Port Adelaide v Western Bulldogs: Mitch Georgiades being mentored by Brad Ebert
A Rising Star nomination in the morning, a gutsy victory against the Bulldogs in the evening. That was just Mitch Georgiades’ Monday – and he’s revealed Brad Ebert has been the mentor that is helping him settle in at Port.
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Port Adelaide’s high-leaping Mitch Georgiades found out Monday morning that he’d been named the AFL’s Round 9 Rising Star and only hours later was inside the Adelaide Oval changerooms preparing to take on the Western Bulldogs in Round 10.
It didn’t leave him long to call his mum, celebrate the nod and then get his mind and body prepped for football.
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And while being nominated Rising Star on the same day you’re playing is highly unusual, Georgiades is simply enjoying playing, after a horrific quad injury – that started as a corkie, before calcifying and requiring three bouts of surgery – kept him off the field for the entirety of 2019.
“(The nomination is) pretty exciting, just playing footy’s pretty exciting and to get that recognition is pretty cool after last year not playing football,” he said.
“But nothing really changes, keep moving forward and look forward to keep playing footy.”
Georgiades was nominated for his effort during Port’s 51-point win over Melbourne, in which he kicked three goals, and finished with 11 disposals, five marks and seven score involvements.
The 18-year-old was drafted from Western Australia’s Subiaco club in 2019 by the Power with pick No. 18, and debuted in Round 1’s win over the Gold Coast in March.
The 191cm key forward, who is quickly making a name for himself thanks to his love of high-marking, is being mentored by Power veteran Brad Ebert.
“Brad (Ebert) was originally drafted to West Coast, so he was a Perth boy for a couple of years, so he made the transition really easy for me (coming to SA), whether it was a coffee at the start of the year or talking about things off the field,” Georgiades said.
“It just made the transition at lot easier for me and we could relate in the Perth aspect and then, obviously he’s an amazing player and so learning off him and the different stuff he’s done has been really instrumental for me.”
Port captain Tom Jonas said the players were excited for the teenager, who becomes the first Rising Star nomination for the Power in 2020.
“We love Mitch,” Jonas said.
“He’s very talented, he’s got some great attributes for a young tall forward, so we’re really excited to see what he can do throughout his career.
“We’re just very glad he’s in our team and the Rising Star is great recognition for a quality game last week.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t really get the chance to celebrate it much because basically rolling straight into a game, but it was good to make sure he was focused on what was in front of him and he can reflect on it this week instead.”
Backmen the way forward for Port
While Port Adelaide’s four-goal third-quarter turnaround was heralded as crucial in win over the Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval on Monday night, the second-quarter effort of the Power’s backmen was equally instrumental.
In the second term, the Bulldogs got the ball in their forward-50 nine times in the first 13 minutes, but Port held them scoreless, with the likes of captain Tom Jonas and Trent McKenzie, able to repel the attacks.
On their 10th entry, the Bulldogs finally kicked a goal – their only one for the quarter – to give them a three-point halftime buffer, but the visitors should have been much further in front.
It’s no surprise, then, that up until halftime the Power were winning the contested marks 11-1 (they won the end count 21-6).
Jonas said the key for the Power defenders this year was that they were working together well.
“I think for the majority of this year, the defence have just been really consistent, they are really sure of the brand of footy they are required to play and they work as a team really well, whether it’s positioning or support aerially or on the ground,” he said.
“Everyone’s just getting their job done, no one’s absolutely shooting the lights out, we’re just playing our part.”
McKenzie returned to the backline after being a late withdrawal against St Kilda a fortnight ago with a back complaint.
Jonas said his form in 2020 had been pivotal to the team’s success.
“He’s established himself as a bit of a rock down there, he can play tall or small and really marshal the troops and once again (on Monday night) came in and fitted back in seamlessly, his direction’s good, he’s outstanding in the one-on-one contest and obviously uses the ball pretty well, so he’s become a key pillar of our backline,” he said.
Jonas – who suffered a heavy clash in the second term, but “sucked in a few deep ones at half time” to carry on – said what was most pleasing about the gritty 13-point win, was the team’s resilience to come from nine points down at quarter time.
“We’ve talked a lot about resilience … the last quarter didn’t necessarily go our way, but we hung in there, we hung tough and got the result we were after,” Jonas said.
“The fact that we just stayed in that arm wrestle and then won it eventually was just really good.”
With seven minor round games left to play, coach Ken Hinkley said his side would need to keep adapting during games in the same way it did against the Bulldogs to qualify for finals.
