Player ratings for Port Adelaide Power and Adelaide Crows players in Round 11
Crows win a thriller in the Top End and the Power romp in at their fortress in Shanghai. See how Advertiser AFL expert Chris McDermott rated each SA player’s efforts.
Chris McDermott
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Port Adelaide v St Kilda
Power player ratings
Powell-Pepper…….6
Sound first half with some good contested ball wins and quality ball through the midfield but did appear to tire in the second half and his influence reduced as a result.
Burton………..6
Rarely troubled or asked to extend himself but a decent return to the line up after a few weeks out with injury and this kid is all class and should be cherry ripe for a big second half of the year.
Ryder………..5
Continued to be out of form and look out of sorts going without a touch in an uninspiring first term until he had the last kick of the quarter. Took a nice contested mark and goaled to get his game going and got another soon after thanks to some genius from Robbie Gray.
Motlop…………5
Better start after a few quiet weeks and nice assist to Sam Gray for his first to give the Power a six-goal lead heading towards half time. Worked himself back into better form in the second half and finished off his work with a nice snap from 30m out.
Broadbent……….5
Hot and humid conditions didn’t appear to suit the veteran as he struggled to make an impact in this one but proved his worth with a better second half as others around him tired quicker than he did. 17 possessions at 70% effective disposal was good enough to earn him another game in two weeks time.
R. Gray…………7
Uninspiring start in hot conditions by the veteran but pinched Marshall’s pocket to goal and get himself into the game. And boy did he explode in the second half to end his outing with 28 possessions, eight clearances, three goals and an assist in a welcome return to his best.
Boak………….9
Off to a flyer yet again with the ball on a string and a goal to boot in the opening term then made it 2 in the opening minutes of the second term courtesy of a 50m penalty. None produced a better four quarter effort than this man, kicking two goals from his 33 possessions and giving another two away in a BOG performance.
Amon……………8
Good form continued with a great start to the opening quarter gathering a team-high nine possessions. Thrived in the conditions and with some freedom he was given and ran his heart out from start to finish. Ball use was as good as it has ever been at this level and won it in much better places.
Clurey………..6
Had his hands full on Tim Membrey and conceded a second quarter goal when beaten for pace. But you don’t beat this man too often and he tidied up his work to finish strongly and keep Membrey to just that solitary goal.
Rozee…………5
Lively start by the inform rookie kicking one goal and missing another he should have nailed from point blank range. Not as noticeable in the second half and appeared to have one of those games where he was almost there but not quite.
Duursma…………6
Just a strong, sound performance from the youngster doing what he needed to do, winning contested ball and finishing off in front of goal. Had 23 very good possessions and 10 strong marks and he deserves a very big tick for this performance.
Butters……….6
Another of the Power rookies to start this one well with a quality goal. Made it two in the third with a superb piece of crumbing and handed another three goals out during the game in one of his best performances of the season.
Bonner……………7
Off to a flying start with plenty of ball off the back flank and a nice snap goal to give the Power and early two goal lead. Made it two just before half time with a long bomb off the right foot from outside 50m then made it three with a similar kick from a similar distance off his left in the last
Lycett…………….6
On top at stoppage from the start giving the Power midfielders a great look at the ball early but had his hands full most of the da with Saints young gun Rowan Marshall. Marked and goaled on three-quarter time to extend their lead to 10 goals in another good day for the big man.
Howard…………7
Thrown forward in a surprise move from the first bounce and on fire from the start with the first goal of the game. Big mark and goal moments later got his second half off to a similar start and put on a marking clinic late as this man looks to be a short term answer in attack.
Byrne-Jones………6
None of his traditional crash and bash but a very strong offensive game from the defender. Gathering himself 26 possessions and using them at an outstanding 84% efficiency.
Westhoff……………6
Got involved early with his licence to roam far and wide and pushed forward to snag one from nowhere and halt a mini St Kilda revival. Not a statistically huge game from the elder-statesman but a much better effort than previous weeks.
Houston………..7
Dominated this game from the start with plenty of ball running off half back and using it to near perfection. Rolled into the midfield for some rare minutes in the engine room and handled himself extremely well gathering what must have been a career high 7 clearances to go with his 28 possessions.
Jonas………….6
Erased any injury fears with a strong start and some good quality ball early and must have done his confidence the world of good as he ended his day with a very sound 13 marks and 19 disposals and a minimal damage on the scoreboard.
Lienert………..7
Sensational start in defence with the ball on a string and 9 first quarter possessions at 100% efficiency and continued to rebound the ball from the Power’s defensive 50. Chipped in with 6 one percenters to add to his 31 disposals at a touch under 84% effective disposal.
S. Gray………..5
Disposal far from his customary best early going at a poor 33% effective disposal but got his act together after the main break and worked hard all day to grab 17 disposals and execute at a much better but still not quite good enough at 63% effective disposal.
Farrell……….5
Quiet start but got on the end of a Power forward thrust to run on to a loose ball over the back and goal then micked an absolute beauty from deep in the pocket to show his absolute class. This kids got it and while big numbers aren’t coming his way, his quality is obvious.
Adelaide v Melbourne
Crows player ratings
Greenwood …………6
Hardly sighted in the first half with just 8 possessions and little or no impact in this fast moving game but he turned up the heat in the second half with some quality possessions to play a significant role in this win.
