The Tackle: Champs, chumps and coaches with questions to answer
Week one of September action is done and dusted. MARK ROBINSON looks through whose legend grew and who was a let-down over week one of the finals in The Tackle.
Week one of September action is done and dusted. MARK ROBINSON looks through whose legend grew and who was a let-down over week one of the finals in The Tackle.
Port Adelaide superstar Zak Butters has been cleared of any serious injury after being subbed out of Friday night’s demolition by the Cats while, queries remain over a underperforming spearhead.
From the first bounce, the intent was clear. As the smoke cleared and Port Adelaide were handed an 84-point thrashing, now the head coach is once again in the crosshairs, writes Graham Cornes.
Port Adelaide said they were better prepared for finals compared to 12 months ago when they were bundled out in straight sets. MATT TURNER writes, it was another familiar tale.
Jeremy Cameron didn’t get much space. But the greats never do. What the Geelong star produced in the opening minutes at Adelaide Oval will go down in history. This is how it unfolded – and what it set in motion.
It was Port Adelaide’s biggest game of the year, and they choked, writes Mark Robinson. And with either the Bulldogs or Hawks waiting, it’s going to be a long week for Ken Hinkley.
Under siege Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley was brutally honest in the wake of the second-largest finals loss in the club’s history.
Four finals losses in a row, including three at home, has people asking whether Port Adelaide players have what it takes to win a premiership.
Port coach Ken Hinkley was left without answers in another finals embarrassment as pressure mounts on his ability to take the Power further. So is Ken’s time up? Have your say.
Patrick Dangerfield once said Max Holmes has ‘Judd-like traits’. They were there for all to see on the big stage as Geelong stunned the footy world without one of their biggest stars.
It was a dirty night for Port Adelaide, but no one had a worse night than Charlie Dixon in their horrific loss to Geelong on their home deck. See how every player fared in the Cats’ thumping win.
Port Adelaide finished second on the ladder but, like in the previous three finals, couldn’t deliver on the big September stage. And the pressure is right back on Ken Hinkley.
Underdogs Geelong have dominated Thursday’s qualifying final and a footy great has slaughtered Port Adelaide’s effort.
Jason Horne-Francis has been a dominant force lately, so which Cats could get the job for the first final of 2024? MICK MCGUANE previews the crunch clash in Adelaide.
The Cats midfield looks like being exposed by Port Adelaide — but they still have an important card to play, writes Mark Robinson. Robbo previews who whill shape the finals series.
Jordon Sweet has not played an AFL final. But the Port Adelaide ruckman is ready after a long apprenticeship – and has been balancing footy with time on the SA Cricket Association roller.
Port Adelaide’s Esava Ratugolea will take on former side Geelong in a position many thought was in the past for him. It’s just part of a wild career for the Power big man.
Port Adelaide captain Connor Rozee has touched on what’s different this year compared to other failed finals campaigns. Plus the expected replacements for Dan Houston and Kane Farrell.
Who’s racing the clock, who needs to lift and what weaknesses could be exposed in week one of AFL finals? ED BOURKE runs the rule over each match in our ultimate finals guide.
Finals football separates the good from the great. Mark Robinson writes, for Ken Hinkley to become a coaching great, his destiny lies in the hands of Port’s dynamic midfield superstars.
Jeremy and Kellie Finlayson have been forced to make a difficult decision for their young family amid her ongoing cancer fight.
In January Lauren Arnell became the first AFLW senior coach to give birth while in their role. She opens up on becoming a mother and Port Adelaide’s chances in the 2024 season.
Dan Houston has shut down the hopes of Victorian clubs desperate to lure him from Port Adelaide and opened up for the first time on the bump which ended his finals dream.
The Port Adelaide chairman has launched an extraordinary spray after his club crashed to its first wooden spoon in over a century.
The Power may have to turn to another youngster to run the half-back line alongside Logan Evans after Kane Farrell joined Dan Houston in being out for the season.
Port Adelaide’s thrilling 14-point victory over Carlton wasn’t without controversy, as late umpiring drama again reared its head.
