Round 11 – Port Adelaide v Geelong: Port’s finals chances tilt

Port’s finals chances tilt as Geelong put out the Power

Port Adelaide v Geelong

June 12th, 2015

RD 11

Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

 

Friday night in Adelaide was the battle of the five and fives. That is, five wins and five losses leading into the match. Both Geelong and Port Adelaide had had a difficult opening draw, but had both managed to eke out five wins. Friday night ended with Geelong going a game clear, getting themselves into the positive and Port now looking down the barrel of a dogfight to make it into the top eight.

 

Friday night in my house was spent listening to Bruce McAvaney talk utter crap for two hours. Best line of the match – “Hawkins has played a cameo here”. Ah, sorry Bruce, but the Geelong forward was given a spanking by the ever-reliable Alipate Carlile. He got a bath. How on earth did he play a cameo role in Geelong’s win? – he did nothing all night.

 

McAvaney’s incessant dribbling of endless stats soon became too much for my Dad sitting next to me, who had the option of picking up the television and throwing it out the back door, or simply pressing mute on the TV. He chose the latter – there would have been no shame in selecting the first option. McAvaney knows a lot about football, granted, but he wants you the viewer to know he knows a lot too. And he doesn’t mind the sound of his own voice. When Port fell behind in the second / third quarters, the energy on the couch was sadly split between cheering Port on towards victory, and yelling abuse at Bruceeee. Those who commentate AND love the sound of their own voice grate, and grate hard.

 

In the end no amount of us willing on the Port lads to work wonders worked. Geelong, with a more efficient mid-field held firm. Port yet again costly and wasteful in the midfield – Michael Voss we’re looking in your direction – and almost non-existent in front of goal. Well, that’s not entirely true. Chad Wingard kicked four, but it was the delivery and lack of a tall, strong marking forward that really hurt Port.

 

Port’s forward woes reminded me of a comment during the week in the Adelaide Advertiser that seemed to claim that Port have been unsettled this year by the recruiting of Paddy Ryder. Um, oh how we needed Paddy on Friday night. Anyone suggesting that Ryder’s place in the team has somehow destabilized Port knows zero about football. He’s a tremendous one-grab mark, a very good shot for goal and provides bulk and a target. We needed that Friday night.

 

Port now sits at 5-6 on the win/loss ledger. With difficult games against Sydney, Collingwood and Adelaide to come in the next month, Port must continue to dig deep to find the sort of form that catapulted it into a preliminary final.

 

CHRIS MICHAELS

 

@cargoartmag