AFL Round 21 Geelong v Port Adelaide: All the news, action and fallout from blockbuster clash

Port coach Ken Hinkley is resigned to losing key defender Trent McKenzie with a suspected knee injury but is hopeful the cavalry will return for next week’s important clash with GWS.

Port Adelaide is suspecting key defender Trent McKenzie has suffered a PCL injury, but Power coach Ken Hinkley is expecting the cavalry to return for its crucial clash against GWS.

After selecting its side on Thursday morning the Power had to make seven changes after injury and illness ravaged its playing stocks.

The blows kept coming with McKenzie going down with a knee injury early on against Geelong on Saturday night.

It is suspected McKenzie has suffered a PCL injury, with the Power waiting on scans for the key defender.

“It looked and acted like a PCL,” Power coach Ken Hinkley said.

“That will be a medium to long term recovery probably so that will be a bit of a challenge for us.”

Trent McKenzie receives treatment for a knee injury on Saturday night. Picture: Darrian Traynor/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Typically a PCL injury is a four to six stint on the sidelines although Power spearhead Charlie Dixon only missed a week with one earlier this season.

Dixon could be one of multiple players who could return for the Power when it takes on GWS at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Hinkley said he expected those who missed the Cats clash with illness, Miles Bergman, Jeremy Finlayson and Kane Farrell, to return and was hopeful on Aliir Aliir and Lachie Jones after they were placed in the concussion protocols following.

“I do, because most of the ones that we lost this week was through illness,” he said.

“We also had a couple of boys out through concussion so I’m hopeful they will be available if they continue to progress and follow the steps they need to and come out the other end.

“So I would imagine there would be a minimum of five, maybe Charlie but his injury this week was a little unusual in the way it showed up.”

Ruckman Scott Lycett had surgery on Friday to clean out his meniscus.

Power footy boss Chris Davies told Grandstand SA on Saturday that Lycett had been dealing with the issue for around five weeks and the club was hopeful he would return before finals.

Key forward Todd Marshall is fine after he passed a Head Impact Assessment test early on against Geelong.

Stoic Port falls short – and this one will hurt

- Mark Hayes
Geelong manicurists will be working overtime this week.

Cats fans likely gnawed their nails off to the elbow watching their heroes fend off a stoic Port Adelaide to keep their premiership defence alive with a 12-point win at GMHBA Stadium.

Having trailed at every change, Port hit the front early in the final quarter and looked an against-the-odds winner.

But with a series of “sliding doors” moments of missed opportunity for the Power converted into scores at the other end by the Cats, the champs wriggled off the hook to stay in touch with the final eight.

A couple of 50-50 decisions went in favour of the hosts, then some Gryan Miers poise and class proved just enough in a pulsating finish.

Dejected Port Adelaide players walk off GMHBA Stadium on Saturday night. Picture: Mark Stewart

Port arrived on a three-game losing skid and were savaged by injuries and illness before and during a Saturday that could easily have gone horribly wrong when Geelong burst from the blocks with a seven-goal opening-quarter salvo.

Having been lambasted and fined heavily for not taking off Aliir Aliir after a head clash last week, Port took a totally different tack in the first quarter.

Key forward Todd Marshall hit his head on the ground after he slid into a marking attempt.

And while it took the umpire a few seconds to stop play around Marshall, he was soon ushered from the ground and down into the rooms for assessment of a possible concussion.

Marshall, who has already battle concussion this year, was cleared and returned to the bench late in the quarter, then on to the field for the second term.

But at the same time, key defender Trent McKenzie succumbed to a knee injury he sustained in the opening quarter.

Todd Marshall was in the hands of trainers after diving for the ball early in the first quarter. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Marshall jogged off the ground and was cleared of concussion. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Credit to Port, because with ruckman Scott Lycett ruled out for the season, Aliir and Lachie Jones out concussed and the Friday exclusions of Charlie Dixon (foot) and Kane Farrell (ill) compounded by the late outs of two more key players in Jeremy Finlayson and Miles Bergman, the visitors could easily have run up the white flag.

But even with eight players having 35 or fewer games of AFL experience, midfield tyros Zac Butters, Connor Rozee and Jason Horne-Francis ensured the Power remained competitive.

And midway through the third quarter, former Cat Frankie Evans broke a tackle and surged through half-forward with a bounce and eyes only for the red-hot Willie Rioli in the goalsquare.

But, with Port having kicked three in a row to start the third term to snatch the lead for the first time, had Evans looked left he’d have found an unmarked teammate 30m in the clear.

And in the classic “sliding doors” moment, the Cats soon rebounded and scored their own goal to wrest back the lead.

Twice more the Cats dodged promising Power raids and surged forward with late goals to Miers, Mitch Duncan and Brad Close the difference.

Port Adelaide’s fourth loss in a row could see it slide to fourth on the ladder, if Brisbane and Melbourne win on Sunday.

