Port Adelaide finds a winning forward mix to keep hope in its 2019 AFL season
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley swapped his tall targets around again this week and the result was a more functional forward line against the Bombers. Plus; recap with quarter-by-quarter updates.
It has been a case of musical chairs when it comes to tall forwards and Port Adelaide this season.
And with the season on the line, the latest mix from Ken Hinkley didn’t have a huge day out against Essendon but they played a vital role as the Power ended their losing form and reignited a finals push with a 59-point win.
With the pressure rising at Alberton following three losses on the bounce, Power chief executive Keith Thomas during the week said 2019 would be “marked as the year of the deafening roar” among the Port faithful.
At Marvel Stadium on Saturday, Ken Hinkley and his Power troops had something to shout about for the first time in three weeks as the good Port Adelaide came to the fore just when it was needed.
Hinkley gave his detractors even more possible ammunition by dropping one of the Power’s best performers this season, Scott Lycett, and again shuffling his tall forward pack.
Individually, they provided mixed performances.
Peter Ladhams and Paddy Ryder won the ruck battle, finishing with 18 disposals, two marks and 22 hit-outs and 10 disposals one mark and 20 hit-outs, Todd Marshall finished with three goals, 10 possessions and six marks while Charlie Dixon had just the five touches and three marks.
But what they did do against Essendon was provide the contest the Power have so sorely missed in recent weeks.
And the Power’s current and future superstars in Robbie Gray and Connor Rozee thrived on that space created by the tall forwards to produce moment after moment of magic at Marvel Stadium and contributing for a match-high 10 score involvements for the Power.
Rozee in particular feasted on the crumbs when the ball went to ground following the contest, something Hinkley predicted could happen, while Gray was at his damaging best when the Power needed him.
It wasn’t surprising at all to hear Gray say after the game that the work of the tall Port forwards was instrumental in creating the space he thrived off.
It was a risk by Hinkley to go so tall against a quick Bomber side, who contain speed demons such as Dylan Shiel, Zach Merrett and Adam Saad, that could punish any lack of pace.
But the new mix of talls in the Port forward line, and the way which the smaller forwards worked off them, gave the Power a new potency in attack.
After struggling to make their forward 50 entries count throughout the season, especially against the Giants last time out, the Power had 31 scoring shots from their 58 entries against the Bombers.
Hinkley said he was confident of finding the right mix of talls in Port’s attack, he might well have just in time.
QUARTER-BY-QUARTER UPDATES
FIRST QUARTER
Dons 2.4 (16)
Power 5.2 (32)
KEN Hinkley said it was “getting close” to Port’s season being on the line and the Power came out in the opening exchanges like a team that had it all to play for.
With more numbers forward of the footy, the Power rammed home this advantage in the early stages at Marvel Stadium kicking three of the first four goals of the game, through Robbie Gray, new inclusion Todd Marshall and a fine effort by Cam Sutcliffe.
But the Bombers found their feet and intensity, more than doubling the Power’s tackling at one point, and led by the prolific Zach Merrett they fought their way back into the match.
But Gray kicked his second, another sensational goal from a pocket, to quell this Essendon momentum and Zak Butters took advantage of a free-kick to give the Power a 16-point lead at the first break.
SECOND QUARTER
Dons 5.7 (37)
Power 8.5 (53)
ROBBIE Gray continued to produce magic for Port Adelaide, and Connor Rozee should have taken advantage of this in the opening minutes but he couldn’t taken what should have been a regulation mark inside the goal-square.
Port’s superstar was soon then showing one of the club’s emerging ones how it was done, marking strongly following a Paddy Ryder kick to put the Power 21-points up.
Essendon again lifted, and Dylan Shiel reduced the margin, but after Marshall managed to win a free kick when encountered with four defenders Dan Houston took a strong mark and cooly slotted the goal to temper the Bomber’s comeback.
But against the club he played one game for, Essendon’s mid-season draftee Will Snelling kicked two goals in a row to bring the Bombers back to within 10-points, and then following Gray going down off the ball, Travis Boak kicked one on the goal line just before the siren sounded.
THIRD QUARTER
Dons 8.10 (58)
Power 14.9 (93)
THE last time Xavier Duursma was playing in Melbourne, his decision to break out the bow and arrow celebration after a goal raised questions for days after.
But after he kicked Port’s first of the third with a fine effort there was no debate about if the celebration was appropriate, although the Bombers faithful were not too pleased to see it.
Inspired by Rozee for the Power, and Jake Stringer for the Bombers, the two sides went goal for goal in the third quarter before quickfire goals to Rozee, Marshall and Karl Amon put Port on the march.
FOURTH QUARTER
Dons 9.13 (67)
Power 19.12 (126)
IF anything summed up Essendon’s woeful day at the office it was youngster Dylan Clarke kicking the ball the wrong way, to the derision of Bombers’ fans, at the six minute mark.
This followed Gray’s fourth and Paddy Ryder’s first of the game to all but kill off any slim Bomber chances.
The pressure was on the Power before the game but they were able to cruise towards an important win that has breathed new life back into their season.
ESSENDON V PORT ADELAIDE
Saturday August 3, 1.15pm at Marvel Stadium
Weather: Shower or two, max 15C (roof closed)
TV: Fox Footy (live), Channel 7 (delay, 4pm)
Radio: FIVEaa, TripleM, ABC891
Live stream: Kayosports.com.au
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BOMBERS
B: Redman, Hooker, Gleeson
HB: Francis, Ambrose, Zaharakis
C: Fantasia, Merrett, Langford
HF: Parish, Brown, McDonald-Tipungwuti
F: Snelling, Hartley, McGrath
FOLL: Z. Clarke, Shiel, D. Clarke
I/C: McKenna, Guelfi, Stringer, Saad
EMG: Myers, Ham, Laverde
IN: Fantasia, McKenna, Hatley
OUT: McNiece, Laverde (both omitted), McKernan (illness)
POWER
B: Houston, Clurey, Bonner
HB: Hartlett, Jonas, Byrne-Jones
C: Duursma, Rockliff, Amon
HF: R. Gray, Dixon, S. Gray
F: Westhoff, Ladhams, Rozee
FOLL: Ryder, Powell-Pepper, Boak
I/C: Sutcliffe, Broadbent, Butters, Marshall
EMG: Howard, Farrell, McKenzie, Mayes
IN: Dixon, Ladhams, Marshall
OUT: Howard (omitted), Lycett (omitted), Garner (omitted)