Port Adelaide’s win over the Western Bulldogs could prove the gateway for a flag crusade
IF EUREKA Stockade was the birthplace of Australian democracy, then Ballarat could prove the gateway for Port Adelaide’s second flag crusade.
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IF EUREKA Stockade was the birthplace of Australian democracy, then Ballarat could prove the gateway for Port Adelaide’s second flag crusade.
Ken Hinkley’s men — marshalled by Charlie Dixon (four goals), Travis Boak (32 touches, eight inside 50s) and Paddy Ryder — found life on Mars Stadium while killing the Western Bulldogs’ AFL premiership defence.
Port overcame the emotion of Robert Murphy’s dream of a finals send-off, turning a seven-point final change deficit into 17-point win to keep its top four chances intact. Port faces Gold Coast in the final round clash at Adelaide Oval.
GAME RECAP: HOW THE POWER TOPPLED THE DOGS
The main concern in a rousing triumph will be Tom Jonas, who faces an anxious Match Review Panel wait for a bodycheck on Dog Luke Dahlhaus (29 touches) late in the third term. Dahlhaus was left dazed by the hit that saw Jonas raise a shoulder and make high contact. Jonas, Port’s best defender this season, received a six-week ban for an intentional hit on West Coast’s Andrew Gaff last year.
However, nothing can take away from the courageous Port win, booting the last five goals of the game. Jake Stringer (hamstring) was a first term casualty, but the Power overran the Dogs.
Dixon’s two, final term goals were telling in a knife-edge contest.
Dixon has delivered a career high 42-goal tally for Port in a red letter year of maturation and workrate highlighted by 13 contested possessions, eight marks and 18 touches.
Sam Gray showed admirable courage to conjure a goal that levelled scores two minutes into the final term. Gray was struggling to run with the effects of a corked thigh that followed a first term collision with Ryder.
Final term majors from Robbie Gray and Jared Polec were the icing on the cake.
Ruckman Ryder was immense from start to finish with two first term goals while slaying Jordan Roughead. Port won the hit-outs 61-32 in a game won on the back of pure pressure football.
Ryder gave Port the first use of the ball in the final term that proved decisive.
Port’s young brigade also held up under fire. Refreshed Sam Powell-Pepper clamped down on Jackson Macrae (41 touches) who cut up the Power in the first half.
Dougal Howard impressed, spending the majority of the day on Murphy and premiership forward Tory Dickson. Riley Bonner and debutant Todd Marshall presented for the duration.
Port had to delve deep within to subdue the Dogs following Tom Liberatore’s goal and Bailey Dale’s fourth.
All the focus in the lead-up to the game was on veteran Murphy’s retirement announcement and the Bulldogs’ desire to honour their leader, but it was Dale who stood up for the Dogs.
Both teams played smart into the wind but were lax with the advantage, which made the third term pivotal.
It took two goals in a minute to split the teams. Lachie Hunter snuck his second from the grandstand boundary after a successful goal review and Dale was the man of the moment with his third.
If one moment can make a match, it was the clash between Ollie Wines and Caleb Daniel. Wines claimed Daniel holding the ball, ripped off the tenacious on-baller’s helmet and threw it to the boundary.
Port needed a spark and Wines’s kick resulted in a free downfield to Dixon, then a goal, with Boak reading the ball expertly off the pack.
Boak is putting together an impressive run of form.
Hinkley was smart — pursuing a defensive possession game when kicking into the wind and using Justin Westhoff as the loose man in defence. With the wind, Westhoff was pushed up to the wing and Robbie Gray was left inside 50 as Port turned to attack.
Originally published as Port Adelaide’s win over the Western Bulldogs could prove the gateway for a flag crusade
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