Essendon ends Port Adelaide’s finals hopes with an upset win at Adelaide Oval

THE final eight is set after Port Adelaide crashed and burned, failing to keep its season alive after being outworked, outclassed and outplayed by an Essendon side playing for nothing but pride.

Dyson Heppell slips away from Sam Powell-Pepper. Picture: Sarah Reed

FORGET praying for a Kardinia Park miracle.

The result of Saturday’s Geelong-Gold Coast match is now irrelevant to Port Adelaide after it crashed and burned at Adelaide Oval.

The Power officially bowed out of the finals race - and ended a disastrous second half of the season - after being upset by Essendon by 22 points.

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Needing to win its final minor round match to have any hope of playing finals, Port showed why it won’t feature in September by being outworked, outclassed and outplayed by a side playing for nothing but pride.

And the Bombers did it without a genuine ruckman in the second half, with Matthew Leuenberger ruled out early in the third quarter with a calf injury.

This forced 192cm forward Jake Stringer to ruck against All-Australian Paddy Ryder and debutant Billy Frampton.

Aaron Francis takes a screamer over Adam Saad and Paddy Ryder.

Aaron Francis takes a screamer over Adam Saad and Paddy Ryder.

The Power used its ruck advantage to cut a 44-point deficit to 17 in the final term but it was too little, too late.

The loss was the Power’s sixth from its past seven matches and saw it finish with a bitterly disappointing 12-10 record after it was well placed at 11-4 after Round 16.

Port, with a finals spot on the line, came out with no spark and fell 26 points behind midway through the first quarter.

It coughed and spluttered its way through the rest of the match, constantly making schoolboy errors that have been the hallmark of its fall from grace.

Tall swingman Justin Westhoff - Port’s oldest player at 31 - was outstanding with five goals while Ryder also was excellent.

Jared Polec, who is seemingly on his way to North Melbourne in a five-year, $3.5 million deal, also was good in what was likely his final game for the Power.

Ken Hinkley and Jared Polec after Port Adelaide’s loss. Picture: Sarah Reed

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti bumps Darcy Byrne-Jones.

But - as has been the case in the second half of the season - Port had too many players who didn’t fire a shot.

In contrast, Essendon - which finished the year powerfully by winning 10 of its last 14 games after a 2-6 start to narrowly miss the finals - had good players all over the ground.

Kyle Langford’s three goals and 11 tackles - the Bombers won the tackle count 85-49 - were crucial while forward Mitch Brown (three goals, 10 marks) and midfielders David Zaharakis, Dyson Heppell and Zach Merrett were influential.

Croweater Aaron Francis - the No.6 draft pick in 2015 who won last week’s AFL Rising Star nomination - continued his rejuvenation with 11 marks in defence.

Veteran star Brendon Goddard led the Bombers out in his final game for the club after being told he would not be recontracted and his team immediately showed it wanted to give him a winning send-off.

In a spectacular start away from home, Essendon hit the ground running to record the first 10 inside 50s and four goals.

Brendon Goddard runs out with his children. Picture: Sarah Reed

Brendon Goddard is chaired off by Michael Hurley and Cale Hooker.

Port did not score until the 11:20 mark of the opening term when Polec’s rushed shot went through for a behind.

Impressive first-year forward Kane Farrell - an elite kick - booted the Power’s first major after 20 minutes following some neat work from Robbie Gray.

But with Jayden Laverde playing the quarter of his life, the Bombers powered to a 33-point lead at the first change.

Playing just his 30th game, the 22-year-old Laverde kicked three goals for the term, eclipsing his career-high of two in a game in a blistering 30 minutes.

Port never recovered. Now a long summer awaits.

ESSENDON 6.4 9.7 15.8 17.9 (111)

PORT ADELAIDE 1.1 5.6 9.7 13.11 (89)

BEST

Essendon: K.Langford, M.Brown, D.Zaharakis, A.Francis, D.Heppell, Z.Merrett, D.Parish, B.Goddard, D.Smith

Port Adelaide: J.Westhoff, P.Ryder, J.Polec, C.Wingard, T.Boak

GOALS

Essendon: M.Brown, J.Laverde, K.Langford 3, D.Heppell, A.McDonald-Tipungwuti, D.Zaharakis 2, M.Baguley, D.Myers

Port Adelaide: J.Westhoff 5, B.Ebert 2, R.Gray, B.Frampton, J.Polec, K.Farrell, P.Ryder, T.Boak.

INJURIES

Essendon: MLeuenberger (calf)

Port Adelaide: Nil

UMPIRES: D. Margetts, R. Findlay, J. Mollison.

CROWD: 39,168 at Adelaide Oval.

VOTES

3. Kyle Langford (Ess)

2. Mitch Brown (Ess)

1. Justin Westhoff (Port)

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Originally published as Essendon ends Port Adelaide’s finals hopes with an upset win at Adelaide Oval