

“It was a bit sore when I woke up but feeling better now.

Jason Horne-Francis copped a stinger during the game against Melbourne. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“I’m not too sure, they definitely didn’t think it is too bad and it was something that would heal quickly so hopefully that is still the case but scans will tell us more so we will see how we go.”

It was Horne-Francis’ first game off a four-week, two-game hamstring injury absence and the young star was desperate to not miss any more time.

“I don’t want to miss any more,” he said.

“I tried to run back out there and it was a bit sore so I came back in and got it jabbed and taped up and it was feeling the same.”

Power vice-captain Zak Butters didn’t even have to worry about copping a fine for a collision with Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett that led to the Demons’ star undergoing – and passing – a concussion test.

Pickett underwent a Head Impact Assessment after colliding with Butters in the second quarter.

Power coach Ken Hinkley was confident after the game that it was a “pretty fair clash” and the AFL has decided that Butters – the most fined player in league history – didn’t have a case to answer for at all.

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GEORGIADES POWERS PORT TO BIG WIN OVER DEES

Seven-goal hero Mitch Georgiades fired Port Adelaide to a stunning 25-point win against Melbourne on Sunday that breathed new life into the Power’s finals tilt and left the Demons’ season in tatters.

It was built up like an elimination final, with Melbourne 14th with a 5-8 record after Round 13, with Port 15th (5-7), and the teams desperately fought out the pulsating clash like their seasons depended on it.

Playing his first game since suffering a hamstring injury in a Round 11, Jason Horne-Francis also starred with 20 possessions and a goal in the first half, although the star midfielder finished the match with a sore shoulder.

Despite a brilliant first half from Kysaiah Pickett, the Demons trailed by 24 points at halftime. Pickett was quiet in the third quarter, but his teammates lifted to slice the margin to five.

In a key moment, Sam Powell-Pepper kicked a goal after the three-quarter time siren, the Power’s third after-the-siren major of the day, to make it a 15-point game after Jack Viney gave away a 50m penalty.

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With the game in the balance, Georgiades booted back-to-back final term goals to take his tally to a career-high seven and secure a win that improves the Power’s record to 6-7.

The seesawing, entertaining affair featured mouth-watering duels across the ground, with Miles Bergman’s job on Christian Petracca and Viney’s tag on Zak Butters among the most engrossing.

Esava Ratugolea went to Jake Melksham and constantly repelled Melbourne attacks, the Port defender with 12 marks in the first half.

Mitch Georgiades celebrates a goal. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

SMOTHER, TAP, GOAL

Days after signing a multimillion-dollar nine-year contract, Pickett quickly showed why he was worth the monster deal.

In an electrifying start, Pickett set up the first of Jacob van Rooyen’s two first-quarter goals with a deft kick then followed up with a spectacular major of his own.

First, Pickett swooped in to smother Jordon Sweet’s attempted clearing kick out of defence and kept running at goal.

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Jake Melksham was on the same page and tapped the ball back into Pickett’s path, with the dynamic star gathering and goaling in one impressive fluid motion.

The Demons dominated the stoppages in the opening term 13-2, but trailed by a goal at the first break after Jase Burgoyne redeemed himself after a couple of out-on-the-full howlers with a superb pack mark and goal after the siren.

DOUBLE DELIGHT

Pickett single-handedly snatched the momentum from the surging home side in the second quarter with two goals in a minute.

The first was a stunning curling effort off the side of his right boot running inside 50 after he intercepted a Bergman pass, with the second a slightly less spectacular running major after another centre square stoppage win.

Petracca had the chance to press home the advantage, but he missed a wide-open Melksham, with his errant pass intercepted by Connor Rozee, who was also instrumental in the gutsy win.

Kysaiah Pickett showed why the Demons value him so highly. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

The Power skipper launched a brilliant passage of play along the eastern wing with a switching kick to Burgoyne, who sent Butters blazing down the wing, with Powell-Pepper finding Willie Rioli, who converted the magnificent coast-to-coast play.

To run salt in the wounds, Georgiades kicked another goal before the ball went back to the centre square after Judd McVee sent him crumpling to the turf with an ill-disciplined blow to the stomach.

The Power forward extended his side’s lead to 24 points at the main break with his fourth goal of the day after the siren after Steven May impeded his marking attempt.