AFL Finals Port Adelaide v Hawthorn: All the fallout and news as the Power books preliminary final date with Sydney
Port Adelaide and Hawthorn have put on a final for the ages, with the Power emerging from the week from hell to book a date with Sydney in a preliminary final next Friday.
Revitalised Port Adelaide emerged from a torrid week to cast off its finals gorilla in stunning fashion, Ken Hinkley’s men hanging on for a brilliant three-point win after Hawthorn skipper James Sicily sensationally missed a set shot in the dying stages of Friday night’s pulsating semi-final.
Scores were level when Nick Watson banged through his third goal two minutes into the frenetic final term, but the Power dug deep to kick the next three goals.
There was more drama to come in the epic contest, the Hawks with a chance to go back in front with just over a minute left after Sicily marked 45m out only to have his set shot shave the post.
The ball lived in Port’s back 50 for the remaining minute of the game, but the brave Power hung on to advance to a preliminary final for the fourth time under Hinkley.
It was a fitting end to an instant classic, but the Power faces an anxious wait on the fitness of Jason Horne-Francis after he limped to the bench late in the match clutching his left hamstring.
But the classic contest was overshadowed by the end of the game, with Hinkley reminding Jack Ginnivan and his Hawthorn teammates of Ginnivan’s “see you in 14 days” comment.
Recap all the action live below.
Hinkley addressed his comments post-game on Channel 7.
“I’ll be honest, it was something Jack said during the week and I just told him after the game he wasn’t going anywhere.
“I don’t know social media, and I probably shouldn’t have done it, I should apologise to the boys, I probably shouldn’t have done it.
“But the reality is, you throw something our way, we’re gonna throw something back occasionally.”
Port star Jason Horne-Francis told ABC the Instagram comment was “one of the motivating factors” for the Power.
RIB TICKLER
After being subbed out against the Cats, Zak Butters’ sore ribs were a big talking point in the lead-up and the star onballer started on the bench, perhaps to avoid the early heat of the game.
The 24-year-old trotted onto the ground for the first time six minutes in and almost immediately had his ribs tested with a solid bump laid by Karl Amon as he got his first kick away.
To the great relief of Port fans, Butters was unfazed and warmed into the game to have 10 possessions by half-time and laying a few bone-jarring tackles of his own, but was quiet in the second half.
DROUGHT BREAKER
With Charlie Dixon a late out with sickness, Port needed a presence in attack from Todd Marshall.
The 25-year-old hadn’t kicked a goal since June 22 thanks to a combination of injury and a four-game goal drought, but he split the middle in a first quarter dominated by the switched-on Power.
The difference between the listless opening against Geelong the week before and the relentless, high-pressure, hard-tackling first quarter against Hawthorn was like night and day.
To the great relief of Power fans, Horne-Francis started on the ground and the midfield bull was pivotal, along with revitalised skipper Connor Rozee and Jase Burgoyne.
Hinkley’s fired-up charges put the Hawks under immense pressure, winning a stunning five holding the ball free kicks in the first quarter, and forcing the hesitant visitors into an ill-advised extra handball or kick that inevitably ended in a turnover.
When the siren sounded to end the first term, Hawthorn registered a goalless opening quarter for the first time since Round 2, the home side up by 13 points.
HELLO, HOKBALL!
The brash, fast, brave brand of Hawthorn footy, affectionately dubbed Hokball, finally showed up midway through the second quarter.
Hawks fans had travelled in such numbers that parts of Adelaide Oval looked like a Harry Potter convention, with the large amount of fans wearing their Nick Watson-inspired pointy wizard hats, and they finally had something to yell about when their side roared to life with three unanswered goals.
All three resulted from free kicks, with Burgoyne’s protests after he was adjudged to have dumped Dylan Moore costing a 50-m penalty, but a change had come over Hawthorn’s ball movement.
FAR OUT, WIZARD!
Hawks fans were throwing their wizard hats in the air in glee when their man Watson put the visitors in front with two goals in two minutes to start the second half.
There was more than a little good fortune about his first, with the ball appearing to be clearly out of bounds before he was taken high and converted a free kick from the pocket.
But there was nothing fluky about his second, the sharpshooter marking strongly and converting a tough set shot.
FORTUITOUS FALCON
Hawthorn was set to clear the ball from defence late in the frantic third quarter after a resurgent Power had retaken the lead through Willie Rioli.
Mitch Georgiades was jogging off to take up his position to defend, but Blake Hardwick booted the ball directly into the Port forward’s head with such force that it bounced back into the path of Darcy Byrne-Jones, who gleefully pounced on the gift to boot his second.
Luke Breust was subbed into the game in place of fellow veteran jack Gunston and immediately had an impact in his 300th game, threading the needle to cut Port’s lead to five points at the last break to set up the grandstand finish.
SCOREBOARD
POWER 2.3 5.6 7.8 11.9 (75)
HAWKS 0.2 4.3 7.3 11.6 (72)
PHELAN’S BEST POWER: Burgoyne, Horne-Francis, Wines, Rioli, Rozee, Drew, Sweet, Georgiades. HAWKS: Newcombe, Scrimshaw, Watson, Morrison, Sicily, Maginness, Moore, Nash.
GOALS POWER: Georgiades 3, Rioli 2, Byrne-Jones 2, Rozee, Marshall, Horne-Francis, Burgoyne. HAWKS: Watson 3, Ginnivan 2, Sicily, Moore, Dear, Chol, Breust, Maginness.
INJURIES POWER: Dixon (illness – late withdrawal), Horne-Francis (hamstring). HAWKS: Nil.
UMPIRES: Rosebury, Stephens, Hosking, DeBoy
51,012 at ADELAIDE OVAL
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Burgoyne (Port)
2 Newcombe (Haw)
1 Horne-Francis (Port)
Originally published as AFL Finals Port Adelaide v Hawthorn: All the fallout and news as the Power books preliminary final date with Sydney
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