Port Adelaide misses opportunity to grab top-four spot after loss to Greater Western Sydney
IN A weekend of footy that resembled moving day in one of golf’s majors, Port Adelaide stumbled when a top-four spot was beckoning after leaving its runs too late against GWS.
- Analysis: Why Power is now a rabbit in the spotlight
- Recap: Giants hang on after thrilling fightback
IN A weekend of footy that resembled moving day in one of golf’s majors, the premiership contenders either staked their claim for a top-four finish or stumbled like Port Adelaide.
Faced with a huge opportunity to jump into the top four after Sydney and Melbourne both suffered potentially costly losses, the Power took an entire half to get into the game against GWS and left its run too late, losing by 22 points at home.
What’s more, the Giants not only joined the pack chasing Richmond and West Coast but confirmed their standing as a genuine premiership threat having resurrected their season from 4-5 by winning six of their past seven games.
Despite the loss — Port’s second in a row — the Power remained fifth on the ladder but is in a serious log-jam of teams that also in golfing terms could be facing a fight just to make the cut in the last month of the season.
Port Adelaide looked like two different teams on Sunday night and it was only through some creative coaching from the box that they fought back from 35 points down to get to within nine points late in the final quarter.
But they ultimately paid the price for a very ordinary first half in which the midfield was smashed by Lachie Whitfield, Dylan Shiel, Josh Kelly and Callan Ward, its forward 50m entries were either to the wrong spots or at the forward’s feet, and the forwardline in general lacked potency with Charlie Dixon in the ruck to cover for Paddy Ryder.
It was only when Port coach Ken Hinkley turned to his fourth option in the ruck that the tide began to turn in the third term.
Dixon was Plan A, Justin Westhoff Plan B, Ollie Wines Plan C and Plan D was for Dougal Howard who provided the spark in the centre and flexibility to allow Dixon and Westhoff to both stay forward where Dixon kicked three game-changing goals.
Darcy Byrne-Jones was also sent to run with Whitfield with good affect and debutant Jarrod Lienert showed how creative he can be with his booming kick as Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard worked their way into the game.
Port had all the momentum late and Wingard had a shot to get his team within one kick of the Giants but it was touched, and the visitors closed it out with quick goals to Adam Tomlinson and Zac Langdon.
Tom Clurey was super-reliable in defence, Jared Polec ran hard for four quarters and finished with 29 disposals which was matched by Ollie Wines and Travis Boak was solid and kicked a big captain’s goal in the second quarter.
Debutant Lienert showed he will be around for a while by kicking the footy with precision and tackling with pressure and intent. The highlight of his game was a bullet-like pass to Dixon whose goal dragged Port back to within four straight kicks of GWS.
Heath Shaw was the Giants’ best in part for his work on Robbie Gray but also his ability to provide constant drive out of defence.
For all of Port’s courage to fight back and have a shot at victory, it was an opportunity they let slip.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 1.0 3.5 7.8 8.10 (58)
GWS 4.3 7.7 9.12 11.14 (80)
BEST
Power: Clurey, Polec, Boak, Lienert, Wines, R. Gray.
Giants: Shaw, Whitfield, Hopper, Kelly, Ward, Davis, Shiel.
GOALS
Power: Dixon 3, R. Gray 2, Ebert, Boak, Westhoff.
Giants: Himmelberg, Greene, Hopper 2, Taranto, Reid, Coniglio, Tomlinson, Langdon.
UMPIRES: Dalgleish, M. Stevic, A. Gianfagna.
CROWD: 34,693 at Adelaide Oval.
Watch every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. SIGN UP NOW >