AFL 2024: Relive updates, SuperCoach analysis from Port Adelaide v St Kilda
A cheap SuperCoach ruck option announced himself with a bang, while a number of key premiums flopped as an injury-ravaged Port fought off St Kilda. Follow live updates and SuperCoach scores here.
SuperCoach
Don't miss out on the headlines from SuperCoach. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Port Adelaide was ravaged by injuries to a number of key players but scrapped to a gutsy win against St Kilda.
The victory came as St Kilda forward Jack Higgins may find himself in hot water following his sling tackle on Aliir Aliir.
It was a bitter-sweet night for SuperCoaches, as a downgrade option announced himself in scintillating fashion, while some big name premiums struggled.
Relive the action and SuperCoach analysis here.
THE THREE TAKEAWAYS
SWEET DOWNGRADE OPTION
It’d be a surprise if any SuperCoaches had a monster 136-point showing from Jordon Sweet on their bingo cards for Friday night.
The 26-year-old shocked everyone, and certainly made the most of Rowan Marshall seemingly not playing at 100 per cent fitness.
If you’re one of the 1,770 coaches that traded him in ahead of tonight, well played.
With downgrade options far from plentiful, many will be looking to trade Sweet in this week before a monster price rise ensues.
He scored 68 in his first game of the season last week, and should have at least a month of opportunity as Port’s solo ruckman while Ivan Soldo recovers from knee surgery.
The Sweet spot #SuperCoach#AFLPowerSaintspic.twitter.com/LYOco2bcwO
— The Phantom (@ThePhantomSC) April 26, 2024
STEELE STRUGGLING
Two weeks ago, Steele was one of the hottest SuperCoach commodities.
The hype was understandable too. Across his first five games he scored 119, 120, 126, 142, and 143. What a patch of form.
I, like many, decided I couldn’t miss out any longer and traded him in. He has since scored 84 and 70, and frankly, left me banging my head against a wall.
His price is set to plummet from $630,200 given his breakeven of 133. The 45,000 coaches that own him will be hoping he can turn it around.
WILSON HITTING HIS STRAPS
The Saints rookie has been somewhat of a slow burn when it comes to cash generation, with his price rising $106,200 over his first six games.
He had a breakeven of just five tonight and scored a season-high 88, which should give him a very handsome boost from his $237,000 price tag. If he can surpass $320,000 in the coming weeks it would be a great return.
FT: SUPERCOACH ANALYSIS
Jordon Sweet is the man of the hour in the world of SuperCoach.
His monster 136 score will propel the cheapie into an abundance of trade calculations next week.
Jase Burgoyne was also a left field option that impressed with 117 points pre-scaling, as was Peter Babcoe medallist Willem Drew.
Ollie Wines repaid owners that showed faith in him after last week’s 70 with 111 points. Houston was also strong with 111, as were Jack Sinclair and Callum Wilkie from St Kilda.
Horne-Francis surged with a 40-point last quarter to resurrect his match and finish on 98.
Saints rookie Darcy Wilson also dazzled with a huge 90-point showing
That’s about were the positive SuperCoach news.
$630,200 midfielder Jack Steele only scored 67, Rowan Marshall had just 63, Hugo Garcia was just okay with 40 points.
For Port, Butters was well below his best. If you had the VC on him like I did, time to look for a new captaincy option this week. And if you had the C on him, my condolences.
10:11pm: SAINTS SLIGHT SNIFF
St Kilda needs two goals in 46 seconds after a late Zaine Cordy goal.
They couldn’t, could they?
10:07pm: WINES ICES IT
No interchange, no worries.
With what seems like half his engine room on ice, Ollie Wines may well have iced the match.
Port scrapped and fought in their defensive 50 to prevent a St Kilda chance to score before taking it down the other end and creating several chances, with Wines finally the man to convert a snap out of the pack.
Port lead by 16 with three minutes to play.
And breeeathhhee Power fans! Wines delivers ðŸ·
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) April 26, 2024
📺 Watch #AFLPowerSaints on ch. 504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/c5VwhmeFbG
âœï¸ BLOG https://t.co/ybElLDBBG9
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/zSAISaRNl7pic.twitter.com/xwAJiE1F8v
10:03pm: GAME ON!
Jack Higgins found space inside 50m, taking a comfortable chest mark and converting the snap from long range.
St Kilda now trail by just 10 with six minutes remaining and are a good chance to run over the top of Port given their injury crisis.
