Kids shine as Port Adelaide finishes Jekyll-and-Hyde season on a high with convincing win against Fremantle
Port Adelaide’s kids have given fans hope for the future by showcasing their talent in final round flogging of Fremantle as the Power leapfrog the Crows on the final ladder.
It wasn’t pretty but if Port Adelaide confirmed anything in its dead rubber win — a victory under-fire coach Ken Hinkley needed — against Fremantle on Sunday it was that its kids are all right.
While hometown rival Adelaide has failed to test a lot of its more promising youngsters at AFL level this season, the Power can bank on a host of its raw talent for the future.
A line up featuring likely AFL Rising Star runner-up Connor Rozee, his first-round draft pick sidekick Xavier “The Archer’’ Duursma, key forward Todd Marshall, defender-turned-midfielder Dan Houston, long-kicking half-back Riley Bonner and his defensive mates Darcy Byrne-Jones and Ryan Burton and strong-bodied on-baller Willem Drew gives Hinkley plenty of hope for the future.
Port’s other first-round pick from last year, Zak Butters, was dropped to the SANFL for the final minor round but also is a star of the future.
He shone in the local league on Saturday with 27 disposals and a goal.
In an interview with Fox Footy just prior to the clash with the Dockers, playing under caretaker coach David Hale for the first time following the mid-week dismissal of Ross Lyon, Hinkley talked up his department of youth, saying they have re-energised the playing group.
“We’ve got some great young talent out there,’’ he said.
“I go to work with some energy knowing that with those younger players we’ve got a lot of good things there.
“There is some great youth at our club and we're excited by the future.’’
Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy rated the Power’s young core as one of the most exciting in the competition.
“With so many good young players I wouldn’t be surprised to see them jump up the ladder next season,’’ Healy said of a side that eclipsed Fremantle by 43 points to finish the season 10th with an 11-11 win-loss record — one victory outside the top eight.
Only poor goalkicking — it booted 15.20 — cost Port a much bigger victory in its Jekyll and Hyde year where its best has been brilliant and its poor has been terrible.
Former Port Magpies star and Geelong forward Dwayne Russell said the club had “arguably the best, most exciting and extroverted group of young kids of any team in the country to launch its 2020 campaign behind’’.
“Their future is bright,’’ he said.
After a typically slow start against the Dockers — Port won just eight first quarters for the year — in a match where both clubs were playing for pride and respect after the Western Bulldogs sewed up the last remaining spot in the top eight with a convincing six-goal win against the Crows in Ballarat, the Power kids went to work.
Flying wingman Duursma starred with 21 disposals and two goals, Byrne-Jones had 29 touches in his finest year, Houston managed 21 possessions, Drew had 22, Marshall kicked two goals and took seven marks and Bonner was solid with 17 touches and a goal.
Rozee kicked two majors, including a spectacular one for his long highlights reel with a checkside kick from the boundary line in the final quarter, to sew up Port’s goalkicking award in his first season of AFL.
The exciting utility finished with 29 — five ahead of four-times All-Australian Robbie Gray, who endured an unusually fumbly, tough day out to end the year.
Throw in young ruckmen Peter Ladhams and Sam Hayes, who will play in the SANFL finals, and fellow big man Dougal Howard and there is plenty for the Power to take into the off-season.
FOURTH TERM
Docker Michael Walters kicked an early goal in the fourth term but Port then reasserted its dominance, with former captain Travis Boak starting to get in on the act after a slow start to the game.
The Power extended its lead to 55 points before Fremantle booted three majors on the trot in the last few minutes.
Duursma ensured the Power finished on a high when he marked strongly and goaled after the final siren to hand Port a convincing 43-point win.
Duursma kept his famous “bow-and-arrow’’ celebration in check following the last goal, prompting coach Ken Hinkley to produce one in the coaches box.
THIRD TERM
THIS was the quarter where Port blew the game wide open.
The Power took complete control from the opening bounce of the second half, dominating possession and inside 50s (18 to one). And while it continued to blow opportunities in front of goal, the margin blew right out.
Port kicked 4.8 to 1.0 for the term to open up a matchwinning 41-point lead at the final change. The Dockers only score - a goal - came in the final minute when Bailey Banfield ran into an open goal.
SECOND TERM
THE Power dominated the second quarter but took until late in the term to make it count on the scoreboard.
After Xavier Duursma and Dan Houston kicked the first two goals of the stanza to give Port the lead, the home side kicked five consecutive behinds. But key forward Charlie Dixon and star first-year player Connor Rozee kicked late goals to push Ken Hinkley’s side’s lead out to 15 points at the long break.
Former Sun Trent McKenzie - playing his first game for the Power this year - had a standout first half with a team-high 17 disposals.
FIRST TERM
PORT Adelaide was looking for a strong start after winning only eight of its 21 first quarters this season.
It began brightly with a goal in the second minute to young key forward Todd Marshall. But Dockers wingman Ed Langdon quickly gave the visitors the initiative with goals either side of a David Mundy set shot.
Young defender Riley Bonner produced the highlight of the opening term for the Power when he goaled brilliantly on the run from 50m.
But an impressive Fremantle bagged five majors for the term to seize a nine-point advantage.
Stream over 50 sports live & anytime on your TV or favourite device with KAYO SPORTS. The biggest Aussie sports and the best from overseas. Just $25/month. No lock-in contract. Get your 14 day free trial >
PORT ADELAIDE v FREMANTLE
Sunday August 25, 4:10pm at the Adelaide Oval
TV: Fox Footy, Kayo, Seven (live)
Radio: Triple M, ABC, FIVEaa
TEAMS
POWER
B: D. Houston, T. Jonas, R. Bonner
HB: H. Hartlett, J. Westhoff, D. Byrne-Jones
C: X. Duursma, T. Rockliff, K. Amon
HF: R. Gray, C. Dixon, S. Gray
F: T. Marshall, P. Ryder, C. Rozee
FOLL: S. Lycett, O. Wines, T. Boak
I/C (from): M. Broadbent, R. Burton, S. Mayes, B. Frampton, C. Sutcliffe, W. Drew, T. McKenzie, S. Powell-Pepper
IN: X. Duursma, S. Lycett, S. Mayes, B. Frampton, W. Drew, C. Sutcliffe, T. McKenzie
OUT: T. Clurey (injured), P. Ladhams (omitted), Z. Butters (omitted)
DOCKERS
B: T. Duman, J. Hamling, C. Blakely
HB: D. Tucker, G. Logue, R. Conca
C: B. Hill, E. Hughes, E. Langdon
HF: A. Brayshaw, M. Walters, A. Cerra
F: H. Dixon, C. McCarthy, S. Switkowski
FOLL: S. Jones, N. Fyfe, D. Mundy
I/C: M. Crowden, B. Banfield, R. Nyhuis, B. Matera
IN: B. Banfield, S. Jones, R. Nyhuis, H. Dixon
OUT: H. Ballantyne, A. Sandilands, L. Schultz, S. Darcy (injured)