Port Adelaide’s finals hopes on life support as potent Collingwood a class above at the MCG
PORT Adelaide’s season is on life support after Ken Hinkley’s side again threatened to match it with the AFL’s big boys before being steamrolled. Has Port forgotten how to score?
PORT Adelaide’s season is on life support after an injury-ravaged Collingwood ran circles around them in a high-octane, devastating display at the MCG — and it was the same old issues that reared their ugly heads for the Power.
For the first three quarters Port Adelaide was in it but then the illusion of the Power being able to match it with the big boys was shattered in a last-quarter blowout.
It was symbolic that Brodie Grundy, the Magpie ruckman in All Australian form, kicked the goal that crossed the 100-point mark for Collingwood in the 17th minute and effectively sealed the result.
STATS, SUPERCOACH: PIES RUN AWAY FROM PORT
Port’s players had no answer for Grundy, none for Taylor Adams, none for Jordan De Goey and none for a team that has serious firepower even with a long injury list.
Port Adelaide, in contrast, has forgotten how to kick a winning score.
It has now lost five of six matches and their percentage is in free-fall, meaning even a win in the last home-and-away match against Essendon may not be enough to make the finals.
It will come down to mathematics but the brutal truth is that Port Adelaide has blown so many chances — and forgotten how to score — that it doesn’t look like it has any business to play in September anyway.
This was another false promise, because the Power looked so impressive before it all fell apart in the final quarter.
Port Adelaide’s opening minutes were a treat to watch: it was as though Ken Hinkley had told his players, “Just go for it, boys,” because the ball was moved with breakneck pace.
A match-opening goal from dangerous Magpie De Goey was countered with quick goals from Paddy Ryder, Justin Westhoff and Jack Watts.
Two of the aforementioned continued to serve up a couple of incidents for the scrapbook: Ryder took a strong mark and kicked his second goal from the boundary and — going against the trend of modern football — chose an elegant drop punt to complete the job.
Ryder came into the match with an injury cloud over his head but was crucial both for his work in the ruck and his prowess in the forward line.
Westhoff, who filled roles everywhere in his typical fashion, chased down and dragged down Jaidyn Stephenson in another of the plays of the day because Stephenson was running into an open goal and had looked certain to kick it.
Skipper Travis Boak played a captain’s game both in terms of approach and influence. He took on the Magpies’ defenders like a man wanting to fight the bar, helped himself to possessions with runs through the midfield and cooly slotted two goals from 16 disposals in the first half alone.
Then there was Jared Polec, whom is chased by Victorian clubs with big bags of cash for next season.
He could be excused a slip-up — the ball bounced out of his hands for an easy goal to Stephenson — with a dash across the MCG which will remain in the memory bank of those who were there.
Polec glided past two or three opponents, handballed to Aidyn Johnson, got the ball back and then danced around another two or three before finishing with a goal on the run.
Steven Motlop had plenty of the ball in one of his best games since crossing to Port Adelaide from Geelong. His only blemish was giving away a 50m penalty for a bit of push and shove that gave the Mapgies a goal and a bit of breathing space late in the third quarter.
It was one of the last moments of the match when it felt like it could still go either way.
There had already been plenty of red flags for Port Adelaide.
Adams brought his own ball and had an audacious 23 first-half disposals and the Magpies were winning not only in scoring shots but also contested disposal and clearances at half time.
The Magpies had so many more scoring shots throughout the afternoon, and moved it so much quicker from end to end while the Power had to work so hard for its goals.
The last quarter was embarrassing, one-sided and quite possibly season-ending.
Port Adelaide kicked one goal in the last quarter. That says it all.
COLLINGWOOD 4.2 9.7 10.11 17.13 (115) def PORT ADELAIDE 4.1 7.2 9.4 10.4 (64)
GOALS
Collingwood: B Mihocek 2 J de Goey 2 J Stephenson 2 T Phillips 2 A Oxley B Grundy B Sier C Mayne J Thomas M Cox S Sidebottom T Adams T Varcoe
Port Adelaide: P Ryder 3 T Boak 2 J Polec J Watts J Westhoff R Gray S Gray. Umpires: Jeff Dalgleish, Mathew Nicholls, Craig Fleer.
BEST
Collingwood: Grundy, Adams, Sidebottom, Mayne, Pendlebury, Mayne
Port Adelaide: Boak, Wines, Motlop, Westhoff, Polec
Official Crowd: 46,286 at MCG.
Watch every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. SIGN UP NOW >
Ex-Don backs injury-hit Bomber to shine in 2025 and beyond
The Bombers have been searching for more key back support for Ben McKay and Jordan Ridley. One Essendon great says an injury-plagued high draft pick will be the man to chip in.
Heart wrenching update on AFL flag winner
Aaron Shattock’s family has released an update after the premiership winner’s freak accident just before Christmas.