Led by Scott Lycett, Port Adelaide produces its best footy to defeat ladder-leaders Geelong

Ken Hinkley made big statements at selection and it produced the desired result with Port Adelaide securing a stunning upset over Geelong. Michelangelo Rucci reports on the big win.

Port Adelaide players celebrate a goal against Geelong. Picture: Getty

Ken Hinkley had the “good” — the very good — Port Adelaide turn up for his 150-game coaching milestone at Adelaide Oval — and take some heat off his trampled back.

The win-loss sequence that has followed the Power’s results for the past five games continues with a significant 11-point win over AFL league leader Geelong.

It is Port Adelaide’s second win in 16 games against the Cats since the disastrous 2007 Grand Final — and it was built on hard-edged football.

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The Power’s 7-6 win-loss count — that includes the scalps of AFL premier West Coast and the ultimate measuring stick in Geelong — rebuilds Port Adelaide’s status as a top-eight contender.

And it was clear from the opening bounce off the hands of new Power No.1 ruckman Scott Lycett that Hinkley had his men in tune for a major result.

Port Adelaide’s habit of poor starts was cast aside with the first three goals of the match — and backed up by holding Geelong to its lowest first-half score of the season (3.4).

Port Adelaide players celebrate a goal against Geelong. Picture: Getty

The Power’s habit for inaccurate conversion — with misses on the first three shots at goal in the third term — again made the match uneasily risky for Hinkley’s team. When score review denied returning key forward Charlie Dixon a goal from a free kick set shot, Port Adelaide led by 22 points after dominating forward play in the first eight minutes of the third quarter.

Geelong had the margin back to just nine four minutes later by making its limited inside 50s count with maximum return on the scoreboard.

The calm response under pressure from the Power players to keep the margin at nine at the last change tellingly solid from a team that had been flaky the week before against Fremantle in Perth.

Geelong has its now notorious freeze factor after mid-season breaks extend to eight losses, despite the impressive efforts of Brownlow Medallist Patrick Dangerfield, playing the day after the birth of his daughter Felicity delayed his departure to Adelaide.

Hinkley praised his players for achieving “the success they deserve”.

“I thought they played a wonderful four quarters of football against a great side,” Hinkley said last night.

And Geelong coach Chris Scott acknowledged his top-ranked Cats were “flattered” by the 11-point margin, particularly when the Power kept the game open with inaccurate finishing at goal.

Hinkley noted the difference between the Power that lost to Fremantle in Perth last weekend and the team that frustrated Geelong at Adelaide Oval was “playing four quarters”.

He declared he “still feels bad” that he had to be savage at selection that cost experienced players such as club champions Patrick Ryder and Justin Westhoff their places in the match 22.

But he rejected there was “a response” to his axe swing at selection.

“I just thought the guys gave their all - as they do every week,” Hinkley said. “The difference this week was they played four quarters - and that makes a difference.”

Port Adelaide reported no injury after the match.

BIG CHARLES

After 315 days on the sidelines — and two rounds of surgery on his broken right leg and dislocated ankle — key forward Charlie Dixon did make a big difference to how Port Adelaide rolls to attack.

The 200cm key forward is still an acquired taste with the umpires when it comes to free kicks, but he is — as assistant coach Brett Montgomery put it — the man that makes other Power players “walk taller” through a forward zone that has been inefficient this season.

And Dixon’s pressure off the ball made many Geelong defenders struggle to set up easy exits from the back 50.

As Dixon kicked 1.1, at the other end Port Adelaide full back Tom Clurey won back admirers by holding Geelong key forward Tom Hawkins to no goal for the first time this season.

SINGLE RUCK

Scott Lycett — chosen ahead of Power 2017 club champion Patrick Ryder as the No. 1 ruckman — is not going to give up lead ruck duties easily. The West Coast premiership ruckman made a strong statement in his opening battles with in-form Geelong rival Rhys Stanley to have the Power dominating the clearances early — as measured by a 10-0 whitewash in the first 15 minutes.

Port Adelaide also dominated the possession count — 106-67 — as it won the scoreboard at quarter-time for just the third time in 13 games this season.

Lycett’s ability to cover ground — extra ground — as the lone ruckman was strong too, as noted by his intercept mark on a Brandon Parfitt kick as the pack coming at his back at the top of Geelong’s 50-metre mark in time-on of the first term.

Charlie Dixon was good in his return from a serious ankle injury. Picture: Getty

Lycett’s assertive influence on the ground play made him the architect of the Power’s search for a telling victory.

The telling note in Port Adelaide’s set-up around the ruck was the decision to pay attention to Geelong’s new sensation Tim Kelly with the Power’s most-improved young gun, Dan Houston. This match-up worked to Hinkley’s favour as Houston made the duel about winning the ball more so than denying it to Kelly.

THE CHOP

Hinkley’s axe — that collected club champions Ryder and Westhoff on Thursday — could have easily swung across more than just four players. While Hinkley said on Friday that no player was “lucky” to be spared, there was much pressure on former Geelong player Steven Motlop to justify his place in the Power line-up either in attack or in the midfield.

Working off his “best-ever pre-season”, Motlop was sharp early collecting five touches in the first term — and showing a keen defensive element to his game with a gripping tackle of Geelong captain Joel Selwood early in the second quarter.

That swinging axe at Alberton certainly put players on edge to immediately spark a positive response on the field.

Gary Rohan was knocked out behind play.

RISING STAR

Xavier Duursma already has a Rising Star nomination for the AFL rookie of the year Ron Evans Medal. The No.18 pick in the 2018 AFL national draft is proving to be a top-10 young gun with his ever-improving form while covering vast space with speed for Port Adelaide — and his sharp understanding on how to create space.

PORTRESS REBUILD

Hinkley completed his 150th AFL game as Port Adelaide coach with his win-loss record at 84-66. He is the only Power coach to have managed Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval since the stadium rebuild was completed in 2014 — and has a 40-28 in 68 games at the Oval.

Hinkley will have the chance to build the image of the “Portress” in the next month with the Power playing the Western Bulldogs, Adelaide and Brisbane at the Oval in the next three games.

SCOREBOARD

PORT ADELAIDE 3.4 6.5 7.9 9.13 (67)

GEELONG 1.2 3.4 6.6 8.8 (56)

BEST

Port Adelaide: Lycett, R. Gray, Houston, Boak, Burton, Clurey.

Geelong: Dangerfield, Duncan, Tuohy, Ablett, Stewart, Selwood.

GOALS

Port Adelaide: R. Gray, Rozee 2, Burton, Dixon, Farrell, S. Gray, Wines.

Geelong: Ablett, Fort 2, Dangerfield, Kelly, Miers.

Umpires: L. Fisher, L. Haussen, B. Rosebury, A. Gianfagna.

Crowd: 37,726 at Adelaide Oval.

Votes: 3. S. Lycett (PA), 2. R. Gray (PA), 1. P. Dangerfield (G)