Port Adelaide defeats St Kilda: Lyon asks for clarity around interpretation of ‘old’ rule
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has weighed in on the booing of Jason Horne-Francis as his Saints’ costly turnovers helped the Power to a thrilling win.
Jason Horne Francis will come face to face with the eye of the storm in 15 days.
Despite the Power’s pleas for the booing to stop, emotions are almost certainly going to run high when the powerhouse Port Adelaide midfielder confronts his old team North Melbourne in Hobart in two weeks.
On Friday night, Horne-Francis was outstanding leading the Power to an upset win over the Saints, despite the jeers which rang out from sections of Marvel Stadium.
It was a night which bolstered Ken Hinkley’s claims for a new coaching deal despite the “untenable” claims from club great Warren Tredrea, and also showed the gap between the Saints’ best and worst football has significantly decreased since Ross Lyon’s takeover.
Perhaps in the end, only four St Kilda defensive 50m turnovers which gifted Port Adelaide goals was the difference as the Power moved inside the top-four.
But the treatment of Horne-Francis was again at the forefront as the No. 1 draft pick prepares to take on Essendon and North Melbourne over the next fortnight.
An annoyed Hinkley has already tried his best to put an end to the boos, adamant he has heard enough.
And St Kilda coach Lyon threw his considerable support behind the Port Adelaide star and his club on Friday night, saying it was a dangerous way to treat a second-year player.
“People will do in a mob that they wouldn’t do as individuals,” Lyon said.
“Maybe just check yourself. Don’t do that.
“There’s a lot of mental stress on players.
“If you are doing it to put him off his game - which I make the assumption you are - it clearly doesn’t work.
“So maybe don’t boo him.
“I watched Dave Chappelle (comedian) last night, and he spoke about people punching down on people.
“Let’s not punch down on a 19-year-old.”
While there are hopes the clash against the Kangaroos in a fortnight will help bring an end to booing, Horne-Francis was lauded by his teammates and coach for the way he has handled the treatment over the past two months.
He was crucial to Port’s win over Friday night, racking up 25 disposals, 11 clearances and seven tackles to reel in an early three-goal deficit and chalk up Port Adelaide’s fifth win from its first seven games.
“Tonight was really impressive. You’ve seen his power tonight, he’s got this great power,” Hinkley said.
“He’s got a lot to learn and a lot more growth to come but his temperament – he can handle pressure.
“And he stood up again tonight.”
St Kilda had a commanding lead early but registered its first goalless quarter of the year in the second term to let the Power in, as some skill errors in the back half cost the Saints.
Over the first six rounds, the Saints had been the number one team in the competition transferring the ball from the defensive 50m to the forward 50m, according to Champion Data
It has been part of the Lyon-led recipe which has taken the club which has played in only one finals campaign in 11 years to the top of the ladder over the first seven rounds in 2023 with a 5-2 record.
But on Friday night there were some ball movement lapses in dangerous areas which Port Adelaide kicked goals from.
The Saints conceded goals when Liam Stocker and Jack Sinclair both coughed the ball up in the back end, and when Callum Wilkie was called to play on in the back pocket, and was smashed by a Charlie Dixon tackle from point blank range.
In the tense final term there was another costly error when Josh Battle was smothered in the teeth of goal by Dixon again, leading to a Sam Powell-Pepper goal in the thrilling final stages.
They’re the big ticket items which will lead the Saints’ review heading into the Round 8 clash against North Melbourne on Sunday week.
Lyon said even though the Saints weren’t perfect in their delivery forward either against the Power, the giveaways in the back half were the difference in the seven-point loss to Port.
Otherwise, Lyon was happy the happy once again the team “never gave up” against a top opponent.
“We defended the ground really well,” he said.
“They got a bit of clean air, scored out of the middle and some other stoppages, but nothing dramatic.
“To me the difference in the game was we turned it over four times in the defensive 50m.
“If I took that out, plus a little bit of efficiency (issues), I’m not unhappy (off a) five-day break.
“We could have been cleaner, we could have been more efficient, but I thought we never gave up.”
While Horne-Francis and Travis Boak had a big impact in the middle, disciplined Saints’ midfielder Seb Ross was able to quell matchwinner Connor Rozee, keeping him to seven first-half possessions.
In the second half, Brad Crouch went to Horne-Francis after a blistering start.
But Lyon praised Seb Ross.
“He just put some concentration into him rather than just ball-watch,” Lyon said.
“He’s a pretty special young player (Rozee), and I really thought Seb was super in the last quarter.”
LYON WANTS CLARITY ON ‘OLD’ RULE
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has asked for clarity from the umpires around their interpretation of players stepping off their mark after taking a mark or being awarded a free kick.
A crucial moment occurred midway through the final quarter of the Saints’ tight seven-point loss to Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium on Friday night when St Kilda defender Josh Battle took a big contested mark deep in his backline.
He then appeared to deviate ever so slightly off his line, and was called to play on by the umpire for doing so, in what seemed to be a strict implementation of the rule.
Power forward Charlie Dixon then smothered Battle’s kick and the ricochet went straight to Sam Powell-Pepper who broke the Battle tackle and kicked a goal from the goal square to put the visitors back up by eight points.
“I had a discussion with the umpires during the week about that stepping of the line - it didn’t even look like he (Battle) stepped off it,” Lyon said post-match.
“I rang (umpiring boss) Dan Richardson during the week because there was one on Benny Paton (against Carlton last week).
“It’s really interesting that half-a-step play on so, not that I’m bluing, I think we just need some clarity because it feels like it’s really been tightened up.
“And the rule is a bit old, so you’re supposed to go line of goals from wherever you are on the ground, so I’d like that clarified because that hurt us.
“There were a couple last week in the Carlton game, there was probably seven or eight on both teams ... there was one I said, ‘He hasn’t moved’.
“We’re just trying to get our head around it a little bit.”
Even though St Kilda sat on top of the ladder after six rounds, Lyon said their efficiency had been “an issue” for most of the year, and it was an area that cost them dearly against the Power.
The Saints finished with more disposals (391-353) and inside 50s (54-49) but their hard work was undone by many of their forward entries being misguided.
The return of the injured Max King in approximately a month’s time could go a long way to straightening them up, and the key forward looks set to provide some pleasant surprises for Lyon.
“Everyone tells me he’s a pretty special player, I haven’t really seen much of him,” Lyon admitted.
Meanwhile, Callum Wilkie (ankle), Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (cork) and Paton (shoulder) all picked up niggles against the Power, but Lyon expected all of them to be fit to face North Melbourne next weekend.
‘POOR’ AREA THAT COST WASTEFUL SAINTS IN CLOSE LOSS
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 see-sawing 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.
Gresh spesh 👌#AFLSaintsPowerpic.twitter.com/OQp4BdUi7b
— AFL (@AFL) April 28, 2023
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
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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