When Power forward Charlie Dixon went flying over the Adelaide Oval fence, the Geelong fans were ready to greet him
If a 200cm, 105kg key-forward comes hurtling over the Adelaide Oval fence towards you, would you give him a serve? That’s exactly what a Cats fan did on Thursday. Here is the hilarious exchange and all the photos of the light-hearted moment.
Port Adelaide
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What do you do when Port Adelaide big man Charlie Dixon comes hurtling your way, jumps the fence then sits beside you in the stands?
For Geelong fan Kurt Maitland, the answer is “give him a bit of a serve”.
“I called him a flog,” said Maitland, who was an arm’s length from Dixon during his surprise crowd appearance in Port Adelaide’s 16-point qualifying final win at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.
“I’m sure he would’ve heard it.
“I thought he might’ve said something but nah.
“He took it (heckling) really well, gave a cheeky, little grin and went on his way.”
In a crowd of about 25,000 mostly Power supporters, Dixon happened to land in a bay full of Cats fans on the eastern wing.
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Maitland, 27, was sitting in the second row of bay 136 with his two housemates and one of their partners when the 200cm, 105kg Dixon bounced off a Zac Tuohy bump on the boundary in front of them during the third quarter.
Off balance and with his momentum taking him towards the fence, Dixon smoothly leapt over it into the crowd, before sitting on a flip-up bucket seat in the front row.
The row was vacant due to coronavirus restrictions.
“He made it look quite slick actually just landing, flipping the seat down and having a seat,” Maitland said.
“But I won’t give him too many props.”
Fellow Geelong supporter Erin Murray was in the third row, two seats directly behind the one Dixon landed in.
“All we could see was arms and legs coming towards us at one stage,” Murray said.
“You had that split second where you were like ‘hang on’ but I think the people in front were probably a bit more concerned than I was.
“He’s flung directly towards us and hurtled over the boundary quite seamlessly.
“His legs were heading straight towards us and twisted and somehow landed straight in row A.
“It was quite smooth and hilarious to watch because it’s one of those things that if you tried to do it again, you probably wouldn’t do it that smoothly.”
Both Maitland and Murray said they received heaps of messages after the moment was shown on TV.
“I got my five seconds of fame,” said Whyalla-raised Maitland, whose mum, Tracey, dates Cats great Corey Enright’s brother, Mark.
“I’ve just walked into a bar and it’s popped up on telly now – I’m watching myself.”
Murray said she felt lucky to be able to go to the football at all, given she had moved back to Adelaide from Melbourne in March due to coronavirus.
“I moved to Melbourne partly for the footy but I’ve got more footy here,” she said.
Maitland and Murray were disappointed at Thursday night’s result and hopeful the Cats could bounce back against either West Coast or Collingwood next week.
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Why Motlop can be the Power’s finals x-factor
- Simeon Thomas-Wilson
To backers he is a matchwinner, an x-factor who backers say oozes natural talent and could be crucial to Port Adelaide’s premiership hopes.
If you are a critic he is inconsistent, too often goes missing in games and perhaps shouldn’t even be in the Power’s best 22.
Welcome to the enigma that is Steven Motlop, who entered Thursday’s qualifying final against former side Geelong as the most experienced Port Adelaide player when it comes to finals action yet not assured of his place in the Power’s side.
In his third season since coming to the Power from the Cats the 29-year-old has thrilled and frustrated Port fans in 2020.
He came close to winning the Showdown Medal against Adelaide in Round 2 with 24 disposals and two goals, had five games with less than 10 disposals and then playing a big role in Ken Hinkley’s side winning the minor premiership with two goals from just six disposals against Collingwood.
Now he returns to the stage that Port Adelaide thought he would be consistently shining on after the Power’s heartbreaking loss to West Coast in 2017.
Brother Daniel, who played 130 games for North Melbourne and Port, said the Power small forward would go to another level now that it’s finals.
“He’s had a few tough games I suppose coming back from injury,” he said.
“But if you look at history his games going into the end of the season aren’t great, but then you get to the first final and he tends to show his true colours I guess.
“Over the last few years with Geelong he always seemed to play well in finals and that’s what makes great players I suppose.
“Come finals time he is a big finals player and they are going to need him against his old team and you are always going to have the (Travis) Boaks and (Robbie) Grays who will get their disposals but you need a guy like Steven to step up against Geelong.”
And shine is exactly what Motlop did in the win over over the Cats, with his three goals from 11 disposals helping Port Adelaide book a place in a home preliminary final.
In Motlop’s finals history for the Cats, he boasts 26 disposal and a goal game in a prelim loss, and a 25 and two effort in a semi final win.
Power teammate Tom Rockliff said this record, as well as his Showdown heroics in 2018, showed Motlop’s big match prowess.
“I think Mots is a big moment player, there is no doubt about that. He tends to play well in big moments,” he said.
“He just has impacts in the game at the right moments.”
Yet he has found himself under fire from Port Adelaide fans for his inconsistent performances for the Power.
