‘Made a mess of Melbourne’: Port Adelaide’s streak continues in AFL nailbiter

Port Adelaide are well and truly back after claiming another huge scalp but it wasn’t just that they won that left the AFL world impressed.

Another huge result for the Power. Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images

A stunning career-best performance from Zak Butters spurred Yartapuulti (Port Adelaide) to a famous four-point win over premiership fancies Naarm (Melbourne) in a pulsating encounter at rainswept Adelaide Oval on Friday night.

The Power trailed by 11 points heading into the final term, but found another gear to make it seven wins in a row with a superb 11.14 (80) to 11.10 (76) victory.

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It was the second-placed Demons against the fourth-ranked Power, each with seven wins on the season and the momentum of impressive winning streaks, and the epic contest lived up to that heavyweight billing.

In a gutsy display of intense, pressure-packed, hard-tackling footy, Ken Hinkley’s men answered every question that was asked of them by Demons, all with injured twin towers Charlie Dixon and Todd Marshall sidelined.

Butters was breathtaking with his class in tough conditions, finishing with 41 possessions, nine clearances and two goals.

Port led by 12 at quarter time and 14 at halftime but gave up the lead in the third as the Demons piled on seven goals to three to lead by 11 at the final break.

While Port was on the back foot heading into the final term, the side piled on the pressure with the first 11 inside 50s of the quarter.

In just his fourth AFL game, young Power forward Ollie Lord kicked his side’s third goal in a row to snatch back the lead with Melbourne players still protesting that his mark had hit the ground.

Zak Butters was on fire. Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Tom McDonald threatened to snatch victory for the visitors when his second major gave them back the lead with eight minutes remaining, but Connor Rozee’s snapped goal in traffic with just over four minutes left put the home side in front for good.

“That is a win of some substance,” Fox Footy’s Garry Lyon said.

“Port Adelaide have made a mess of the highly rated Melbourne footy club.”

Eddie Betts added: “Their pressure has been so high. Tackle after tackle after tackle.

“They smashed them. They were up for the challenge. They should have won by more, but it was a great game.”

Port coach Ken Hinkley was full of praise for his side at full-time as their excellent streak continued as the side leapfrogged the Demons.

“I’m really proud of the boys and the way they stick at things,” Hinkley said.

“I think there’s a great amount of belief in this team.

“I was really proud of them.

“In really tough conditions against the highest of high quality, and we end up with a win – it’s a great result.”

Powell-Pepper’s party trick

In the first game of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, Port’s Indigenous stars did the damage on the scoreboard early as the home side jumped out to a 12-point lead at the first break.

Sam Powell-Pepper got the ball rolling in spectacular fashion, kicking a superb goal while facing away from the big sticks.

Powell-Pepper was in the right place at the right time to snare a deft Scott Lycett tap and quickly send the ball sailing back over his head for a party trick goal.

Jeremy Finlayson made up for an earlier miss with after the ball fell in his lap and Jason Horne-Francis made it three goals in a row after the siren.

Port’s lead stretched to 25 points in the second term after Dan Houston made it five majors in succession.

Butters continued his rich vein of form with 23 possessions in the first half, five more than the next highest tally on the ground that belonged to Rozee.

Powell-Pepper and Butters were quite the double act. Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images

Clayton Oliver aside, Melbourne’s midfielders weren’t having the same impact, Christian Petracca with just seven touches at the main break.

But if there was one blot on the Power’s copybook it’s that they didn’t kick straight in front of goal and should’ve been further up than 14 points at halftime.

Demons’ flat attack fires

The Demons owned the top-ranked attack in the competition after nine rounds, averaging 106.9 points a match, but they were restricted to their lowest first-quarter and first-half scores of the season.

Melbourne kicked back-to-back goals for the first time when Bayley Fritsch bobbed up for a couple late in the first half, but the task of pegging back the home side’s lead was made more difficult by the driving rain that lashed Adelaide Oval during the third quarter.

But the Demons lifted in the sodden conditions.

On the back of a much-improved performance at the stoppages, Melbourne’s sputtering attack roared to life with a blistering six-goal burst.

The resurgent Demons led by 17 points when local lad Brodie Grundy, a one-time recruiting target of the Power, booted his first and raised his index finger to his lips to shush the booing crowd.

Originally published as ‘Made a mess of Melbourne’: Port Adelaide’s streak continues in AFL nailbiter