“I think our coaching team’s been pretty excited by the challenges, so we’ve looked for opportunities, our conditioning team, our medical team, everyone’s had to get involved, our admin team, there are so many things that go on from week to week, some of the stuff that we have to change from day to day, almost hour to hour it’s a challenge, but it’s exciting so you go looking for opportunities to find a way to get better.” he said.
Turnovers hurt Doggies chances
– Sam Landsberger
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge shone the spotlight on a pair of Jason Johannisen turnovers that gift-wrapped Port Adelaide two goals in Monday night’s 13-point loss at Adelaide Oval.
The Bulldogs were in complete control and leading by nine points when the Norm Smith Medallist had a handball intercepted by Zak Butters deep in the second quarter.
The error was punished by a Robbie Gray goal and then a scrubber kick exiting defence early in the third quarter led to Gray’s second goal as Port stole the lead despite trailing inside 50s 25-12 at halftime.
The Dogs lost the entry count 17-3 in the third quarter although dominated the rest of the match as Jack Macrae and Marcus Bontempelli briefly threatened to pull off an upset in the final term.
“We were up by a goal-and-a-half just before halftime and we gave them one late in the quarter to hand them a little bit of momentum and that carried on, unfortunately,” Beveridge said.
“It felt like we had the game on our terms (before the turnover).”
Beveridge said the impact was magnified because the Bulldogs would’ve been away if Johannisen hit his targets.
“A couple of blatant turnovers (where) we could’ve controlled or made better use of the football, and those two or three times we were really outside and (there were) open scoring opportunities for us, too.
“It’s theoretically a possible 12-point turnaround (on each occasion).”
A devastated Johannisen buried his head in his hands post-game and was comforted by backline coach Rohan Smith, runner Daniel Giansiracusa and teammate Sam Lloyd.
Beveridge said the Bulldogs would wear black armbands on Saturday night against Brisbane Lions after the death of David Darcy, aged 77.
Darcy played 133 games for Footscray from 1963-1971 and his son, 2002 All-Australian Luke Darcy, played 226 games for the club and joined the board this year.
It appeared there was an oversight against Port although the Bulldogs claimed they only wore black armbands in the first and final rounds of the home-and-away season, to acknowledge people lost either before or during the season.
Goalkicking legend Jason Dunstall said he had never seen anyone as low on confidence as Josh Bruce, who had just one kick and was held scoreless for the fourth time this year.
Port Adelaide took 19 of the first 20 contested marks, with the Dogs’ sole clunk coming from Sam Lloyd in the first quarter.
A frustrated Beveridge said it was one that got away.
“We haven’t got a big forward line at the moment. Our small to mediums are at times struggling to compete in the air,” Beveridge said.
“That’s our 10th game; 5-5 you just take the evidence before you, we’re middle of the range.
“But I believe some of the young guys can progress really quickly.
A TALE OF TWO HALVES
— Liz Walsh
As Charles Dickens once wrote “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”.
And in the clash between Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs it was just that: a tale of two distinct halves.
What had been a low-scoring affair for a half – the handball-heavy Dogs beating Port around stoppage but squandering their chances – turned into a Power goal-fest when Charlie Dixon started plucking one-arm grabs out of packs and Robbie Gray capitalised on the Dogs’ mis-kicks out of defence.
Down by three points at halftime, Port was a changed side and piled on four goals while holding the Dogs to a point to completely dominate their opposition in the third, eventually running out 13-point winners at Adelaide Oval.
Before halftime, the Dogs had won all the major stats, but by the end of the third quarter had lost them all and despite two late goals, Port further cemented their spot as ladder-leaders.
For Power coach Ken Hinkley, it was the fact his side was able to grind out a 13-point win against a spirited Bulldogs after only a four-day break that impressed him most.
“I think we’ve been able to conquer a lot of things this year as a footy club and again, like we’ve had to all year, we’ve embraced the opportunity,” he said.
“Our boys, to their credit, I think we were trying to fake it early, trying to pretend we were feeling really fresh and up and about, it was a solid performance, I don’t care who you are and every team’s going to witness it and feel it and experience a bit of it.
“It’s a tough environment, but our resilience again was pretty special.
“We were almost entitled to be a fair bit down at halftime, but our defensive group and our defensive team actions held up for us really well and it was pleasing to do that.
“And as we’ve done a few times this year now, we’ve been able to adjust, reset and get it done.”
How the match played out
Battle of the rucks
Port’s young ruck Peter Ladhams was outclassed by Melbourne star Max Gawn last week (Ladhams lost hit outs to Gawn 10-40), but it didn’t impact the result with the Power’s midfield thrashing the Demons.
This game was different, with Ladhams coming up against fellow 22-year-old Tim English. He put in a standout second-half performance, not only winning the hit outs overall 32 of his own to English’s 26, but his goal in the third quarter was sensational and in a wonderful display, his teammates swarmed around him in congratulations.