B. Crouch…………..7
Earned a soft free kick in the goal square to kick the Crows’ fourth goal in an open, free flowing start to the game. Thrived in this high tempo battle to be a constant threat all over the ground especially up forward where he kicked 3 important goals.
Jenkins…………..6
Took an early mark to settle his nerves after a long time and was busy in the first half without any significant impact on the scoreboard. Got his first goal in the opening minutes of the 3rd term and his second early in the last to give the Crows some hope of victory. Had a hand in the match winner in an impressive return to the top flight.
Gibbs………………6
Had eight possessions in the first term in his return to the Crows best 22 but dropped out of it in the second with only one more touch until half time. Moved onto Oliver to negate his dominance with some good effect and may just have found himself a new role for the last part of his career.
Gallucci…………5
Another mixed bag from the youngster but more good moments than he has produced in recent times. Handled the conditions well and after a challenging few weeks this game had moments of the quality he would have been looking for.
Kelly………….6
At his reliable and consistent best in another excellent defensive performance from the shut-own defender. In a game where every possession counted he did everything the coach could have asked from him.
Sloane………3
Began well and looked to be headed for a big night but hurt himself in the second term and after some time on the bench his night ended leaving the Crows one man short from half way through the second term. Did what he could from the bench to encourage his team to victory but his immediate playing future is in some doubt.
Seedsman………………5
Another of the Crows prime movers to have a very quiet first half and the second half wasn’t much better. What he did was good but not a night that suited the way he normally pays.
Talia…………..6
Solid in defence as per normal without having too much to do and rotated through a range of Melbourne talls as is the Crows way and did an excellent defensive job with the Dees’ bigs combining for just the single goal.
Walker………5
Took just the one mark and had just one kick in a very quiet first quarter and not much better in the second as Melbourne began to dominate. Cranked it up in the third quarter and began to look dangerous with a couple of good touches and a much needed goal in what was without doubt one of the toughest games of his career.
Mackay…………5
Kickless in the first term and hardly sighted to the main break in conditions that should have suited him. Much better in the second half with 13 possessions compared to his three in the first two quarters and like most in Crows colours, he played his role in the win.
Brown…………..5
Couldn’t lay a glove on Jayden Hunt early with the Demons lightening quick forward having a hand in their first three goals. Turned up the defensive heat after the break to completely shut-out the dangerous Demon in a very handy response from the defender.
Betts……………. 5
Goaled in the first term much to the pleasure of the Darwin crowd but on and off the ground after that and looked to be struggling for full fitness and to make an impact of any sort. Got himself back on the ground and snagged one late to narrow the margin to just 7 points and got himself off the canvas to inspire his team to this much needed win.
Atkins………..7
Had 17 disposals in the first half but not a great deal of value from them as the Crows struggled to stay in touch. Maintained his strong work-ethic after the break in a very consistent four -quarter effort that saw the wingman have an impressive 11 score involvements.
Lynch…………….8
Kicked the Crows’ first goal of the game after a flying start by the Demons, then kicked his second deep into the final term to put the Crows within a kick of a shock win. None had a more consistent and impactful presence on this result. Had 26 disposals at 69% effective disposal with over 500m gained and 10 score involvements said it all.
Milera………..6
Got his hands on the ball but he was another that couldn’t find any space or penetration with his use. The beauty of this young man was his ability to keep focused on his role and making every possession count and he did it to perfection using the ball at a game high 95% effective disposal.
Laird………….7
Had 10 possessions at 100% effective disposal in an outstanding opening term and maintained an extraordinary high standard for the entire game going at 85% effective disposal with his 31 disposals. Had some challenges throughout the night with a range of the Dees small forwards but still played a very important role.
Smith………….5
At his intercepting best in this fast paced game and proved invaluable with his reading of the ball and the situation of the game from his position deep in defence. Is proving to be a significant weapon at kick-in taking full advantage of the new rules and did it to great value in this game.
O’Brien…………5
Had a huge challenge against Gawn and had his work cut out early as the Demons big man dominated from the first bounce. Like the fact that he battled hard all night and would have learned plenty from this experience but he was soundly beaten and with Jacobs performing well in the SANFL a rest for this man is on the cards.
Keath…………5
Had the job on Sam Weideman and conceded a goal late in the first term before applying the screws to take the young forward out of the contest for some time. Was a great duel between the two that Keath may have survived courtesy of Weideman’s inaccuracy with the last kick of the game.
Murphy……….4
Showed some great pace to kick the Crows second goal but all but dropped out of the game after that, never to reappear. Tough night for a small crumbing forward but a little disappointing after the promising signs he has shown in recent weeks.
Ellis-Yolmen………7
Pretty good again in all aspects of this game as he continues to build a game the Crows have been waiting for. Doing most things right, now just needs to do them better and for longer as the stakes rise over the second half of the season. Another good effort.
Second chances rarely pay off for AFL coaches
History suggests strongly that if you miss out on a premiership at your first try as a coach, you should not get another chance — unless you’re Mick Malthouse or Malcolm Blight, writes Chris McDermott.
When two tribes go to war
It was the game that stopped a state — the first Showdown between the Crows and Power on April 20, 1997. Chris McDermott shares his memories for Part 1 of The Greatest Showdowns series.