Round 13 – Richmond v Port Adelaide: Port’s season in one game

 

Thursday night’s 12-point loss to Richmond Tigers epitomised Port Adelaide Power’s topsy-turvy season in two hours.

The Power started brightly with the first two goals of the game, then lapsed to allow the Tigers dictate terms to nearly seal the deal before half-time.

Then Karl Amon, Todd Marshall (three goals in the first half) and evergreen Travis Boak gave Port’s faithful, who travelled to a frigid MCG, hope as the visitors drew to within two goals at the long break.

The trend of Port Adelaide’s ‘Big Tease’ continued as Richmond restored the near 30-point lead it had in the second quarter.

The Power again found ascendancy in the clearances despite having no recognised ruckman after Sam Hayes was dropped.

Brownlow Medallist Ollie Wines snapped truly and Kane Farrell launched a 60-metre bomb.

Sam Powell-Pepper pinned Tiger playmaker Shai Bolton for holding the ball and his goal put the Power ahead.

Richmond’s rookie Josh Gibcus’ move forward after he was well beaten by Marshall had an immediate impact with a go-ahead goal courtesy the umpire adjudging Ryan Burton as impeding Gibcus from going for a mark.

Port pressed in the final quarter and Connor Rozee’s classy finish was as close as the Power got as the Tiges steadied with triple premiership ruckman Toby Nankervis massive in the final moments.

A massive collision between Port captain Tom Jonas and Zak Butters sparked concussion controversy after both came back on in the final term.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said his team gave the ball up in the first-quarter.

“The turnovers killed us in the first quarter, and that probably won them the game,” Hinkley said.

“Probably by the end of the game, we worked so hard to get back, but we gave up five goals from turnover in the first quarter and goals through the corridor, which is not like us.

“If you look at the rest of the game, we defended really strongly, but for the patch in the first quarter when they were able to put us to the sword on the scoreboard, that is what happened – turnover. That is as much our doing as anything that Richmond done. We gave the ball back in bad spots.”

The Power meet in-form Sydney Swans at Adelaide Oval next Saturday afternoon.

RICHMOND                  5.2       6.4       8.5       11.11 (77)
PORT ADELAIDE        2.1       5.2       8.4       10.5 (65)

GOALS
Richmond: Clarke 2, Martin 2, Graham, D.Rioli, McIntosh, Riewoldt, Balta, Gibcus, Baker
Port Adelaide: Marshall 3, Amon, Dixon, Wines, Finlayson, Farrell, Powell-Pepper, Rozee

BEST
Richmond: Prestia, Baker, Cotchin, Vlastuin, Graham, Nankervis
Port Adelaide: Boak, Marshall, Houston, Amon, Wines, Burton

INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
Port Adelaide: Dumont (calf), Jonas (head), Butters (head)

SUBSTITUTES
Richmond: Kane Lambert (unused)
Port Adelaide: Martin Frederick (replaced Dumont in the third quarter)

 

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