Former Cats teammate Brad Ottens said Motlop’s natural flair may count against him sometimes.
“It’s a strange one because I think everyone loves the player who can do the amazing thing but then everyone likes to have a crack at them when it doesn’t come off,” he said.
“Those type of players, and Stevie has that ability to do that freakish thing, seemed to get judged so harshly.”
Daniel agreed.
“I think it is more of a stereotype thing I think,” he said.
“Steven has always had commentators getting on his back for things like not getting a touch and stuff like that.
“Some players cop that from the commentators and it probably emphasises it a bit more.
“It is probably just a stereotype thing and it probably doesn’t help that he had a brother that did the same thing apparently.”
Fox Footy commentator and former Western Bulldogs star Brad Johnson, who worked with him at Geelong as a part time forward’s coach, said he thought Motlop’s efforts outside of his natural skill efforts weren’t as appreciated as they should be.
“I think his work rate has gone to a really high level, he’s keeping in more contest to contests in recent years,” he said.
“I think he is underestimated in some ways that he can get to high-half back and push right through and do that more consistently.
“He is someone who could have a significant impact in this finals series no question.
“If he can create a bit of a link through the D50 to forward 50 it probably allows Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma to play in a way more roles that suit them consistently.
“And that is what Ken has been able to do all year, get his players to play their best positions more often rather than chase others which has helped his side be settled.”
While Motlop has been out of the side on occasions since coming to Alberton, Hinkley continues to back the player he worked with at Geelong.
Ottens said that backing was huge for Motlop.
“I think Stevie has found quite a nice balance in his game now and Kenny would back him,” he said.
“I definitely remember them getting on well at Geelong, Kenny has always had a bit of a soft spot for those players who have a bit of swag and take the game on and be a bit outlandish.”
Advertiser columnist and Port Adelaide legend Kane Cornes said Motlop’s form in 2020 had been patchy but he was a player worth persisting with in finals.
“He can give you that speed and some excitement and when you get the footy in his hands something happens,” he said.
“He has that finals experience but I think he would like to be in better form, he’s kicked 10 goals from 12 games this year so I think he needs to hit the scoreboard a bit more.
“But if he is on he is on, he can change a match and that’s what Ken Hinkley is probably hoping for.
“He doesn’t need to have heaps of the ball he just needs three or four moments where he can set up a teammate with his creativity or score himself.
“He is an inconsistent forward, (but) he is a high risk-high reward player, if you back him in for a big game then the rewards can be enormous for you as we’ve seen in a couple of Showdowns and he only needs about 10 possessions to impact on the game.”
POWER STAR’S LONG, ROCKY ROAD TO FINALS
— Reece Homfray
Tom Rockliff’s son Jack was only a week old in 2017 when Tom flew from Brisbane to Adelaide to meet with Power coach Ken Hinkley.
It was late September and they were at the home of football manager Chris Davies after the Power had just been eliminated from finals in heartbreaking circumstances by West Coast – a goal after the siren in extra time.
“Finals footy was definitely a drawing factor (in joining Port Adelaide from Brisbane), I sat at Chris Davies’ house and had a conversation around that,” Rockliff said.
“Port Adelaide had played in that elimination final overtime loss and I felt I could help but it obviously hasn’t gone to plan for a number of reasons.”
Until now. On Thursday night Rockliff will run out in Port Adelaide’s qualifying final against Geelong at Adelaide Oval and the longest wait of any current player in the AFL to play a final will be over.
And cheering him on will be Jack, now aged three.
“My first season at Brisbane, 2009, they played finals and I wasn’t playing at the time but thought it would just happen from there, you expect to go on and get better from there,” Rockliff said.
“And the last two years (at Port) we’ve provided ourselves with an opportunity to play finals footy and haven’t been able to go on with the job.
“There was probably an element of ‘is it going to ever happen?’ And credit to Brisbane how well they’ve done, they’ve turned it around really quick but my focus is solely on Port Adelaide and living in the moment … and making sure when an opportunity comes you grab it.
“I would love to play in a premiership no doubt about that, I haven’t hidden away from that fact, personal reputation doesn’t really matter it’s more about the team and a huge year for the football club being 150 years so we’d like to celebrate it the right way.”
The last footy final Rockliff played turned out to be a good one. His under-18 TAC Cup team the Murray Bushrangers won the flag and Rockliff had 30 disposals and kicked four goals but it wasn’t enough to snatch the best-on-ground medal from Steele Sidebottom who booted 10.
Other than that, the only final Rockliff has played in was in the under-12s so he took a moment to savour the realisation the Power had secured top spot and two home finals after last week’s win over Collingwood.
“We went back as a group and sat in the meals room and had a couple of beers together just to enjoy the moment,” he said.
“Every time you think about it I get a few butterflies in the stomach so I’ve tried to leave it alone for as long as I can, no doubt as the game draws closer it will get a bit more exciting.
“But hopefully when we are sitting back in four or five weeks’ time I can look back and enjoy the moment for what it was and we are celebrating something pretty special.”
reece.homfray@news.com.au
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