Darcy Byrne-Jones was seen with the Power trainers and if injured he would be the fourth Port player ruled out tonight.
9:52pm: DIXON HAS FOUR
On a night where Port’s goal-kicking has been so inaccurate, Dixon has been a dead-eye shooter.
He now has four goals and no behinds and the Power lead by 21.
The rest of his Port teammates combined have kicked six goals and 15 behinds.
9:45pm: SAINTS ACTIVATE SUB, ROZEE IN DOUBT AGAIN
St Kilda has made a tactical substitution, with Cooper Sharman exiting the match and Angus Hastie subbed on in his absence.
It comes as Connor Rozee, who looked to pick up a hamstring injury in the third term but later returned to match, will likely play no further part. A trainer could be seen strapping ice to his hamstring as the final quarter got underway.
It means Port will be without Rozee, Aliir Aliir, and Sam Powell-Pepper to close out the match.
3QT: SUPERCOACH ANALYSIS
Port captain Connor Rozee returned to the field after looking to have sustained a hamstring injury, however he was seen back on the bench before half-time looking very frustrated. It would be a big blow to both Port and SuperCoaches if he could play no further part.
Port ruckman Jordon Sweet is flying with 112 points. He’ll be on the bubble next week so SuperCoaches are no doubt watching this performance and licking their lips.
Connor Rozee could finish on 91 points given his injury concerns.
Ollie Wines is also set to reward coaches that have stuck with him as he;s in the frame for a ton.
Popular SuperCoach selections Jack Steele (58), Zak Butters (58), Jason Horne-Francis (58), Rowan Marshall (48), and Hugo Garcia (32) are all underwhelming.
9:36pm: THAT WAS OUT OF BOUNDS?
“There’s gonna be a bit of hoo-hah about this one,” mused Brian Taylor on Channel 7’s broadcast after Darcy Byrne-Jones nailed a set shot.
Byrne-Jones had appeared to mark the footy over the boundary line from the front-facing camera angle, however a reverse angle later shown appeared to show the ball just inside the boundary line when it was marked.
9:28pm: SHOWTIME PORT
Port Adelaide added some quality highlights in the past minute.
First, it was Willie Rioli flying across the front of the pack, it was a solid leap although there were no bodies in his path to hitch a ride on, but he still plucked the mark and converted the set shot.
From the next centre bounce, 100-gamer Zak Butters - who has had an uncharacteristically quiet night - blazed out of the centre square and surged to the top of the arc before weighting a smart 20m chip kick perfectly. Unfortunately Darcy Byrne-Jones missed his chance to convert.
Connor Rozee is also on the interchange and ready to return to the match having left the field with a hamstring concern.
9:24pm: HIGGINS STRIKES, ROZEE CONCERN
Jack Higgins has put his Saints in front with a quick snap from close range. It was his first goal of the night and St Kilda now lead by two.
It comes as injury carnage continue to rip through Port, with star midfielder Connor Rozee - who has been one of the game’s best tonight - now under an injury cloud.
Rozee looked to have hurt his hamstring landing from a marking contest. Aliir Aliir is already out of the match with concussion, while Sam Powell-Pepper has sustained a knee injury and is expected to play further part, he’s on the bench with a jacket on and his knee iced.
9:19pm: SAINTS HIT BACK
Port had kicked the past three majors but St Kilda now has two in less than 60 seconds. The margin has been cut to five points as a result.
The second of the two came courtesy of a great Cooper Sharman drop punt on the run from out outside 50m. His effort was preceded by a Tim Membrey major.
9:13pm: PORT SUFFER ANOTHER INJURY
Following Aliir Aliir’s concussion, Port could also be made to play out the rest of the game without Sam Powell-Pepper.
Powell-Pepper was helped from the field by trainings having sustained what looks to be a serious knee injury. He grabbed at his knee straight away following the incident.
9:07pm: ALIIR RULED OUT
Port Adelaide’s Aliir Aliir will play no further part tonight, having been subbed out after failing his concussion test. It means Jackson Mead enters the game for the Power.
The concussion was sustained from a nasty Jack Higgins sling tackle, which cause Aliir’s head to impact the turf with force.
The Fox Footy panel discussed the incident during the half-time break, noting Aliir’s decision to kick the ball mid-tackle may have impacted the momentum.
“I think it’s a 50-50,” four-time Hawthorn premiership player Jordan Lewis said .