Port Adelaide has made its move in the packed race for the top four, coming from 25 points down to defeat Carlton and leave the Blues’ hopes of a double chance in serious jeopardy.
SuperCoaches might need to get on board with another Port midfielder on the run to finals as Carlton’s midfielders struggle under the Friday night lights. Discover the three takeaways and relive all the action and analysis.
Port Adelaide star Dan Houston has shown interest in returning home to Victoria – and the clubs are set to line up. But he won’t come cheap. Here’s what the Power could ask for in return.
There was no Connor Rozee last time the Blues and Power faced off, and that looms as one of a few reasons why MICK MCGUANE is backing the Power to cause an upset in Melbourne.
Adelaide is less than a 1 per cent chance of sneaking into the top eight – but that won’t stop Matthew Nicks from dreaming big. The Crows coach explains why he hasn’t lost hope.
Reports this week have suggested Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is a leading contender to replace Adam Simpson at West Coast. So, what did the man himself think of all the talk?
The wife of Port Adelaide player Jeremy Finlayson has revealed shattering news about her cancer prognosis, opening up once more about her fight.
Esava Ratugolea may hold his spot this week against Carlton, but is the Power better with two key defenders? The former Cat hardly inspired confidence on his return, leading SIMEON THOMAS-WILSON to ask if Port is better without him.
Port Adelaide has been steadfast in denying that a formal Ken Hinkley-Josh Carr succession plan exists. So, will West Coast come calling for either? The Power assistant has responded.
Charlie Dixon may well be in his last year, but his game against the Tigers proves one thing, writes MATT TURNER. If the Power are going to contend again, they need their big man up and going.
It might be a win that looked convincing on the scoreboard. But as MATT TURNER writes, Port Adelaide will need to be much better than it was against Richmond to navigate a gruelling run home and earn a finals berth.
Until the Gold Coast can break its away hoodoo, the ‘narrative’ will remain the same, according to Suns coach Damien Hardwick.
A basketballer who was previously part of the Adelaide 36ers academy has signed with Port Adelaide and declared it’s “where I was meant to be”. Find out more about Jacob Moss here.
Port Adelaide’s key forward stocks have been dealt another blow, with Jeremy Finlayson set to miss the rest of the season after a nasty injury. SIMEON THOMAS-WILSON has the details.
Port Adelaide can’t afford to put a foot wrong on the run towards finals with 13 teams in the hunt for eight spots. SIMEON THOMAS-WILSON sees a “grim” flaw in the Power’s side in The Lowdown.
A young Port Adelaide star has been called out by AFL greats after several undisciplined acts cost his side dearly on Sunday.
Jason Horne-Francis gave away more free kicks than any other player in 2023. He’s ranked No. 19 this season. MARK ROBINSON unpacks if the Hornet is still an easy target for opposition.
The competition is as even as it’s ever been this late into an AFL season, and Ken Hinkley knows how much his side’s loss to the Gold Coast means.
Does Port Adelaide star Zak Butters need to change his ways on the field? It’s a question many have asked – at least externally. The numbers, and Butters himself, answer definitively.
Ken Hinkley says he hopes Josh Carr sticks around to take over the senior coach mantle, but that he can’t stop him from going to West Coast now that job is available. Plus, see the Power’s round 18 team.
Port Adelaide youngster Jackson Mead is ready to forge his own path after being rewarded with a contract extension. MATT TURNER has the details.
Port Adelaide key forward Charlie Dixon hasn’t played any footy in three weeks. But with Mitch Georgiades suspended, could he return for the Power’s crunch clash against Gold Coast?
Some matches are lost before the ball has been bounced, and one decision by the Crows – either in the coach’s box or in the players – put Adelaide at a massive disadvantage. SIMEON THOMAS-WILSON unpacks it in The Lowdown.
SANFL and AFL clubs in South Australia are locked in a struggle over where Port Adelaide and Adelaide can recruit top-up players for their reserve sides. SIMEON THOMAS-WILSON has the latest.
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