AFL Round 3 Port Adelaide v Melbourne: Max Gawn leads Demons to a famous win

The Power grabbed a couple of wins against West Coast and Richmond to start the season, but Melbourne was their first real test. They failed, here’s how.

The test of Melbourne was always going to be one that would show early on in 2024 if Port Adelaide had truly addressed its weaknesses over the off-season.

After Saturday night, it appears the Power still has to address them when facing the best in the AFL.

Despite dominating territory, clearances, inside 50s – you name it – at Adelaide Oval, the Power somehow couldn’t put the Demons away at all.

And then the Demons struck in the fourth term.

With captain Max Gawn inspirational in the ruck, the Power not making the most of its inside 50 dominance and Ken Hinkley’s side still leaky in defence, the Demons piled on five unanswered goals to take the lead in the fourth quarter, despite being so far off Port Adelaide in so many key stats.

And even though the territorial and statistical dominance continued after a Port Adelaide comeback, Simon Goodwin’s side held on for a famous seven-point win.

Max Gawn was the star on Saturday night. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Before the game, Hinkley said he thought more had been made of the tactics the Power had employed on Gawn in previous meetings.

Maybe the Power should have gone down that route this time, with Gawn outstanding without the added attention he has received off the ball from Port in the past.

The positive is that the Power don’t have to take on Gawn every week – to the relief of Ivan Soldo.

But the Power does have to address the vulnerability it has in its defensive 50.

Coming into the game, opposition scores per inside 50 percentage against the Power had actually increased.

Despite playing the winless West Coast and Richmond, Port’s opposition scores per inside 50 percentage was at 51 per cent coming into the clash.

And, while the Demons had 21 less inside 50s, it ultimately didn’t matter.

Tom Sparrow and Kade Chandler try to slow Port star Zak Butters. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

When the ball did go inside the Power’s defensive 50, it seemed like the Demons would score more often than not.

Individual mistakes hurt the Power down back.

Esava Ratugolea, who ended up having a solid game, tried to mark in a contest and Bailey Fritsch went out the back and scored the Demons’ first of the game.

He then marked when he should have punched, allowing a Kysaiah Pickett goal.

A score review showed the ball had just barely crossed the line before the burly defender took the mark, with Melbourne booting five of the past six goals when Pickett’s major was confirmed.

In a game decided by just over a kick, they were two mistakes that ultimately hurt the Power.

Esava Ratugolea marks in front of Jacob van Rooyen. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

As did its accuracy and decisions up the other end of the ground.

Power forwards coach Chad Cornes asked fans to stick with the team after an inaccurate start to the season in front of goal.

That the Power couldn’t translate its dominance in inside 50s and had more scoring shots than the Demons, and fell short, will do nothing to install confidence in those fans who have taken umbrage with Port’s efforts in front of goal so far.

The optimistic Power fans could point to their side absolutely smashing a team that also finished in the top four last year in so many key statistics, meaning that Port Adelaide have the game plan to take it up to teams like the Demons.

But it appears some of the issues that plagued the Power when it came to the business end of the season last year are still unresolved.

Christian Petracca gets away from Connor Rozee. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

DEES PUT TOUGH WEEK BEHIND THEM

Melbourne ended a tumultuous week of headlines in spectacular fashion.

The Demons’ preparations were disrupted when they were thrust into the spotlight in federal parliament as the club at the centre of the AFL’s ‘off the books’ illicit drug tests saga, but the furore proved no distraction when it counted.

Gawn was the dominant player on the ground with a whopping 50 hitouts, with Alex Neal-Bullen and Trent Rivers also important.

MILESTONE MEN

Jack Viney joined his dad Todd in the ‘200 club’ to become just the sixth father-son pairing in history to achieve that milestone with the same club.

As he has done so then during his career, the combative midfielder came from the field with blood streaming from a head wound in the first quarter, and he was never far from the action.

The 60th goal of his career was a superb running effort late in the second quarter that sent the teams into the main break all square on the scoreboard.

In his 100th AFL game, Power forward Todd Marshall was hampered by a dislocated finger early, but kicked a crucial goal with one foot on the 50m line with three minutes remaining in the third quarter and was mobbed by his teammates.

Scoreboard

POWER 4.1 7.3 10.8 13.11 (89)

DEMONS 3.2 7.3 10.4 15.6 (96)

PHELAN’S BEST POWER: Drew, Rozee, Wines, Boak, Houston, Butters, Ratugolea. DEMONS: Gawn, Neal-Bullen, Petracca, Rivers, Oliver, Viney, Lever.

GOALS POWER: Rioli 2, Byrne-Jones 2, Finlayson 2, Soldo, McEntee, Rozee, Marshall, Evans, Dixon. DEMONS: Brown 3, Fritsch 2, Neal-Bullen 2, Sparrow 2, Viney, Pickett, Oliver, Langdon, Gawn, Windsor.

INJURIES POWER: Nil. DEMONS: Nil.

UMPIRES Rodger, Gavine, Whetton, Findlay.

38,105 at ADELAIDE OVAL

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JASON PHELAN’S VOTES

3 Gawn (Mel)

2 Drew (Port)

1 Neal-Bullen (Mel)

Originally published as AFL Round 3 Port Adelaide v Melbourne: Max Gawn leads Demons to a famous win