AFL Round 7 St Kilda v Port Adelaide: How Power defender Dylan Williams saved his career
One of Port Adelaide’s best players on Friday night was a fifth-gamer who was delisted six months ago – Dylan Williams. He opens up on how he saved his career.
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In a high pressure, hard-fought contest at Marvel Stadium on Friday night, when space was difficult to find and neat kicks were worth diamonds, the player with the most striking disposal efficiency was a fifth-gamer who Port Adelaide delisted six months ago.
Dylan Williams was effective with 94 per cent of his 17 possessions in the Power’s seven-point win over St Kilda.
Saints duo Marcus Windhager and Zaine Cordy had flawless disposal efficiency, but they featured in just 28 and 50 per cent of the game, registering five touches between them.
Williams was composed and creative with the footy throughout the night while also staying solid defensively at half-back, in what he described as his most complete AFL performance.
Although he is still learning the ropes in the backlines, ball use has never been his problem.
Endurance has been.
Struggles to build his fitness base left the Victorian’s career hanging in the balance heading into this season.
After playing one AFL game in three years, Williams was axed from Port Adelaide’s senior list in October, only to be retained as a rookie because he was contracted for 2023.
The 21-year-old was not shocked at the club’s decision.
“I knew I probably wasn’t producing what I should and what they thought that I would when they first got me in,” Williams told The Advertiser.
Going through that process provided a wake-up call.
Williams hired a personal trainer during the off-season, training up to four times a week in Murrumbeena with teammate Ollie Lord.
Strengthening his legs and improving his conditioning enhanced his running capability.
“I really needed to work on my fitness,” Williams said.
“We just went to work because I knew it was probably my last crack if I didn’t do it to my best ability.
“I’ve always backed my footy ability but I just needed to get my tank up to a level that I could run out AFL games, which I think I have.
“I’m not naturally gifted in terms of my running.
“I was progressing a little bit in my first few off-seasons but last one I really went bang and had no injuries.”
Williams’s sole AFL match before this year was against Sydney at Adelaide Oval in round 15, 2021.
He lined up in attack that night and looked exhausted midway through the game.
With modern half-forwards required to run up and down the ground all match, Williams conceded the role “probably wasn’t catered to me”.
The Power shifted him into defence for the last six SANFL games of 2022 and despite little experience playing in the backlines, he quickly settled into his new role.
“I’m more of a smart footballer than an athlete so I can think a bit more and cut angles,” he said.
“I feel like my composure and kicking’s a weapon, so do the boys and coaches, so they’ve backed me in.”
Even after his delisting, Williams did not think he would join the one-game club.
“I knew if I could get my fitness up, I’d be fine,” he said.
The omission of out-of-form Power leadership group member Darcy Byrne-Jones from the 22 opened an opportunity for a fitter Williams to make his long-awaited return to the AFL team in round 4, coincidentally versus the Swans again at the SCG.
They both left their marks on a thrilling Port win – Williams showed poise and Byrne-Jones had a late influence in attack after coming on as the substitute.
Williams was the sub last week, before getting recalled to the starting line-up for Friday night’s game due to captain Tom Jonas being suspended.
Byrne-Jones has made a home in the forward line and Williams is hoping to do so in the AFL side’s defence, even when Jonas becomes available next week.
“I feel like I’m playing pretty good footy and I’m confident in my ability, it’s just whether they pick me or not,” said Williams, who had heaps of family and friends in the stands at Marvel Stadium for his first game in Melbourne.
Before this year, Williams’s self-assurance had sometimes belied his output.
Now, club officials are proud of his progress and perserverance, glad they too kept the faith.
The Power has won all five matches Williams has played, including the past four this year.
Port had been 1-2 before its victory streak.
“We’re just slowly chipping away,” Williams said.
“We’ve had some really good wins against some quality opposition so we’re just slowly building that belief.”
So too is Williams, who cuts angles on the field and his teammates’ hair off it.
The cheeky left-footer is the team’s barber of sorts, previously running an Instagram page devoted to his handiwork.
Williams was responsible for Riley Bonner’s fresh look for the Saints game.
About a dozen Power players have had their hair trimmed by Williams, who takes his own clipping kit on away trips.
“There was a party when I was in Year 11, one of my mates wanted a haircut and I gave him a mullet, then there were 10 boys lining up and I was giving them pretty average haircuts,” he said.
“It started from that.”
AFL talent guru Kevin Sheehan was among draft observers who considered Williams a top-10 talent a year before he was eligible.
Williams kicked bags of six, four and four as a bottom-ager, then had his next campaign cut short due to back stress fractures, and he slipped to the Power at pick 23 in 2019.
As the Oakleigh Chargers product bided his time in the SANFL, he watched teammates who landed at Alberton alongside him – Mitch Georgiades (49 games), Miles Bergman (40) and Jackson Mead (13) – get more AFL opportunities.
