Power keeps its 2019 AFL finals hopes alive as Robbie Gray stars with four goals
Lose to the Bombers and they were staring down the barrel of another wasted year. But the Power showed they still have plenty to play for in 2019 with a 59 point victory at Marvel Stadium.
North Melbourne great David King declared it was time Port Adelaide “put up or shut up’’.
And Ken Hinkley’s inconsistent — but talented — team duly delivered.
In a result that has breathed new life into its Jekyll and Hyde season, the Power ended a tough month — and snapped a three-game losing streak — by emphatically upsetting Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Saturday to keep its finals hopes alive.
Sparked by a four-goal masterclass from four-times All-Australian Robbie Gray, brilliant displays from first-year sensations Connor Rozee and Xavier Duursma and strong performances from defender-turned-midfielder Dan Houston, reborn Karl Amon and backman Darcy Byrne-Jones, Port finally found its goalkicking radar and crisp delivery by foot to crush the Bombers by 59 points on their home turf.
It was a decisive result that keep its finals flame flickering and took some of the heat of under-fire coach Hinkley.
The impressive victory — the Power’s ninth of the season — was built on far better ball use, hard running through the corridor of the indoor stadium and, finally, accurate goalkicking.
The most inaccurate team in the league booted 19.12, including 14.2 from set shots, and goaled from 19 of its 58 inside 50 entries.
It had been goaling at just 19 per cent from its forward 5o entires prior to the game.
The season-saving win snapped Essendon’s five-game winning streak and opened up the finals race.
It also saw Port breath a collective sigh of relief after a week in which chief executive Keith Thomas felt the need to write an extraordinary letter to members in which he largely took the blame for the club’s struggles in the past season-and-a-half.
With Australian NBA star Ben Simmons watching his beloved Bombers from a superbox, the Power dominated the contest.
After controversially dropping lead ruckman Scott Lycett, it had good players all over the ground, including the promoted Peter Ladhams (18 disposals, 22 hitouts) and Todd Marshall (three goals).
Key defender Tom Clurey kept Essendon dangerman Cale Hooker goalless after the regular full back played forward following the late withdrawal through illness of Shaun McKernan.
BOW-AND-ARROW MAKES A RETURN
PORT rookie sensation Xavier Duursma was true to himself and continued to show off his now trademark bow-and-arrow celebration against the Bombers.
Heavily criticised in some circles for pulling out his animated celebration when the Power was three goals down to Richmond two weeks ago, Duursma nailed his first major since the episode with a superb set shot from the boundary line in the third quarter.
With questions about whether he would continue to use the colourful move, particularly after Hinkley suggested he should pick the right time to show off, he again pulled it out — this time right in front of the Essendon faithful.
And the Power coach loved it, smiling in the coaches box and saying “good boy’’.
TRAVIS TAMED
FORMER Power captain Travis Boak — one of the favourites for the Brownlow Medal as he enjoys a career-year at age 31 — became new Essendon tagger Dylan Clarke’s latest victim.
Boak, who turned 31 on Thursday and has blossomed in the twilight of his career and after relinquishing the captaincy in the off-season, was held to a modest (for him) 23 disposals by Clarke, who was playing just his 10th game.
Clarke, who had played just one match prior to this year, had already taken some big scalps in his new role this season, including Carlton’s Patrick Cripps, Adelaide’s Rory Sloane and Hawthorn’s Jaeger O’Meara.
Boak, who had a season-high 40 touches in last week’s home loss to GWS and had been averaging 32 for the year, was taken out of the midfield for large portions of the game because of Clarke’s success.
To Boak’s credit, he made an impact forward, kicking a goal and creating another.
But, with so many standout teammates, he will not be in the Brownlow votes this week.
WILLING AND ABLE
FORMER Power midfielder Will Snelling has enjoyed a remarkable few weeks.
Delisted by Port at the end of last season after managing just one game in three seasons on its rookie list, Snelling was thrown an AFL lifeline by Essendon in the contentious mid-season rookie draft — a draft that angered the SANFL and its clubs.
The hard-as-nails 21-year-old has played the past three games for the Bombers, including against Adelaide at Adelaide Oval when he made his Essendon debut in a come-from-behind triumph.
The West Adelaide product lined up against his former club for the first time at Marvel Stadium on Saturday and starred, producing his finest performance at AFL level.
Snelling had a career-high 21 disposals and booted two goals while making his presence felt physically.
Standing at only 175cm, he was poleaxed by Port co-captain Tom Jonas early in the second quarter but, in typical fashion, got straight to his feet.
Moments later he ran back into a pack, was floored, but jumped up to catch Jonas holding the ball.
He then dished a handball to Dylan Shiel to goal.
AFL great Wayne Carey described Snelling’s courageous deeds as “special’’.
TOUGH DAY FOR CHARLIE
CHARLIE Dixon’s tough season continued when he was one of the few Power players to fire.
Starting at full forward after being promoted following a one-week spell in the SANFL, Dixon was outpointed by Patrick Ambrose and took 54 minutes to win his first disposal.
A clearly-disappointed Dixon was in the second quarter encouraged by teammate Hamish Hartlett on the bench before talking on the phone to Hinkley.
He finished with only five disposals and no score.
SCOREBOARD
PORT 5.2 8.5 14.9 19.12 (126)
ESSENDON 2.4 5.7 8.10 9.13 (67)
BEST — Port: R. Gray, Houston, Byrne-Jones, Rozee, Duursma, Amon, Clurey, Ladhams. Essendon: Merrett, Snelling, Shiel, Stringer, Redman, Ambrose.
GOALS — Port: R. Gray 4, Marshall 3, Houston, Rozee 2, Duursma, Boak, Ryder, S. Gray, Amon, Butters, Sutcliffe, Powell-Pepper. Essendon: Stringer, Fantasia, Snelling 2, Merrett, Shiel, Francis.
INJURIES — Port: Butters (sternum). Essendon: Saad (hamstring), Parish (concussion), McKernan (illness) replaced in selected side by Hartley.
UMPIRES — A. Stephens, S. Meredith, N. Williamson.
CROWD — 42,940 at Marvel Stadium.