“This is a little different because of the kicking-of-the-ball motion,” added former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon.
8:55pm: IS HIGGINS IN TROUBLE?
St Kilda small forward Jack Higgins faces a likely suspension after a dangerous tackle on Port Adelaide’s Aliir Aliir on Friday night.
Higgins slung Aliir to the ground in the Saints’ attacking 50 during the second term, resulting in a free kick to the Power defender who subsequently came off and was subbed out of the game with concussion.
The St Kilda livewire pinned Aliir’s left arm and the Port player could not protect himself because he had the ball in his right hand.
Higgins’s tackle could be graded as severe impact given Aliir’s concussion.
Aliir remained off the field when the siren sounded for half-time and did not return after the break.
“He pinned an arm and forced him to the ground, he’s definitely going to be in trouble,” Luke Hodge said on Channel 7.
The AFL had a major crackdown on dangerous tackles last year, leading to a spate of suspensions, including 23 across the first 14 rounds.
That was up from eight bans for the whole of 2022.
In 2020, the league changed the guidelines so that only one arm had to be pinned in a tackle to count as having potential to cause serious injury, increasing the severity of the impact and potential penalty.
- Matthew Turner
HT: SUPERCOACH ANALYSIS
Port Adelaide wrestled back the ascendancy in a scrappy second term to take a 10-point lead into the main break.
This is certainly reflected in the SuperCoach scorers, with nine of the top-10 scorers tonight wearing the black and teal.
Connor Rozee is taking the match by storm with 65 points, while Willem Drew has been a high-scoring smokey with 64.
Popular Port defender Dan Houston, who sits in just under 12 per cent of teams, is also performing well with 61 points.
The biggest SuperCoach positive out of the half however is arguably Jordon Sweet. It was noted pre-game he could be a solid cheapie option to trade in with a solid score, and he’s exceeding all expectations with 61 points to the half.
There are lots of worrying half-time score however.
Jack Steele is underperforming on 37 points, while Port 100-gamer Zak Butters only has 32 points.
Jason Horne-Francis also only has 26 points, while Rowan Marshall has just 30.
Popular Saints rookie Hugo Gracia sits on 20 points, but Darcy Wilson is faring much better with 50 points.
8:44pm: HOUSTON, WE HAVE LIFT OFF
Dan Houston has launched one of the best running barrels you will see. He roosted it while running at a decent clip from his own half and the ball landed 15m from the goal line.
Willie Rioli’s finishing work was just as captivating, dancing and weaving through the Saints defence and finishing clinically.
8:35pm: MRO TROUBLE BREWING
Jack Higgins may well find himself in MRO trouble during the week after a nasty dumping sling tackle on Aliir Aliir.
Aliir Aliir has also left the ground for a concussion test.
Have a look at the tackle below.
Jack Higgins could be in some trouble after this sling tackle on Aliir Aliir 😬
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) April 26, 2024
📺 Watch #AFLPowerSaints on ch. 504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/c5VwhmeFbG
âœï¸ BLOG https://t.co/ybElLDBBG9
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/zSAISaRNl7pic.twitter.com/ZbzYG9fYDf
8:31pm: POWER IN FRONT
The Power are in front, with Dixon kicking their third goal of the night and first from a set shot.
As has been the case with every Port goal tonight, it came off the back of a St Kilda mistake in its defensive 50. This time it was Wanganeen-Milera who cost his side an easy out as he ran over the top of the footy, Darcy Byrne-Jones scooped on it and launched a high ball which found the hands of Dixon.
Port lead by four.
8:23pm: COSTLY TURNOVER
Port Adelaide has the first goal of the second term and its second of the night.
The major came through Powell-Pepper who capitalised on a poor Saints turnover in their own defensive 50. Both of Port’s goals have come from St Kilda turnovers within its own arc.
QT: SUPERCOACH ANALYSIS
A clinical St Kilda outfit leads Port Adelaide by seven points at quarter time.
The Power have kicked eight behinds and only have one goal to show.
Turning to SuperCoach, midfield stud Jack Steele has just 13 points at quarter time , and has lots of work to do to justify his $630,200 price tag.
Popular Saints rookies Darcy Wilson and Hugo Garcia have 19 and 5 points respectively. On the bubble, Garcia was one of the most heavily traded in players this week and his slow start will leave owners worried.
Port midfielders Connor Rozee and Travis Boak are leading the match with 46 and 42 points respectively.
