The Lowdown: All the likes and dislikes from the Crows and Power in Round 7
Jason Horne-Francis was ready to explode against North Melbourne, but the efforts of Ken Hinkley and Zak Butters was a masterclass in tempering the red mist. Simeon Thomas-Wilson unpacks it.
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You love the passion but Jason Horne-Francis needs to learn how not to be blinded by it. He needs to learn to play on the edge but not fall victim to the red mist like he did against North Melbourne on Saturday – especially if he wants to be a leader at Alberton. On Saturday he was targeted by North Melbourne – the most noticeable incident a hit from behind by Kangaroos skipper Jy Simpkin.
Horne-Francis made his feelings about it known to his former teammates, sparking a melee which ended in a 50 metre penalty and goal to North Melbourne.
He obviously has history at the club, after being drafted with the No. 1 pick in 2021 and playing 17 games there in 2022 before requesting a trade to Port Adelaide after the one season.
However if you were a Port fan you would have loved the way Ken Hinkley, Connor Rozee and Zak Butters – with Sam Powell-Pepper and Aliir Aliir also there – went about resetting the Power’s young star ahead of the crucial fourth quarter against the Roos. First Butters pulling his young charger away from the umpires after he and Simpkin continued to clash in the dying moments of the third term and then at the huddle.
At the end of every quarter Hinkley gets the Power’s leaders such as Rozee and Butters, as well as senior players including Aliir Aliir together for a quick discussion about the quarter. While leadership group members Powell-Pepper and Willem Drew, as well as Aliir are in the vicinity, this chat is mainly centred around Hinkley, Horne-Francis, Rozee and Butters. As Hinkley tells Horne-Francis to not worry about what’s happening in a firm but calm manner the Power star goes to turn away, only to be grabbed by the guernsey by Butters to ensure he remains and Hinkley can finish his counselling.
Butters in particular being the one to drag him back when he looked to walk off from Hinkley’s calm and measured speech to calm him down was impressive given he has been in that situation before where he has let the emotions get the better of him. Horne-Francis just wants to win, and sometimes this can be to his detriment. The Power well and truly look like it knows how to harness the aggression – and sent him back out to start on the field in the final term. He nailed Roos veteran Luke Parker with a big tackle at the first stoppage, going on to have five disposals, two tackles, three contested possessions and a goal in the quarter as the Power hold on for the win.
Horne-Francis himself knows that this is something that he has to work on, telling Fox Footy post game that he “just got a bit frustrated”.
“I’m still trying to learn from those moments and keep my cool a little bit more,” he said.
“It was just a little one-time thing in the game. I just need to keep getting better at it, keep talking to people and keep finding ways I can control myself.”
He gave away the fourth most free kicks in the competition last year and is tied sixth in that category so far this season.
No doubt teams are going to continue to try and have some success in trying to get under his skin and get a free kick, but Port know they can tame the red mist.
It was a massive weekend for both Adelaide and Port Adelaide, with the Power fending off a North Melbourne side on the up and the Crows going down to Fremantle on the road. Here are the likes and dislikes from the weekend.
LIKES
1. TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY
There was a massive watch on Ollie Lord come Rounds 1 and 2. But he now looks to be on a run that could be the making of him at the Power. Despite Todd Marshall’s Achilles injury the Power wanted to go smaller in its forward line so Lord was on the sidelines. It followed on from a strange pre-season for Lord, especially since it looked like he would get more opportunities with Charlie Dixon retired.
After spending time rucking in pre-season, he looked to not be part of the Power’s best forward line, but now Lord looks well and truly at home there. He is again proving to be a good foil for Mitch Georgiades and his two goals against the Roos now has his tally to seven from four games. His best effort for a season is 15 goals, he looks like he will smash this in 2025. When Jack Lukosius and Marshall do eventually return it’s going to be fascinating as to what Port do.
2. JOSH WORRELL
DISLIKES
1. CROWS DEFENCE
Is it team defence or the personnel down there? Against Fremantle it looked like a bit of both. The Dockers were too good at the contest and were able to go from there, peppering the Crows defence time after time. But as good as they have been for the Crows Mark Keane and Nick Murray were made to look like a Gaelic footballer turned AFL player and a SSP pick by the Dockers’ forwards, especially Josh Treacy.
They won’t be the last key defenders to be bullied by Treacy but the big Docker just completely dominated the two, having seven marks of his own while the two Crows had four between them. The Crows have done well in finding the two tall pillars of their defence in different ways, but are they going to be able to stand up against the big opponents?
2. OFF THE LEASH
Once again the opposition’s gun midfield was able to hurt the Crows too easily. Andrew Brayshaw had 37 disposals and Caleb Serong 32 on Friday night. It was something Adelaide fans have seen too often of Matthew Nicks’ side. Against Geelong, Bailey Smith and Max Holmes had 35 and a goal and 32 and a goal respectively, while even in the win against Essendon Zach Merrett had 36 and four. On Monday midfielder Jake Soligo said the Crows would continue to back in their system. But with tagging well and truly back in vogue would Nicks consider going back to it after using Max Michalanney against GWS in the role last year and Ben Keays before that?
AND THE LOWDOWN ON …
There’s a lot of excitement, understandably, among Port Adelaide fans at the prospect of Doug Cochrane potentially becoming a Next Generation Academy prospect – with an ongoing review to decide whether the Power could have access to him in the 2026 draft. But on the weekend another potential NGA prospect for the Power had one hell of a game. South Adelaide’s Zemes Pilot finished with 32 disposals, nine marks, five tackles, nine hit-outs, nine clearances and 4.4 in the Panthers’ under 16 win over Woodville-West Torrens on Saturday. At over 190cm Pilot could be a fascinating prospect but footy isn’t the only sport he could take off in with him already being selected in the FIBA Under 15 Oceania Cup camp last year. There could be a lot of people interested as to whether he chooses footy or basketball in the future.
Originally published as The Lowdown: All the likes and dislikes from the Crows and Power in Round 7
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