He finished the game with 18 disposals, three marks, three tackles and even had five clearances to his name.
Redemption lost
The Bulldogs came to Adelaide Oval seeking redemption for their 41-point loss to Richmond five days earlier.
They were on the board inside the first five minutes after an incredibly undisciplined piece of play from vice-captain Ollie Wines who followed up his high tackle on Cody Weightman by shoving the small forward into the Adelaide Oval grass. That earnt Weightman a 50m penalty and a gifted goal.
For two quarters, their swarming midfielders – Marcus Bontempelli, Josh Dunkley, Tom Liberatore and Jack Macrae – read Ladhams well, using their speed at stoppage to get their first hands on the ball.
In the second half they were nullified by the likes of Tom Rockliff and Zak Butters.
Rising stars
Port’s dynamic small forward Boyd Woodcock made his AFL debut and was denied a goal with his first kick, when the score reviewer turned to audio which found the ball scraped the post. The boos were deafening. And it wasn’t the only time the crowd were vocal in their disapproval of the umpires.
Only hours after his Rising Star nomination, Power’s tall forward Mitch Georgiades didn’t kick any, but he was in the game.
Kudos to Port’s backmen, particularly Tom Jonas and Trent McKenzie, for keeping the Bulldogs scoreless for most of the second quarter despite them going forward nine times. Their 10th entry yielded a goal, but they should have been much further in front.
‘CHEAP SHOT’ WILL BE SCRUTINISED
— Sam Landsberger
The AFL has been urged to tighten the rules governing dangerous bumps immediately after Port Adelaide’s Sam Mayes collected Josh Dunkley in an action Nick Riewoldt described as a “cheap shot”.
The AFL Commission approved a rule change after Round 2 that gave Match Review Officer Michael Christian the power to grade sling tackles based on their potential to cause injury instead of the outcome.
Former champions Jonathan Brown and David King suspected Mayes would escape with a fine for his blow on Dunkley, despite concussion remaining one of the biggest issues in football.
Mayes threw his right shoulder at Dunkley and hit the inside midfielder in the jaw during the first quarter at Adelaide Oval.
Dunkley threw his head back in pain and fell to the ground but was given the all-clear from medicos to take his free kick and continue playing.
But King said that should not save Mayes from being suspended for Friday night’s game against Richmond, at a minimum.
“If you choose to bump you’ve got to miss the head,” King said on Fox Footy.
“The current sanction is not working as a deterrent. That’ll be a fine and he’ll be right to play next week and that action won’t be stamped out of our game.
“Concussion is a serious issue in our game. We’ve got to start penalising the action and not the outcome.”
The rule change on sling tackles came after AFL football operations boss Steve and general counsel Andrew Dillon lodged a recommendation from their review of Round 2, which was approved later that day.
They were unsatisfied at Hawthorn’s Shaun Burgoyne escaping suspension for a dangerous sling tackle on Patrick Dangerfield, although concluded Christian had accurately ticked the boxes.
“We want to be clear – protection to the head is our highest priority,” Hocking said at the time.
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Melbourne great Garry Lyon called on the league to replicate that tribunal guideline change to the bump although he expected Mayes to cop a suspension.
“A week all-day long – at best for him,” Lyon said.
“The ball is gone, he’s got eyes on the player and decides to go through with the bump and hits him in the head.”
Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall said: “Late and high – trouble. I think it’s going to land him in a little bit of hot water.
“He’s clearly gotten rid of the ball, he’s taken another step or so and he comes through with the bump.
“It’s a vigorous bump and the point of the shoulder makes contact with the chin. If he’s lucky fine but also might get a week.”
Riewoldt said it was “a bit of a cheap shot” because Dunkley was blindsided and the bump put him in “serious danger” of a head injury.
SCOREBOARD
Power: 1.2 3.2 7.5 8.7 (55)
Bulldogs: 2.5 3.5 3.6 5.12 (42)
BEST
Power: Butters, Jonas, Ladhams, McKenzie, Rockliff, Gray
Bulldogs: Macrae, Liberatore, Lloyd, Bontempelli, Williams
GOALS
Power: Gray, Dixon 2, Powell-Pepper, Wines, Ladhams, Farrell
Bulldogs: McLean, Lloyd 2, Weightman
INJURIES: Nil
UMPIRES: Hosking, Ryan, Fleer
CROWD: 14,159 at Adelaide Oval
VOTES
3 – Zak Butters (Port)
2 – Peter Ladhams (Port)
1 – Tom Liberatore (Bulldogs)
Originally published as Port Adelaide v Western Bulldogs: Mitch Georgiades being mentored by Brad Ebert
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