8:03pm: WASTEFUL PORT
St Kilda has been potent going inside 50m throughout the opening quarter with five scores from six inside 50 entries.
The same can’t be said for Port, who have been remarkably wasteful with just one goal to show for eight scoring shots. Will the Power’s inaccuracy prove costly?
The Saints have kicked the last two goals and lead by seven.
8:02pm: MARSHALL RETURNS
Good news Saints fans, Rowan Marshall has returned to the field.
He still looked tender however and struggled to impact the centre bounce ruck contest before missing a subsequent chance to tackle.
One to keep an eye on.
7:55pm: MARSHALL INJURY WORRY
St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall is under a significant injury cloud early in the clash.
Marshall could be seen in considerable pain on St Kilda’s interchange before heading into the changerooms. St Kilda sub Angus Hastie could be seen warming up.
Marshall sits in 10 per cent of SuperCoach teams and had a score of -2.
Connor Rozee crumbs and kicks the Power's first goal of the night 💥
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) April 26, 2024
📺 Watch #AFLPowerSaints on ch. 504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/c5VwhmeFbG
âœï¸ BLOG https://t.co/ybElLDBBG9
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/zSAISaRNl7pic.twitter.com/c2kmRYLR2G
7:54pm: POWER HAVE FIRST
After kicking four behinds Port have finally struck.
Rozee was the goal-scorer, capitalising on a turnover at the top of the ruck.
7:47pm: OWENS STRIKES FIRST
Notorious slow starters St Kilda are on the board with the first goal against the Power.
Mitch Owens was the man to convert a set shot after earning a high tackle free on a favourable angle 35m out.
7:43pm: WE’RE UNDERWAY
The ball has been bounced at Adelaide Oval and Port Adelaide has owned the territory throughout the first minute.
Liam Stocker may also be following Jason Horne-Francis closely tonight. It will be a match-up to watch.
Hugo
— Tim Michell (@tim_michell) April 26, 2024
Darcy Wilson
Butters
Steele
Houston
Tonight could be interesting... #SuperCoach
7:20pm: SCORE REVIEW WATCH
Score reviews have been a contentious talking point throughout this AFL season, with many arguing goal umpires are too reluctant to back their judgement and are using the reviews excessively.
The over-reviewing could be set to draw to a close however.
It was reported by Jon Ralph earlier today that the AFL has encouraged umpires to back their decisions more ahead of the round, and that we should see less reviews as a result. Read more on what Ralphy reported here.
Dan Houston is tonight's top scorer? 👀#SuperCoach#AFLpic.twitter.com/JVGPvO15Ab
— SuperCoach AFL (@Supercoach) April 26, 2024
7:00pm: A SWEET TREAT?
Those searching for SuperCoach downgrade options will be watching Port Adelaide ruckman Jordon Sweet closely tonight.
Ivan Soldo is expected to miss at least a month of footy as he undergoes surgery on his knee, which is set to give former Dog Sweet an extended run as Port’s number one ruck.
When asked if Sweet had the tank to play out a full game on Fox Footy, Ken Hinkley painted an optimistic picture.
“He’s a big runner which is good, Sweety’s been busting for the opportunity on his own to be honest ... we expect he’ll be pretty good,” Hinkley said, while he also downplayed the involvement Charlie Dixon will have in the ruck.
“The only time you’ll see ( Dixon) in the ruck is in the forward 50, and maybe occasionally centre bounce, but he won’t be in the ruck.”
Sweet has a SuperCoach score of 68 under his belt and is already in over seven per cent of teams.
6:40pm: FINAL TEAMS
No late changes have been sprung on us ahead of tonight’s clash, with both Port Adelaide and St Kilda going in as named on Thursday.
Jackson Mead has been named as Port Adelaide’s sub, while Angus Hastie will don the vest for St Kilda. Mead sits in 3,202 SuperCoach teams, while Hastie is in just 1,088.
Originally published as AFL 2024: Relive updates, SuperCoach analysis from Port Adelaide v St Kilda
Five moves that won me $50,000 in SuperCoach
The 20-year-old winner of SuperCoach AFL 2024 reveals the tactics that led him to the game’s top prize, beating out more than 180,000 players across the country.
SuperCoach wrap: Norm-worthy stars and grand final flops
Who stood up on the biggest SuperCoach stage and who disappointed when it counted most? Check out round 24’s heroes and villains – and some hot tips for 2025.