‘Stressful night’ but Scott not panicking

Geelong coach Chris Scott knew his team’s 12-point win was far from a classic, but he still found reason for positivity.

Scott watched dynamic Port Adelaide duo Zak Butters and Connor Rozee combine for 57 damaging midfield touches, but was comfortable in the knowledge his team knew how to find the finish line even when things got “a little close for comfort” at GMHBA Stadium.

“It was a pretty stressful night for us because we thought that a lot of things were going well for us and we had control of the game, but we kept letting them back in,” Scott said.

“And we know how dangerous they can be, particularly through the midfield (where) some of their guys are genuine young stars.

“It felt like we had problem after problem in the game, a few guys were hobbling a little bit, and in that context, it’s nice when you can find a way because it certainly wasn’t a case of us playing our best footy.

Patrick Dangerfield and Travis Boak go at it. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

“But I thought out senior players really stood up late, (Patrick) Dangerfield in the last quarter, (Tom) Stewart behind the ball.

“We didn’t have 6-8 players dominating the game, so it was one where we needed everyone to do their bit a the right moment, even though no one was really turning it on.”

Scott said Jack Henry had suffered an impact injury to the opposite foot that has plagued him previously and was hopeful he would be fit for selection for next week’s big match against Collingwood.

But remarkably, Scott said that even if things went pear-shaped for the reigning premiers in coming weeks, he wouldn’t panic about the club’s medium-term future.

“I’m not sure that I’d be panicking if we’d lost and I’ll be frank with you, even if we lose the next few games and miss the finals we’re not going to be panicking,” he said.

“We’re going to keep fighting, we haven’t found our best this year but there’s no reason we can’t find it.

“If it’s not next week we’ll push hard to make it the week after.

“The win tonight certainly helps … but if you look around the competition, even with results today, it’s hard for teams to stay consistent all year and it’s still going to be the team that gets it right in the last six weeks.”

Keep cool, Kenny

Uncontested marks to forwards around the goal line are every coach’s worst fears realised.

But one to Ollie Henry midway through the first term would have had Port coach Ken Hinkley tearing out what’s left of his mane.

Gary Rohan’s set shot from 50 appeared to be headed innocuously to the right of the goalpost for a minor score.

At least that’s what the Port backmen must have thought because nobody ensured its passage and Ollie Henry seized the chance to soar all alone. The goal umpire thought he marked it and was proved correct in a review that enabled Henry to boot his second of the opening term.

Five goals a piece so far in the opening term. Willie Rioli has three!

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Willie’s hand jive

Willie Rioli doesn’t need an invite to create havoc in attack, but he got the closest thing to it from the least likely source imaginable late in the first quarter.

You’d wait a season to see a skill error or poor decision by champion Cat Tom Stewart, but as he and Zach Guthrie rose together to spoil a bouncing ball away from Sam Powell-Pepper, both happened in the blink of an eye. Stewart opted to palm the ball through for a behind, but didn’t get enough on his attempt and watched in disbelief as Willie Rioli swooped in the square and slammed home his third for the quarter.

Zak Butters starred for the Power in the 12-point loss. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Ride’ em cowboy

Safe to say that Patrick Dangerfield was more than a little perplexed when he was pinged for holding the ball in front of the members’ stand early in the second quarter.

Dangerfield, in typical style, had dived on the ball and appeared to have it trapped underneath him by fellow Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines. But the veteran Cat pulled his best Greco-Roman manoeuvre and slipped the tackle to sit atop Wines, who now had the ball trapped underneath him. Dangerfield appealed for the free kick himself, but was aghast when the call went against him, even though he wasn’t touching the ball.

Scoreboard

GEELONG 7.2 9.5 10.9 14.13 (97)

PORT ADELAIDE 5.1 6.6 10.8 12.13 (85)

BEST: Geelong: Miers, Stewart, Stanley, O.Henry, Smith.

Port Adelaide: Butters, Rozee, W.Rioli, Horne-Francis, Burton.

GOALS: Geelong: O.Henry (4), Cameron (2), Miers (2), Stengle, Dangerfield, Smith, Bowes, Duncan, Close.

Port Adelaide: Rioli (4), Powell-Pepper (3), Marshall (2), Horne-Francis, Boak, Butters.

INJURIES: Geelong: Jack Henry replaced in third quarter by sub Brandan Parfitt.

Port Adelaide: Trent McKenzie (knee), replaced at quarter-time by sub Jackson Mead; Jeremy Finlayson (ill) late out replaced in selected side by Jase Burgoyne; Miles Bergman late out replaced in selected side by Riley Bonner.

CROWD: 21,279 at GMHBA Stadium, Geelong.

VOTES

3: Z.Butters (PA)

2: G.Miers (GEE)

1: C.Rozee (PA)

Originally published as AFL Round 21 Geelong v Port Adelaide: All the news, action and fallout from blockbuster clash