Port Adelaide’s Jason Horne-Francis shines as St Kilda woes deepen
Young gun Jason Horne-Francis gave Port Adelaide fans a glimpse of his 2025 potential as St Kilda lost another player to injury.
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Young gun Jason Horne-Francis gave Port Adelaide fans a glimpse of his 2025 potential as Jeremy Finlayson starred in a new role and St Kilda lost yet another player to injury.
The Power were on from the opening bounce as they put an understrength Saints to the sword in the 14.9 (93) to 7.7 (49) win at RSEA Park.
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St Kilda managed just one goal in the opening half in a match where they had six players yet to play an AFL game.
And to add injury to the 44-point loss, Mitch Owens (shoulder) and Cooper Sharman (thumb) failed to see out the match.
For the Power, Finlayson shone at centre halfback while the “unpredictable” Power attack fired in promising signs for coach Ken Hinkley’s final year at the helm.
Finlayson’s shift to defence has proved a master move already this pre-season as he dominated on Saturday.
The big forward made the move to defence to cover the injuries to teammates Esava Ratugolea and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher.
And he shone in an outstanding opening half where he racked up a game-high eight marks.
“He’s looked fantastic down there the 195cm halfback,” Fox Footy’s David King said of Finlayson.
“His distribution off halfback has been elite.
“He’s had 15 disposals (to half time), his kicking has been a feature – corridor and long.
“This is exactly what you are hoping for when you give someone an opportunity like this.
Have you liked what you've seen from Jeremy Finlayson in defence Port Adelaide fans? 👀
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) March 1, 2025
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“I really like it – I think it’s something they can explore in the season proper.”
Fellow commentator Gerard Healy said the defensive mindset wasn’t foreign to Finlayson after being used as a key defender for the Giants before his move to Port.
“He’s got the capacity and it’s a role he could grab a hold of and maybe extend his career a bit through,” he said.
“He’s killing it.”
Finlayson proved to be a key factor in the first half as he set up four goals for his side from down back with his elite foot skills.
Healy lamented St Kilda’s lack of pressure on the ball, while former Saint Leigh Montagna said the Power were just “picking the St Kilda defence apart”.
“It’s a pretty uncontested game,” Healy said.
“Port are winning it and then holding onto it and keeping it.”
Such was their dominance, the Power had racked up more than 120 uncontested disposals early in the second term – while the Saints had barely registered less than half of that.
“They’ve gone from predictable Port to unpredictable going forward,” Leigh Montagna praised.
But on a disappointing day out, there was one shining light with Hugh Boxshall standing tall.
While a dubious 50m penalty ensured Boxshall nailed St Kilda’s first goal (which came in the second term), he showed plenty of positives for Lyon to work with.
“It was pretty tough to find some positive … this kid (Boxshall), they traded up a future second to get in the mid 40s,” Fox Footy’s Gerard Healy said.
“Over the last few weeks he’s shown he’s going to be a real asset for the Saints.
“He’s hard at the ball, he gets in the right spots, he delivers it well, he’s kicked a goal … He knows when to fake to get a free kick (laughs).”
It was the final kick inside 50 that let St Kilda down in tough first half where they registered only Boxshall’s 50m penalty goal.
While down the other end, defensively the Saints panicked repeatedly as they coughed the ball up – and the Power made them pay dearly.
“The skill level has just got to get better,” Healy said.
The Saints will already enter Round 1 without a host of big names – and their injury list will grow after another costly push into a marking contest.
Just days after Sam Lalor (Richmond) and Brandon Starcevich (Brisbane) were injured in similar fashion, Owens left the field clutching his shoulder after being pushed into a pack in the second term.
The Saints forward didn’t return, putting his season start in doubt.
It’s just another blow to Ross Lyon’s hard hit forward line, with Max King (knee), Mattaes Phillipou (leg) and Liam Henry (knee) already racing the clock.
Fox Footy’s Ruby Schleicher said Owens wasn’t the only worry for St Kilda.
More rotten injury lucky for the Saints. Ruby has the latest on Mitch Owens' setback 🤕
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) March 1, 2025
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“Cooper Sharman was on the bench for 18 minutes (in the third term), didn’t return before three quarter time. Looks like he’s carrying a thumb injury,” she reported.
“He’s done for the day.
“They are pretty short on key forwards already.”
Montagna said Saints fans would be holding their breath on Owens’ scan results, while King was adamant the AFL needs to address the push in the back issue.
“It’s a really dangerous situation. It’s cost another player a significant injury,” King said.
“I’ll say it again, I think the AFL need to get involved and get involved quickly and stamp this out of our game.”
Originally published as Port Adelaide’s Jason Horne-Francis shines as St Kilda woes deepen
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