AFL 2023: Port Adelaide defeats Fremantle to keep hopes of home final alive

Port Adelaide kept its top-two hopes alive with a win against Fremantle but its treatment of skipper Tom Jonas is set to invite questions from AFL headquarters.

Brad Elborough

5 min read

August 21, 2023 - 11:52AM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Connor Rozee on the burst. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

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The good news is that Port Adelaide’s Tom Jonas left Optus Stadium on Sunday without a concussion.

The defender will return to Adelaide with stitches and a sore head, but should be fine to play against Richmond in round 24.

But the AFL is likely to review how Port Adelaide handled Jonas’s treatment and question why he was allowed back on to the ground before having to undertake a full concussion test.

Jonas spent half of the second quarter of the Power’s 16-point win over Fremantle on the bench, being stitched up and took the initial five minutes head injury assessment.

While he was cleared to play by club doctors and started the second half on the ground, the vision was reviewed and Jonas was taken from the ground to undertake the full 15-minute sports concussion assessment (SCAT5).

He clearly passed.

Coach Ken Hinkley said the club wanted to be cautious.

“Being where we’ve been, after halftime we just thought, you know, with the vision you go back through it, and the messages we get it, let’s just do the right thing,” he said.

“Let’s not take that chance; let’s go and do that head assessment; make sure we we’re really, really clear that he was OK.

Tom Jonas comes from the field after a head knock. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

“We’ve lived a pretty poor experience just recently and we needed to make sure we didn’t go through something anything anywhere near similar.

“I was really pleased with the decision to do what we did. I thought it was really, really brave because we’ve been under the microscope for those things.

“We made a really, really cautious decision to make sure that we actually did everything we should have because we want to lead the way with that now.

“We don’t want to be causing any problems.”

The AFL issued Port a please explain regarding the concussion protocol management of Aliir Aliir in the Showdown loss to Adelaide in round 20. It was in relation to the club’s decision not to undertake a SCAT5 concussion test following a Head Injury Assessment (HIA).

Aliir returned to play after the initial HIA without a SCAT5 being undertaken.

As a result, the AFL issued Port with a $100,000 sanction after breaching AFL Concussion protocols. An amount of $50,000 was included in the club’s football department soft cap, with the balance ($50,000) outside the soft cap.

Top two dream alive but Port win could be

Collingwood will hold on to one of the prized top-two spots on the ladder, while Port Adelaide and Brisbane remain in a battle for the other.

It looms as a grandstand finish to the home-and-away season, with Melbourne still a chance to jump over both the Lions and Power if the two teams lose their respective home games in round 24.

Zac Butters, Ollie Wines, Connor Rozee and James Horne-Francis were too much for Fremantle to handle. They all hit the finals in good form.

Butters had 32 touches, 12 of them contested, while Wines and Horne-Francis had 12 clearances eight inside-50 entries between them. Hinkley said at just 20 years of age, it was clear that Horne-Francis was made to play finals football.

“He’s a pretty talented young player,” he said.

“We put up a big investment, where we’re gonna get far better returns than we even got today off the Jason Horne-Francis journey.

“I’m gonna say I think he’s made for it. And I think he’s made for it.

“I don’t think just Jason. That’s what I would say about our team. I think our competitive streak in our team through the midfield right now is what wins finals I reckon, and I’m hoping that that’s what we get at the end when we get to those stages.”

Jason Horne-Francis celebrates a goal against the Dockers. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Sunday’s 11.8 (74) to 8.10 (58) victory was the Power’s first over the Dockers at the venue, after three previous losses.

It came at a cost, though.

As well as Jonas, fellow defenders Miles Bergman (hand) and Ryan Burton (subbed out of the game at halftime with a knee injury) are also concerns for Ken Hinkley.

The respective benches were akin to hospital wards, with Docker Jaeger O’Meara subbed out in the first half with a calf injury, Jye Amiss struggling after an early hip knock and Bailey Banfield missing the final quarter with a shoulder injury.

FINAL FOUR UP IN THE AIR

For the Power to pinch second spot, they need St Kilda to upset the Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night.

If that happens, the Power will need to take care of Richmond at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

If neither of those results eventuate, Melbourne can leapfrog the pair of them with a win over the Sydney Swans at the SCG on Sunday afternoon.

Zac Butters reached 30 possessions for the fifth consecutive game, while Connor Rozee again provided run for Port, with 24.

Ollie Wines seems to be hitting his best form at the right time of the year too, backing up his 29 touches against Greater Western Sydney with 25 and four clearances against the Dockers.

Connor Rozee on the burst. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

TRUST THE TECHNOLOGY

The AFL’s ARC had a difficult weekend.

The umpires failed to use the technology on Saturday night at Adelaide Oval, potentially costing the Crows a spot in the finals.

It was used in the second term at Optus Oval, with the local crowd unhappy with the review overruling the goal umpires decision.

Bailey Banfield put a late claim in for goal of the season, with a soccer-like scissor-kick in the goalsquare. While the soft call was for a goal to be recorded, the ARC determined it had hit the arm of Port defender Burton the way through.

It was second near miss for the term for Banfield, who had earlier had a fresh air shot, again inside the goalsquare, that Burton also managed to knock through.

A LESSON IN RESILIENCE

Tom Emmett became the Dockers’ fourth debutant for the season.

The journey of the 21-year-old should be celebrated across the competition.

He overcame a cancer diagnosis as a 16-year-old and suffered an Achilles injury when he should have been starting his AFL journey.

He had to wait a couple of years, finally getting on to the Dockers list with pick 41 in the 2022 draft after kicking 15 goals in the last seven games playing for Sturt in the SANFL.

He earned his call-up to the top level with 13 goals at WAFL level with Peel Thunder this season.

And during the second term on Sunday, he kicked his first AFL goal, courtesy of a free kick, albeit a little fortunate, against Port’s Dylan Williams.

Emmett kicked a second goal and finished with 13 possessions.

Caleb Serong was again outstanding for Fremantle, finishing with 27 possessions and 12 clearances. Andrew Brayshaw had 33 disposals.