Round 14 Power Rankings: If it’s not your day, Port Adelaide players still find a way
PORT Adelaide didn’t win the stats sheet but won the game and it was because of a combination of little things — the knock-ons, the blocks and the tackles — as they play to coach Ken Hinkley’s mantra. See where they have risen in this week’s Power Rankings.
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TODD Marshall wasn’t having the greatest night when he sprinted after the ball as it raced towards the boundary at speed on the members’ wing on Friday night.
The game was about to tick into time-on of the third quarter, and Port Adelaide was trailing Melbourne 48-62.
Marshall, who replaced Jack Watts as Port’s creative high-half-forward two weeks ago, had only had a handful of possessions and was without a goal to that point.
He’d also been crunched in a marking contest by Demons defender Oscar McDonald which took its toll physically.
But his desperation to get to the ball before it went out of bounds, bend down from a lofty 198cm and take it cleanly under pressure, then fire out a handball in the one motion to Travis Boak was worth more than just one disposal on the stats sheet.
Boak steadied and kicked high to the goalsquare, where Justin Westhoff took the pack mark and kicked the goal and the Power was filled with belief.
As Port players flocked to Westhoff — rightly so for his individual brilliance — Boak turned around and ran straight back to Marshall, pointing at him to make sure he knew that goal was because of him.
And that is exactly what Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley means when he tells his players, “if it’s not your day, then find a way”.
“When it’s not your night, you just get your grunt going and keep hammering in and keep whacking in,” Hinkley said after Port’s spirited 10-point win over Melbourne.
The Power didn’t win the stats sheet but won the game and it was because of a combination of little things — the knock-ons, the blocks and the tackles, of which Sam Powell-Pepper laid 17 in a club-record performance.
Boak was involved in another that typified his team’s intent. Eight minutes into the second quarter Jack Viney, who was running amok, had a loose ball against the boundary line.
He was surrounded by Boak and Chad Wingard, who tracked him like authorities swooping on a suspect and buried him over the line.
At that point Port was trailing 19-7 in clearances, 55-43 in contested possession and 23-9 on the scoreboard, but in that moment Boak and Wingard found a way to “keep hammering in” and made a statement to their teammates.
At 9-4 Port is clearly playing well but it is also playing as a team, filled with spirit, self-belief and a selflessness. It’s as if the team doesn’t care who steps up and in what position or what role, as long as someone does and together they can prevail.
“Westy’s goal, Sam’s (Gray’s) goal, Charlie’s left foot, the Powell-Pepper tackles, the defence and Jonas, lots of things you’re proud of when you win a big game,” Hinkley said when reflecting on decisive moments in the game.
Marshall finished with just nine touches but it was a quality-over-quantity kind of night.
GOOD WEEKEND FOR …
The Bombers continue to surprise. The round-nine win over Geelong was big, but West Coast in Perth on Thursday was even bigger.
ONE TO FORGET FOR …
Bulldog Mitch Wallis. Had to hit a simple pass to Billy Gowers in the forward pocket to ice the game but kicked it out on the full. North rebounded and stole the win.
BURNING QUESTION …
Will the Crows’ decision to split from Collective Mind, coinciding with the signature of Tom Lynch and the return of key players, be enough to lift them over the Eagles?
ROUND 14 POWER RANKINGS
1. RICHMOND (10-3)
The Tigers retain top spot on the rankings after the weekend off, but face the nearest challenger Sydney in match-of-the-round on Thursday night. Looking every bit as good if not better than last season.
2. SYDNEY (10-3)
Massive three weeks coming up for the Swans against Richmond, Geelong and North Melbourne that could make or break their top-four chances.
3. PORT ADELAIDE (9-4)
Form team of the competition having won five of its past six, including wins over genuine top-four contenders Richmond and Melbourne. Tom Jonas best-on on Friday night but loved the role Dan Houston and Darcy Byrne-Jones also played down back. Jump from sixth to third on the power rankings.
4. COLLINGWOOD (9-4)
Had a fight on its hands against Carlton for a half before reinforcing its top-four claims.
5. WEST COAST (10-3)
Slides from second to fifth on the rankings which might seem dramatic, but that’s two losses in a row and it conceded the first eight goals to the Bombers.
6. GEELONG (8-5)
Week off and players will come back refreshed after a trip to Queensland but they’ll have to be switched on against the Dogs who will be breathing fire.
7. N. MELBOURNE (8-5)
Ben Brown kicked five goals but his toe-poke to Jack Ziebell for the game-winner was arguably his most important kick of the night.
8. MELBOURNE (8-5)
Did everything except win against the Power. More of the footy, more clearances and more inside-50s but couldn’t get connection with their forwards and defence looked shaky without Lever.
9. GWS (7-5-1)
Regulation win over Brisbane that keeps the Giants’ finals hopes alive but they’ll now have to qualify without Jeremy Cameron, who looks set for an extended stint on the sidelines with suspension.
10. HAWTHORN (8-5)
Kicked 13.18 and still won by 53 points down in Tassie, thanks to having 10 goalkickers. This week’s game against GWS will be fascinating.
11. ESSENDON (6-7)
Most impressive winner of the weekend. Steamrolled the Eagles on their home deck and finals remain a faint possibility. Next four are all winnable.
12. FREMANTLE (6-7)
Resumes after the bye with games against Brisbane, Melbourne, Port and Essendon. Technically they’re still alive but need to win at least three of their next four to stay that way.
13. ADELAIDE (6-7)
Week of turmoil is over and they re-load with the potential for four A-graders to come back against West Coast — Lynch, Laird, Sloane and Brown. They’ll fancy themselves against the Eagles, who have dropped their past two.
14 . ST KILDA (2-10-1)
The Saints will be hoping the high of their last-start win over Gold Coast will carry through the mid-season bye when they resume against Melbourne on Sunday.
1 5. W. BULLDOGS (4-9)
We knew Hayden Crozier was a good bloke, but he’s also becoming a very good player at his second AFL home. He had 30 disposals at 83 per cent efficiency against the Roos.
16. BRISBANE (1-12)
Luke Hodge turned 34 last week and had 30 disposals against the Giants on Saturday night to show exactly why the Lions wanted him this season.
17. GOLD COAST (3-10)
Things are grim when a 53-point loss is a step forward, but at least its fourth quarter against Hawthorn was an improvement.
18. CARLTON (1-12)
Compared to the Fremantle disaster last week, this was a far more spirited effort against the Pies.
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