Port Adelaide too good for Gold Coast in China despite inaccuracy
PORT Adelaide is still the AFL “Champions of China” after avoiding the dreaded Showdown letdown and disposing of Gold Coast, despite some horrible kicking for goal.
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PORT Adelaide is still the AFL “Champions of China” after avoiding the “letdown after the Showdown”.
But the fall-out of Saturday’s 40-point win over Gold Coast in the rain at Shanghai again will be on the empty seats at the sold-out Jiangwan Stadium.
The win - when the Power is trying to rid itself of the “inconsistent” tag - was built on the enormous work ethic of captain Travis Boak.
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He savoured more midfield minutes - and the crowded contests.
And the game was indeed decided by Port Adelaide having more scoring power than the Suns, even if Ken Hinkley’s group did shrink the advantage with poor conversion.
Football wise, Shanghai 2 started very much as Showdown 44. For all their effort - in particular from lead ruckman Patrick Ryder and midfielder Tom Rockliff - the Power players struggled in the first half to create scoreboard pressure.
First, they were wasteful with 5.8 in first 37 minutes; then they were inefficient with no score for 15 minutes in the second term with Boak breaking the drought with a behind to make it 5.9.
No moment of pain in front of goal was more true of the Power’s day than midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper missing an open goal on the run from 20 metres late in the third term to leave Port Adelaide 8.13. Minutes later, Jake Neade did the same from the same spot on a set shot for 8.14.
Not only was the radar off with the Power players’ feet, but also their hands as they conceded a heavy count (22 before half-time) of free kicks with sloppy tackling.
Port Adelaide advances its on-field count to 6-3 and enhances its off-field reputation to put on an event, not only at Adelaide Oval, but “Adelaide Arena” at Jiangwan, Shanghai.
Unlike the Oval, the Power is again having to deal with the questions left with so many empty seats after declaring a sellout of the 11,500 tickets - and crowd count of 10,689.
After training in testing humidity and heat on Wednesday and Friday, the players’ relief in cooler weather on match day was a sweet-sour mix as Jiangwan Stadium’s pristine pitch was made difficult by drizzling showers.
The locals who did come to Adelaide Arena to appease their curiosity of Australian football were often given a sample of soccer for the desperate kicking off the ground.
And after vowing to atone for - to quote Gold Coast co-captain Steven May - an “embarrassing” display in last year’s 72-point loss in Shanghai, the Suns were certainly effective in setting up defensive screens to deny Port Adelaide any effective run.
The Suns’ dominance of possession drew more and more Power players to the contest - and from an attack that often had the 50m arc emptied.
Hinkley’s move of six-goal Showdown Medallist Robbie Gray - superbly contained by May - to the centre bounce at the start of the third term told of the Power’s urgent need for a spark. This left the task of being a menace in attack to Chad Wingard from the goalsquare.
The real torment was for Hinkley in the Power’s unbelievably poor conversion.
Gold Coast’s attacking power - already stripped of co-captain Tom Lynch and Sam Day - was hurt further by the pre-game loss of forward Jack Martin with a stomach bug. His absence brought Matt Rosa into the Suns’ 22 - and onto the scoresheet for the first goal.
GOLD COAST v PORT ADELAIDE
PORT ADELAIDE 5.5 6.9 8.14 11.16 (82)
GOLD COAST 4.2 5.3 6.6 6.6 (42)
BEST
Port Adelaide: T.Boak, T.Rockliff, S.Powell-Pepper, P.Ryder, O.Wines, T.Jonas
Gold Coast: J.Harbrow, D.Swallow, S.May, J.Witts, A.Hall
GOALS
Port Adelaide: S.Gray, S.Powell-Pepper, C.Wingard 2, T.Boak, C.Dixon, T.Rockliff, J.Watts, O.Wines.
Gold Coast: J.Bowes, J.Heron, T.Miller, M.Rosa, l.Weller, J.Witts
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Gold Coast: M.Rosa (hamstring).
Umpires: N. Foot, L. Fisher, J. Mollison.
Crowd: 10,689 at Jiangwan Stadium, Shanghai.
VOTES
3. Travis Boak (PA)
2. Jarrod Harbrow (GC)
1. Tom Rockliff (PA)
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