Port Adelaide’s defence shuts down in-form North Melbourne forward line to set up win
TOM Jonas enhanced his reputation as Port Adelaide’s rock in defence and his band of merry men completely shutdown North Melbourne’s in-form forwards to set up a crucial away win.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
TOM Jonas’ reputation as Port Adelaide’s go-to man for any problem big or small in defence was enhanced yet again on Saturday when he and his henchmen shut down North Melbourne and the competition’s most in-form forward Ben Brown.
In a performance that reminded the Power how much it can ill afford to lose him for another undisciplined act like the past two seasons, Jonas conceded 11cm in height to the league’s leading goalkicker and while he kicked four goals, two were from free kicks in the first half, and two when the game was shot in the last term.
BLOG RE-CAP: RE-LIVE ALL THE SUPER SATURDAY ACTION
SPP SPEAKS: “I’M SORRY I MADE HER FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE”
But he had help and that’s why Port Adelaide not only won that battle but won the game to snap a two-game losing streak and finish a torturous week on a high.
Dougal Howard played on Jack Ziebell, Jack Hombsch on Jarrad Waite and Tom Clurey on everyone else, but they all dropped off their man at critical times to help Jonas in the last line of defence.
That combined with hunger, hardness and pressure - best evidenced by the way Aidyn Johnson attacked the man and body in his first game for the season and Brad Ebert’s desperate tackling - delivered Port to a 33-point victory.
The Power had nine scoring shots to three in the first quarter and dominated possession, and could have led by much more had they kicked straighter, but luckily it didn’t matter.
With star ruckman Paddy Ryder to return from an achilles injury next weekend, Port’s up and down season is for now looking up again.
With Charlie Dixon spending the entire day in the ruck he nullified the influence of Todd Goldstein and Majak Daw which dented Port’s attack but a four-goal game to Sam Gray saved the day.
North tagger Ben Jacobs started on Ollie Wines and kept him to only four touches in the first quarter before rotating on him and Robbie Gray for the rest of the game.
While neither Wines nor Gray dominated in the middle they had 43 disposals between them and that allowed Ebert to take control.
He was the inside grunt and Jared Polec brought the outside run which continued his recent good form with 34 disposals and one goal.
But the win was built on defence and Jonas’ brilliance on Brown. After conceding a goal in the first minute of the game, Jonas barely made a mistake after that and looked filthy when Brown kicked two late in the game.
He was isolated one-out twice in the second term and the first he executed a textbook spoil and the second the cavalry arrived at the last second with Clurey punching it away.
Port went into the game with some of its stars out of form, namely Chad Wingard, Steven Motlop and Jack Watts and while they didn’t hit top gear yesterday they all contributed.
Motlop was busy early, Wingard might be rusty but there was no questioning his intent and repeated efforts at the contest while Watts got better as the game wore on.
Wingard did however limp from the ground after kicking his second goal in the last term and iced his hamstring.
Justin Westhoff was also very good. He had nine disposals and a goal in the first quarter and found Sam Gray for his third in the second with a brilliant pass.
Port had the perfect mindset and put it into action by being harder and hungrier and going in lower for the footy and was rewarded for it.
A big tackle by Majak Daw on Travis Boak led to a North Melbourne goal to stay in it and North asked the question of Port in the second term before Polec’s courageous hard-ball get at half-forward led to Johnson’s reply.
With Dixon kicking just one goal, the Power borrowed the Richmond playbook by unleashing a fleet of speedy and creative smalls led by Sam Gray, Jake Neade, Karl Amon, Dom Barry and Johnson.
As the Kangaroos tired, Port kept pressing and some textbook ball movement when Port shared it around and looked for a more effective forward 50 entry led to a Robbie Gray goal just before three-quarter time.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 4.5 8.6 12.8 15.12 (102)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.1 4.5 6.7 10.9 (69)
BEST - Port Adelaide: Jonas, Hombsch, S. Gray, Westhoff, Polec, Howard, Ebert, Dixon. North Melbourne: Cunnington, Clarke, Simpkin, Daw, Anderson.
GOALS - Port Adelaide: S. Gray 4, Wingard, Neade 2, Westhoff, Houston, Johnson, Watts, Polec, R. Gray, Dixon. North Melbourne: Brown, Waite 4, Anderson, Simpkin, Davis-Uniacke.
INJURIES - Port: Wingard (hamstring).
REPORT - Port: Darcy Byrne-Jones for rough conduct against Jack Ziebell.
UMPIRES - L. Fisher, J. Schmitt, C. Fleer.
At Etihad Stadium.
Originally published as Port Adelaide’s defence shuts down in-form North Melbourne forward line to set up win