Port Adelaide keeps season alive with thrilling win over Richmond
PORT Adelaide made a powerful statement against a flat Richmond with a seven-goal second quarter setting up its stunning win over the reigning premier at Adelaide Oval.
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JUSTIN Westhoff continues to defy father time while Chad Wingard answered the critics as Richmond fell flat against Port Adelaide without Dustin Martin.
Port’s seven-goal second quarter didn’t make a season but won the game by 14 points and showed it can go with a premiership outfit.
Ken Hinkley’s side applied pressure that is required to succeed in September.
Port’s season is suddenly rocking at 7-4 with Thursday and Friday contests against Western Bulldogs and Melbourne to follow.
Richmond is yet to win on the road this season. Damien Hardwick’s men are mortals away from the MCG and without Martin, injured for the first time in four years.
Chad Wingard had a point to prove entering the game with nine tackles and 11 goals for the season attracting internal focus at Alberton but responded with 31 touches.
Port knew it was in for the fight of its life on the big stage and went blow for blow with the champion.
Dusty wasn’t there but Jack Riewoldt’s kicking radar and Shane Edwards’ class kept the Tigers afloat.
Riewoldt’s third goal was cancelled out by exceptional Robbie Gray’s second from a free against Alex Rance in a third term arm-wrestle.
Jason Castagna atoned for an easy miss in time-on to reduce the margin to 17 points at the final change and continued with the first of the final term.
End to end combat ensued with Ollie Wines failing to ice the game with six minutes left.
Port kicked 1.6 after halftime but held on with grim defence.
A week of soul searching at Alberton over the contribution of Wingard dissipated within seconds of the match.
Wingard, superb between midfield and attack, had three touches in the first minute.
Charlie Dixon crashed packs all night providing the endeavour coach Ken Hinkley demanded.
Dixon made the opening statement of the match - casting Rance aside like a rag-doll - to boot Port’s first goal.
Dixon imposing himself against the league’s premier defender sent all the right messages for teammates seeking to excel in the Friday night stage.
Westhoff was everywhere and everything to Port, punctuated by three goals and 23 touches.
Westhoff, 31, is like a bottle of Grange, ageing with distinction.
Port has been the best clearance outfit this season and was fired in midfield by Ollie Wines (29 touches, 16 contested), Wingard, Robbie Gray, Sam Powell-Pepper, Jared Polec and Tom Rockliff.
Shaun Grigg, Kane Lambert, Reece Conca, Brandon Ellis and Jayden Short were in the thick of it for the Tigers but lacked Martin’s killer punch.
Port’s second quarter surge came from the relentless forward pressure that has deserted it this year and synonymous with the Tigers.
Westhoff’s third goal came from a 15-second passage of tackling that saw Jack Watts find the veteran utility loose for a snap that reduced the margin to a point.
This was the attacking blueprint Hinkley had demanded
Sam Gray keeps living on the edge like few can with two crucial goals. If Port could bottle this kid’s will and grunt it would be indestructible.
Robbie Gray will always deliver magic dust as the club champion did for Port’s seventh with a self soccer then snap.
The difference was Port’s superstar wasn’t playing a lone hand.
Steve Motlop cannoned into the game as Port led by 23 at halftime.
Port’s intensity was through the roof in total contrast to its final three quarters against Hawthorn in Launceston.
Port had kicked five goals from five consecutive inside 50s using a 72 per kicking efficiency that contrasted with its poor transition this season.
PORT ADELAIDE 2.2 9.5 10.7 10.12 (72)
RICHMOND 3.3 5.6 7.8 8.10 (58)
GOALS
Power: Westhoff 3, S.Gray 2, R.Gray 2, Dixon, Polec, Motlop
Tigers: Riewoldt 3, Edwards 2, Castagna 2, Miles
BEST
Power: Wingard, Westhoff, Wines, Powell-Pepper, Boak, Ryder, Polec
Tigers: Edwards, Riewoldt, Conca, Grigg, Short, Lambert, Ellis, Cotchin
INJURIES
Power: TBC
Tigers: Astbury (ankle)
Reports: TBC
Umpires: Chamberlain, Harris, Ryan
Official crowd: 39,936 at the Adelaide Oval
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