VFL 2019: Port Melbourne boots clear of Geelong in elimination final

Coach Gary Ayres and assistant Crackers Keenan praise unheralded ruckman Michael Wenn after the Borough’s 40-point victory over the Cats.

Port players surround Matt Signorello after his goal in the final quarter. Pic: Jenny Tserkezidis

AHEAD of Saturday’s VFL elimination final, Port Melbourne put out a message on social media saying no dogs would be allowed into North Port Oval.

It turns out the Borough shut out the Cats too.

Up against a Geelong team with 18 AFL-listed players, Port kicked clear to a 40-point victory and a semi-final appearance next weekend.

Its pressure around the ball was as fierce as it was unrelenting, and it found the Cats’ breaking point.

“I think that would be right up there in the top half-a-dozen wins we’ve had in my time here,’’ 12-year coach Gary Ayres declared after the 12.15 (87) to 7.5 (47) success.

“We were ferocious at the contest. We didn’t give Geelong any space whatsoever.

“The players were fantastic. I couldn’t fault their preparation or the way they trained. I had a Port Melbourne past players’ function lunch yesterday and I had a good sense that the boys were going to give absolutely everything they could, and that’s what it was going to take for them to defeat Geelong.’’

That was apparent from the start as the Cats kicked two goals in the first five minutes of the game to put Port on its heels.

Port’s Michael Wenn springs above Cat Zac Smith in a ruck contest. Pic: Jenny Tserkezidis

But the Borough defended grimly against a breeze and answered with two goals from Eli Templeton, one a left-foot snap, the other when he was given a 50m penalty after taking a mark.

Port was a little wasteful when it had the breeze in the second term. But it was generating more scoring chances and harrying the Cats into mistakes.

The Borough made their move in the third quarter, co-captain Jordie Lisle goaling twice and Izzy Conway seizing on a Geelong defender’s wayward kick.

Their lead at the last change was 17 points. Geelong cut it to 12 through Wylie Buzza.

And then Port went dashing away.

Tom “Junior’’ O’Sullivan got boot to ball as he was tackled, and it went through, a goal from nowhere.

Matt Signorello marked and, kicking the ball low into the breeze, steered through his second.

O’Sullivan got his second and when Mitch Wooffindin strolled into an open goal, Port had taken an arm-wrestle and turned it into a knockout blow.

Blake Pearson pushed the lead out to 45 points. Earlier in the quarter he copped a heavy front-on bump that produced a report. Pearson went down. But he got up, shaking it off, just as his team did to the Cats.

Borough coach Gary Ayres at the three-quarter time huddle. Pic: Jenny Tserkezidis

Geelong went into the match with the formidable ruck division of Zac Smith and Ryan Abbott and an array of other talls (10 Cats were listed at 190cm or more).

And yet the first Port player Ayres mentioned after the match was his big man, Michael Wenn, who has carried the load admirably since Tom Goodwin succumbed to a foot injury.

Wenn had 30 hit-outs and 10 possessions.

“It’s got to start somewhere and I thought he was outstanding,’’ Ayres said.

Port assistant coach Crackers Keenan knows a thing or two about ruck work, but he said it was a bake rather than any technical advice that had sparked Wenn’s late-season surge.

“He’s been a work in progress for a long time,’’ Keenan said.

“About four or five weeks ago we trained on a Saturday morning and he trained shocking. I walked over and said, ‘Listen mate, you’re a disgrace, the way you train’. I said, ‘You’ve got a lot of ability, but the way you train, you’re not helping yourself and if you’re not careful you’ll go unfulfilled as a footballer’.

“Since that day he’s trained the house down and worked his guts out. He listens to what you tell him to do, and he does it. He’s got a good tap, he plays with heart, he’s not bad in the air.’’

“He’s bred to do it,’’ he added, referring to the fact that Wenn’s father, David, won a JJ Liston Trophy. “I think David should be proud of his son,’’ Keenan said.

Port co-captain Tom O'Sullivan is held as he reaches for the ball. Pic: Jenny Tserkezidis

Aside from Wenn, Ayres gave lift-off to his backline, saying it was “really special’’.

“I’ll name ‘em all: Ethan Phillips, Lachlan Waddell, Dylan Van Unen, Dion Johnstone, Ryan Pendlebury, Harvey Hooper, Shannen Lange. Fantastic.’’

Templeton had 25 possessions, skipper Tom O’Sullivan had 24 and Matt Arnot (16) was influential as he pushed through like a bulldozer.

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Geelong finished higher on the ladder than Port after the home-and-away games.

But, with the VFL always playing the elimination finals at North Port, it had to meet the Borough on their home deck.

The Cats got to use the home-team rooms, shunting Port to the visitors’ rooms. It made for a tight squeeze as ecstatic supporters hustled in to hear the song.

They hope to hear it three more times this season.