Robbie Gray does the brilliant, and the hard stuff, as Port thrashes injury-hit Western Bulldogs
WE all knew Robbie Gray could do the brilliant. But his display against the Western Bulldogs had another side as the electrifying forward showed he is the complete package.
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WE’VE seen Robbie Gray do the flashy stuff and kick the miracle goals but he got down and dirty and reminded everyone how hard and tough he is too as Port Adelaide beat the Western Bulldogs by 57 points.
The Power’s matchwinning forward asserted himself on the game from the opening bounce when he cleaned up Toby McLean and he had 12 contested possessions in the first half.
But his big moment arrived early in the third quarter when he sprinted after the ball at a centre bounce and crashed into Patrick Lipinski who was coming the other way.
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Lipinski went down and Gray stood up, won the footy, handballed to Chad Wingard and Justin Westhoff kicked the goal which finally broke the game open.
That’s not to say the Robbie Gray freakshow didn’t happen at all. In the second quarter he trapped the ball with one hand while running at full pace and kicked a dribble goal but this was the performance that makes Gray the complete package.
Combined with unselfish play from Port’s entire forwardline, Ollie Wines, Westhoff, Sam Powell-Pepper, Tom Rockliff and Wingard’s ever-improving form and some straighter kicking by Charlie Dixon (3.2), Port marched to an 8-4 record and a step closer to finals.
The Power dominated with 5.4 to 0.1 in the first quarter but had a fight on their hands early in the third when the Bulldogs responded through Marcus Bontempelli and Ed Richards.
But it became an impossible task for the visitors when they lost Easton Wood and Jack Macrae (both hamstring) to injury for the second half and Port put them away with four goals in a row.
Port had plenty of winners but perhaps none more so than Lindsay Thomas who showed why Port handed him an AFL lifeline at the age of 30 and why they put him back in the side after he served a four-game suspension. Thomas kicked a clever goal around his body, tackled hard and finished with 14 disposals.
Young forward Todd Marshall was the feel-good story of the night.
Port coach Ken Hinkley described Port Adelaide as Marshall’s “stand-in family” and on Friday night the Power army stood and applauded as the young star made a courageous return to AFL football after losing both parents in the past eight months.
13th minute applause for @PAFC's #13.
— AFL (@AFL) June 14, 2018
The whole footy world is with you, @toddmarshalll.#AFLPowerDogs pic.twitter.com/5iFQYf9wiO
Thirteen minutes into the first quarter, a plan hatched by a Power fan and spread on social media saw the crowd stand to applaud Port’s No.13 and it was even recognised by his direct opponent Hayden Crozier who patted him on the back.
Jared Polec kicked two brilliant goals on his favoured left foot from the boundary, Paddy Ryder took full advantage of the Dogs’ makeshift ruck set-up with 41 hit-outs and Ollie Wines played his second big game in a row with 35 touches.
Jack Hombsch and Jasper Pittard played with desperation and they had good support from Dougal Howard to make sure Tom Jonas’ absence did not leave a gaping hole in defence.
The only blight on Port’s night was the crowd of 26,137 which was the smallest since footy’s move back to Adelaide Oval in 2014.
For the Dogs Billy Gowers showed he is going to be a good player and Ed Richards showed he’s going to be a star with pace and three goals.
PORT ADELAIDE 5.4 8.6 14.9 20.12 (132)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 0.1 4.5 8.7 11.9 (75)
BEST - Port Adelaide: R. Gray, Wines, Ryder, Westhoff, Houston, Howard, Rockliff, Wingard. Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Richards, Crozier, Gowers, Cordy.
GOALS - Port Adelaide: R. Gray, Dixon, Rockliff 3, Polec, Westhoff 2, Wines, Thomas, Motlop, Boak, Ryder, S. Gray, Howard. Western Bulldogs: Richards 3, Bontempelli, Wallis, Schache, Gowers, McLean, Lipinski.
INJURIES - Western Bulldogs: Wood (hamstring), Macrae (hamstring).
UMPIRES - N. Foot, B. Rosebury, S. Meredith, J. Mollison.
CROWD - 26,137 at Adelaide Oval.
Votes:
3: Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide)
2: Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide)
1: Paddy Ryder (Port Adelaide)
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED
1. ROBBIE Gray is in a league of his own. The brilliant Port Adelaide playmaker turned a rain-soaked Adelaide Oval into his playground. He made the wet ball appear dry and had racked up 20 disposals and a freakish goal by halftime.
2. THE Power fans love young key forward Todd Marshall. In his first AFL game since losing his father in April — six months after his mother passed away — Marshall was given an emotional one-minute round of applause at the 13-minute mark (signifying his No. 13 guernsey number) of the first term in a strong show of support. As the crowd stood as one, Marshall’s teammate Jared Polec goaled on the run from 50m to send them into a frenzy.
3. LONG-RUNNING contract negotiations are clearly not bothering Ollie Wines. The Power vice-captain, who is expected to re-sign with the club, followed his best-on-ground performance against premier Richmond with another standout display. Wines was dynamic in setting Port on its way early with 10 disposals and a goal in the opening term.
4. THE Bulldogs did not come to play. For a side that had two weeks to prepare for the game because of their round 12 bye, they didn’t give a yelp when the match was on the line early. Port kicked the opening five goals in a blistering 13-minute spell in the first term with such ease that it looked like a training drill. While the Dogs improved after quarter-time, there was never going to be a way back after they trailed by 34 points and lost Easton Wood and Jack Macrae to hamstring injuries in the first half.
5. BULLDOG Ed Richards is an emerging star. An AFL Rising Star nominee in round 10, the grandson of Collingwood premiership player Ron Richards showed flashes of brilliance against the Power. Recruited at pick 16 at last year’s national draft as a rebounding defender, he lined up on a wing and kicked three of the Dogs’ first four goals.
— Compiled by Andrew Capel.
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Originally published as Robbie Gray does the brilliant, and the hard stuff, as Port thrashes injury-hit Western Bulldogs