It is very early days in his football renaissance but now Williams is showing he is good – and fit – enough to play there too.
‘EMBARRASSING’ JEERS THAT SPARKED JHF STUNNER AS LEGENDS WEIGH IN
As the volume of the jeers rose for Port Adelaide young gun Jason Horne-Francis at Marvel Stadium on Friday night, so too did his possessions, clearances and influence.
Horne-Francis helped turn the game in the Power’s favour during the second quarter after the visitors had been 18 points down at the first break.
Pre-match, the 19-year-old’s coach, Ken Hinkley, told ABC radio: “I don’t want our best young talent to get scared off playing the game because of what happens outside the fence”.
Horne-Francis has spoken about how he had at times struggled to deal with opposition supporters booing him this season and not being able to understand why they were doing it.
On Friday night, the jeers dissipated as Port Adelaide kicked four goals to none during a match-defining second term.
Plenty of Power players came to the fore, but the 2021 No. 1 draft pick sparked the charge.
The former Kangaroo had five more clearances (nine) and three extra contested possessions (12 of his 13 total touches were contested) than anyone on the ground at half-time.
What stood out most was his thirst for the contest, his burst away from it and footy hunting at clearances.
“This bloke’s ability to win the ball from a contest has been superb,” Garry Lyon said on Fox Footy.
“His ability to win clean clearance today and put a gap on his opponent has been as good as I’ve seen it for years.”
Hawthorn premiership star Jordan Lewis added: “He’s clearly done his homework, even when they’re down in the ruck contest, he knows where the opposition wants to hit it.”
Games like Friday night’s that show just how much Horne-Francis has added to Port Adelaide already, as well as provide a portent of what is to come.
It was also another example of the boos following him this year, despite him having no link to the opponent.
Lyon said everyone who had paid their money had the right to boo but “it’s embarrassing for the St Kilda footy club, who’ve had no embarrassment this year”.
Collingwood champion Nathan Buckley said: “I wish us mentioning it would help it stop but my concern is bringing attention to it only makes it worse”
“As someone who’s been on the receiving end of it, you’ve just got to continue to do what you do, focus on what you can control,” Buckley said.
Ex-Carlton and Adelaide star Eddie Betts said the crowd did not know why they were booing.
“All he needs to do is continue to play great footy and dominate,” Betts said.
Horne-Francis did just that.
His kicking sometimes let him down, particularly delivering the ball inside 50, and he was not quite as prominent in the second half.
But he did not stop working hard both ways, as evidenced by him taking an important intercept mark in the Power’s defensive 50 in the third term.
A piercing pass inboard helped set up the crucial, last goal of the game from Charlie Dixon.
The South Adelaide product finished the match with 25 disposals, a game-high 18 contested possessions, seven tackles and 11 clearances – three more than anyone else on the ground.
“It was like a Dangerfield game, the way that he moved,” Betts said.
“He was an absolute star ... he did it all.
“He’s coming of age.”
BOOED JHF HAS LAST LAUGH IN SEE-SAWING PORT TRIUMPH
Port Adelaide has beaten St Kilda at their own game, producing a superb defensive performance to topple the ladder leaders by seven points at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
The Saints headed into the match with by far the No.1 ranked defence in the competition, but despite finishing the game with more inside 50s (54-49), the Saints’ forward delivery was poor after quarter-time and played into the Power backline’s hands as the visitors scored an upset 12.11 (83) to 11.10 (76) victory after they fell 19 points down in the first term.
The second half was a seesawing affair which continued in the final quarter as the Saints regained the lead thanks to early goals from Jack Steele and Jade Gresham, before back-to-back majors from Jeremy Finlayson and Sam Powell-Pepper put the Power eight points to the good again.
Hunter Clark’s running effort from 50m out cut the Saints’ deficit back to two points with seven minutes left, but Charlie Dixon got a quick response for the Power and St Kilda’s inside 50s late in the game continued to be misguided, depriving them the chance of snatching the win at the death.
The Power’s winning streak has now extended to four matches and sees them shoot up to third spot on the ladder heading into the weekend after they drew level with the Saints on five victories. St Kilda are now at risk of losing grip on first position by the end of the round.
The result was soured for the Power, though, with midfielder Xavier Duursma subbed out at quarter-time after injuring his knee in a collision with St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall, and the early fear is that it is a PCL injury.
The Saints also finished with more disposals (391-353), clearances (37-32), marks (95-78) and contested possessions (154-152), but their lack of general efficiency conspired against them.
Jason Horne-Francis found himself copping the boos again from the crowd late in the game, but he had the last laugh, playing one of the best games of his career, before finishing with 25 touches (18 contested) and 11 clearances.
St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall was dominant big man on the ground, finishing with 26 touches (13 contested), 10 tackles and 28 hitouts, but the Saints failed to leverage his fantastic effort
Which way...
