AFL Round 16 – Port Adelaide v Hawthorn: Our youth is our future

By Peter Argent

Our youth is our future.

Looking at the round 16 clash at AAMI Stadium through the eyes of “generation next” is intriguing and the replies were surprising frank.

Both Riley Grzeszkiewicz, 10 (Riley G to his mates) and Ethan Eime, nine, are indoctrinated Port Adelaide and Power fans – that’s one club as the South Australian football public knows.

Both Riley’s parents are black in one eye and white in the other. Dad, Andrew, is a second generation Polish immigrant, while mum Sharon is from the Lange clan from great farming and Golden North ice cream territory at Laura in the mid north of the state.  They have ‘teal’ in their wardrobes, but no “Shades of Gray”.

Riley has been to every home game of the Power’s this year, even the night matches.

They’ve had much more to smile and even brag about this year, after the ribbing Riley and Ethan got  last winter for wearing their Power jumpers to under 9s  football training at the famous Plympton Bulldogs, as the boys reminded is the first home of “Gibbsy”, Carlton champion Bryce Gibbs.

Port Adelaide’s been competitive and has found some of that famous Fos Williams work ethic, which the Port Adelaide Magpies were built on over half a century ago.

Riley watch the game from his usual seat in the outer, but wasn’t confident about victory before the contest.

“Hawthorn is one of the best teams in the competition and we didn’t miss seeing ‘Buddy’, (Lance Franklin)” Riley G said.

“It was one of the ‘baddest’ starts for the year and Brad Ebert kept falling over.

“Mum was screaming out for him to keep on his feet.

“We took a mate from school who live up the road – Liam Bennetts – he’s a Hawthorn fan.

“In the second quarter we were better, kicking six goals to two (Hawthorn actually kicked 4.4 in the second term).

“But they smashed us in the third quarter and we had no chance of winning from there, although the umpires were cheats. (Riley made his statement about the officials with a cheeky grin)

“We had no chance after that to get back into the game

“Roughead was a worry all day – he didn’t miss much.

“‘Boaky’ (captain Travis Boak) was our best and ‘Neady’ (Jake Neade) was good when he came on, kicking two really quick goals.

“Maybe he should have come on a little earlier.

“(John) Butcher was a lot better than the week before.

“(Chad) Wingard didn’t do a lot after he was winded.

“That happened right on the 50 metre mark in front of us.

“We would have done a lot better with (Justin) Westhoff in the side and Kane’s (Cornes) report was soft.”

Ethan Eime, who parents Svea and Brett are both Power fans, thought his side has a small chance of winning, but everything had to go right.

“‘Roughy’ was a major concern,” Ethan said.

“Hawthorn is one of the best sides I’ve seen.

“I still think we’re a massive chance to play finals.

“It has been a lot easier to barrack for the Power this year, compared to last.

“The new coach (Ken Hinkley) has made a big difference.

“Our younger players Ollie Wines, Jake Neade and Kane Mitchell have been good.

“While (Chad) Wingard is still pretty young, he’s in his second year.

“I still enjoyed watching the Hawks – they are a good side.”

While a little biased towards Port Adelaide, both these young lads analogies were a fair reflection of the game.

Swift and purposeful early, the Hawks showed why they were premiership contenders and a step above their hosts at AAMI Stadium.

Hinkley’s mob showed some ticker in the second quarter, but seemed to use up a lot of petrol tickets getting back into the game. They were only two goals in arrears at the long interval.

Port Adelaide are a better side than the eventual seven and a half goal margin suggested, but certainly not a top four contender. Alastair Clarkson’s Hawks are the complete package, although the people who thought of brown and gold, as two colours to bring together for a national franchise, may be more left wing than some traditional members of the Australian Labour Party.

The general consensus was Jarryd Roughead was the most influential player on the ground, while any one of four or five other Hawks and Power skipper Boak could have fielded the minor placings.

 

 

Port Adelaide   2.2   8.4   10.5    12.7  (79)

Hawthorn         6.0   10.4  16.6   19.10 (124)

Goals
Port Adelaide: Monfries, Neade 2, Butcher, Schulz, Gray, Thomas, Ebert, Wingard, Boak, Cornes
Hawthorn: Gunston, Roughead 5, Savage, Smith 3, Lewis, Rioli, Hodge

Best
Port Adelaide: Boak, Gray, Wingard, Thomas, Ebert
Hawthorn: Roughead, Smith Gunston Hodge, Savage, Mitchell.

 

Official Crowd: 23,748

 

Malarkey Votes 3 – Jarryd Roughead (Haw), 2 – Travis Boak (Pow) 1 – Jack Gunston (Haw)

 

 

Footnote – Golden North ice-cream has that special smoothness and taste, which drags you to go back to seconds. Great for the taste buds, but not very helpful for the waste line.