Port Adelaide back in top four after crucial 44-point win over Western Bulldogs in tough conditions
PORT Adelaide knew it had to win ugly in very wet and tough conditions against Western Bulldogs in Ballarat and they did just that. The best thing for Ken Hinkley’s team is this is the kind of performance that could push it to glory later in the year.
IF PORT Adelaide basks in September glory at the MCG it will be forged by the kind of frostbitten toil that delivered victory in Ballarat against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.
Charlie Dixon proved the decisive forward with five goals, while Jared Polec chewed a heap of possession and territory for the Power in a crucial 44-point win.
Polec demonstrated why North Melbourne will shell out $700,000 for his services with 32 possessions, 13 contested.
ANALYSIS: POWER SHOW BLUE-COLLAR WORK ETHIC IN WIN
AS IT HAPPENED: LIGHTING SLAMMED IN BALLARAT
RUCCI: THIS SHOWDOWN HAS MORE BITE OFF FIELD THAN ON IT
This was a challenge Port had to conquer, venturing to hail swept gold fields in Ballarat, ringed with temporary lighting towers.
Ken Hinkley’s men bumped a surging GWS out of fourth spot with a triumph that allows the Power to control their finals destiny.
Josh Schache’s set shot from the Bulldogs’ first contested mark inside 50 of the third term kept them to within 14 points at the final change.
Dixon’s fourth, from 50 metres on a tight angle on the boundary line and Robbie Gray’s first goal sealed the result. Debutant Kane Farrell’s first goal capped a beautiful Port finish.
Jack Macrae (36 touches) and Jackson Trengove (18 contested, 28 hit-outs) had the ball on a string to ensure Port trailed in clearances.
MATCH CENTRE: SUPERCOACH SCORES FROM DOGS v PORT
The Power did enough to prevail with hard work from Polec, Dixon, Ollie Wines (26 touches) and Brad Ebert (11 contested) backed by dashes of Steven Motlop and Chad Wingard magic.
Darcy Byrne-Jones blanketed 2016 Norm Smith medallist Jason Johannisen, while second-gamer Jarrod Lienert also stood up.
Dixon, maligned for poor scoring conversion, was clinical in front of goal and in the air despite the conditions.
His third came from a supreme Ebert pass as Port’s cream rose to the top.
Boak, Motlop and Byrne-Jones colluded for Port’s sixth and 16-point lead with Wingard finishing the hard graft.
Dixon’s second for the match resulted from a streamlined entry through Motlop and Wines that Port had lacked in the first half.
Paddy Ryder (33 hit outs) — freeing Dixon from ruck duty — and courageous Tom Jonas looked a tad rusty early on return from hip and knee injuries but will be better for the hitout in the build up to next Saturday’s Showdown 45.
Every knock Ryder copped in a temperature you could count on one hand was worth it to win but Trengove made life tough.
Accurate kicking kept the Bulldogs in the contest in Marcus Bontempelli’s 100th game until halftime, while Port hadn’t capitalised on 36 to 22 inside 50 entries.
It was clear from the outset Port had to win ugly with the conditions making even Gray look a mere moral together with close attention from veteran Dale Morris.
Polec was everywhere in the first term and finally got value with Port’s 16th inside 50 entry that resulted in Port’ second goal from Justin Westhoff on the siren.
Motlop booted Port’s fourth from a stoppage with the trademark opportunism Port missed in defeat to GWS. On the flip side, a 50 metre penalty conceded by forward’s ill discipline set up Trengove’s second to reduce the deficit to four points at half time.
SCOREBOARD
WESTERN BULLDOGS 2.0 4.0 5.4 5.4 (34)
PORT ADELAIDE 2.2 4.4 7.6 11.12 (78)
GOALS: Bulldogs: Trengove 2, Wallis, Greene, Schache
Power: Dixon 5, Watts, Westhoff, Westhoff, Motlop, Wingard, Gray
BEST: Bulldogs: Macrae, Trengove, McLean, Wallis, Hunter, Bontempelli, Dunkley, Morris
Power: Polec, Dixon, Ebert, Byrne-Jones, Wingard, Wines, Motlop, Lienert
INJURIES: Bulldogs: Roughead (head knock).
Power: Hombsch (knee)
UMPIRES: Stephens, Pannell, Glouftis
CROWD: 6430 at Ballarat
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