— AFL (@AFL) April 28, 2023
Rioli SOLD it 🤩#YokayiFooty | #AFLSaintsPowerpic.twitter.com/28QHdCjvZd
STAR’S SERIOUS KNEE INJURY
Port Adelaide midfielder Xavier Duursma could face lengthy layoff after suffering a suspected posterior cruciate ligament injury on Friday night.
The dashing wingman will have scans to assess the damage across the weekend after colliding heavily with St Kilda big man Rowan Marshall in the Power’s seven-point win.
Duursma’s left knee ploughed hard into the ribs of Marshall in a first-term marking contest on the wing, raising immediate fears about a posterior ligament injury.
A serious PCL injury could sideline the midfielder for at least three months and in the worst case scenario end his season.
It would be a considerable blow for Port Adelaide as Duursma adds important run and class on the wing, with the Power desperate to return to the finals this year.
Duursma put a leg brace on to help support and protect his left leg after half time and limped on to the ground out to the huddle at the final change.
The ballwinner looked dejected on the bench in the second term after briefly trying to play on late in the first term following some medical treatment.
The 22-year-old has endured a horror run of injuries over the past two years, playing only 11 games in each of 2021 and 2022 seasons.
SAINTS START STRONGLY
St Kilda started the game with a bang, kicking four of the first five goals to open up a 19-point lead late in the first quarter.
The Saints quickly assumed their strong position thanks to far superior pressure and cleaner foot skills while they dominated the ball with 45 more disposals (127-82) and 25 more marks (37-12) in the opening term.
The Power actually won the territory battle before quarter-time, but their wastefulness and lack of synergy in attack hurt them.
Dixon was on a mission 😤#AFLSaintsPowerpic.twitter.com/Kuvq6KUJUq
— AFL (@AFL) April 28, 2023
PORT POWER AWAY
But despite not playing great footy early, the visitors gathered their composure and managed to get back into the game with four consecutive majors to lead by seven points at half-time as they managed to successfully close down space around St Kilda’s ball users.
Port Adelaide’s forward efficiency enjoyed a sharp spike against the stingiest defence in the league in the second stanza, scoring nine times from 10 forward entries while holding St Kilda to their first goalless quarter of the season in the process.
SAINTS BRIEFLY REGAIN ASCENDANCY
The forward efficiency battle swung back St Kilda’s way dramatically early in the third quarter as they kicked three of the first four goals to re-take the lead, despite the Power doubling them for inside 50s in the term at one stage (10-5).
But back-to-back goals from Willie Rioli, including a spectacular banana after selling the candy to Dougal Howard, saw Port Adelaide grab an eight-point lead at three-quarter time.
BATTLE BOTTLES IT
Early in the final quarter with his team trailing by two points, Saints defender Josh Battle had his kick deep in defence smothered by Dixon and the ricochet went straight to Powell-Pepper who broke the Battle tackle and banged it home from the goal square to put the Power up by eight points.
HIGGINS SHOCKER
Early in the second quarter, Jack Higgins had the chance to put the Saints 23 points in front, but after running to within a couple of metres of the goal face, perhaps due to feeling the pressure of the Port tackler bearing down on him, he inexplicably opted for the banana kick from the wrong side for a right-footer, and he not only failed to score, but the ball went about 20m backwards.
QUICK-THINKING DIXON
St Kilda’s dreadful second quarter reached its low point at the halfway mark when Josh Battle’s kick to Callum Wilkie deep in defence didn’t go the required 15m. Wilkie wasn’t aware that the umpire waved play on and acted as if he had taken the mark, and unfortunately for him, Charlie Dixon ran him down from behind and earned the free kick for holding the ball. From point-blank range, Dixon booted the Power’s fourth major in a row to give them the lead for the first time.
SCOREBOARD
SAINTS 5.2, 5.6, 8.8, 11.10 (76)
POWER 2.2, 6.7, 9.10, 12.11 (83)
LERNER’S BEST
Saints: Marshall, Steele, Sinclair, Gresham, Ross, Wanganeen-Milera, Wood.
Power: Horne-Francis, Boak, Powell-Pepper, Houston, Wines, Finlayson, Bergman.
GOALS
Saints: Owens 2, Gresham 2, Higgins, Cordy, Membrey, Wood, Butler, Steele, Clark.
Power: Rioli 2, Finlayson 2, Powell-Pepper 2, Dixon 2, Duursma, Boak, Houston, McEntee.
INJURIES Saints: Nil. Power: Duursma (knee).
UMPIRES Johanson, Stevic, Hosking, Wallace
VENUE Marvel Stadium
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
LERNER’S VOTES
3 Rowan Marshall (StK)
2 Jason Horne-Francis (PA)
1 Travis Boak (PA)
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