Goalkicking Giants midfield still a threat to Port Adelaide even without Kelly and Coniglio
Port Adelaide’s defenders will have their hands full trying to stop GWS forwards Jeremy Cameron and Harry Himmelberg on Saturday. But that’s not the Giants’ only avenue to goal.
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While stars Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio are missing, the scoring threat from the Giants midfield is still real for Port Adelaide on Saturday night.
GWS is the No. 1-scoring side in the competition this season and 41 of its goals have come from pure midfielders — six more than any other team.
Coniglio (15) and Kelly (8), who will miss this week’s clash through injury, have booted 23 of them.
But while the continued absence of the pair is a boost for Port Adelaide’s chances, one of their replacements in the midfield is, arguably, more impressive around goal.
With a firing attack, led by Jeremy Cameron, Harry Himmelberg and Jeremy Finlayson, coach Leon Cameron — while he wasn’t left with much of a choice — has been able to deploy matchwinning forward Toby Greene to the engine room after Coniglio succumbed to a knee injury early against Richmond in Round 17.
And it’s been a huge success. Greene, who started his career as an on-baller before becoming an All-Australian forward, has tallied 61 disposals, 17 score involvements, 12 clearances and four goals in the past two weeks.
There’s also Lachie Whitfield who, given his roaming role in 2019, isn’t classified as a pure midfielder by Champion Data. But the former No. 1 draft pick’s impact through the middle of the ground and forward-of-centre can be more damaging than any other player.
Whitfield, who is averaging 29 disposals, has booted seven goals from his 11 games this season.
And, as Whitfield’s numbers typify, it’s not just about the goals coming directly from the boot of the Giants midfielders.
The 25-year-old’s 6.8 score involvements per game ranks 10th in the competition of all players to have played at least two matches.
Greene (6.6) and Tim Taranto (6.5) sit 17th and 23rd in the league for score involvements. Port don’t have a player rated elite in this statistic.
And Taranto has booted nine goals himself, while fourth-year midfielder Jacob Hopper also has five majors to his name this year.
For the Power, Travis Boak’s eight goals in 2019 leads the way, with injured co-captain Ollie Wines the next-best with five.
Star Robbie Gray has booted 14 goals from his 14 games this year but, like Greene and Whitfield, isn’t classified as a pure midfielder.
Gray has spent more time in Port Adelaide’s engine room since the bye but it’s had an impact on his scoring, with the 31-year-old recording just four goals since Round 13.
It’s a similar story with the inconsistent Sam Powell-Pepper, whose nine goals for the year are, largely, on the back of an early-season half-forward role.
But the Power need more from former Lion Tom Rockliff.
In his final two seasons at Brisbane, Rockliff booted 15 and 16 goals in each season respectively.
The ball-magnet finished with seven majors in his first year at Alberton in 2018 and, after 13 games this year, has just one to his name.
GOALS FROM MIDFIELDERS
BY TEAM
GWS Giants 41
Geelong 35
Hawthorn 33
Brisbane 31
Melbourne 31
West Coast 30
Western Bulldogs 28
Gold Coast 28
Adelaide 27
Collingwood 22
North Melbourne 18
Port Adelaide 17
Fremantle 16
Carlton 16
Sydney 15
Essendon 15
Richmond 10
St Kilda 7
PORT AND GWS
Stephen Coniglio (GWS) 15
Tim Taranto (GWS) 9
Josh Kelly (GWS) 8
Travis Boak (Port) 8
Jacob Hopper (GWS) 5
Ollie Wines (Port) 5
Matt de Boer (GWS) 4
Willem Drew (Port ) 2
Tom Rockliff (Port) 1
Cam Sutcliffe (Port) 1
(*Pure midfielders as classified by Champion Data)
Originally published as Goalkicking Giants midfield still a threat to Port Adelaide even without Kelly and Coniglio
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