Round 19 – Port Adelaide v Geelong: Tomahawk ends Port’s finals ambition

 

Geelong Cats superstar forward Tom Hawkins booted the final two goals of the game against a gallant Port Adelaide Power at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

 

Up to that point, a Charlie Dixon-inspired Port had fought back from a 34-point deficit at half-time, to lead at the final break before the first-placed Cats showed why it has that mantle with a 16.10 (106) to 14.10 (94) win.

 

Mitch Georgiades booted three goals for Port Adelaide which included a Mark of the Year contender while Sam Powell-Pepper produced another sterling and strong-willed effort across half-forward.

 

The hosts kicked the first two goals of the game and from that moment, the game went basically goal-for-goal before the might of the Cats broke the first half open 10-minutes before half-time.

 

Port then kicked eight goals in the third quarter which had the Oval rocking in anticipation of a mammoth upset.

 

Unfortunately for the Power fans, it was another ‘honourable loss’ which would not sit well for the Alberton faithful as the season now has produced close results – but no premiership points – against Brisbane Lions in round one, Carlton and the Adelaide Crows, Fremantle in Perth and reigning premiers Melbourne in Alice Springs last week.

 

‘We’ve been good enough but not for long enough and that’s the reality,” Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said in his press conference after the costly loss.

 

Hinkley said the ‘six or seven-minute’ period before half-time was effectively the difference in the game.

 

“Turnovers, I think turnovers created the drop off or what can look like a drop off in intensity,” he said.

 

The Power face in-form Collingwood at the MCG this Saturday afternoon.

 

PORT ADELAIDE     4.3       5.5      13.7     14.10 (94)
GEELONG                5.1     11.3      12.6     16.10 (106)

 

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Georgiades 3, Powell-Pepper 2, Marshall 2, Dixon 2, Farrell, Gray, McEntee, Boak, Amon
Geelong: Hawkins 4, Cameron 3, Rohan 2, Stengle 2, Holmes, Dangerfield, Miers, Close, Smith

 

BEST
Port Adelaide: Dixon, Powell-Pepper, Amon, Georgiades, Boak, Burton
Geelong: Atkins, Cameron, Hawkins, Guthrie, Close, Tuohy

 

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Houston (concussion), Dixon (ankle)
Geelong: Stanley (knee)

 

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Riley Bonner (replaced Houston at three-quarter time)
Geelong: Shannon Neale (replaced Stanley in the third quarter)

 

Nick Kossatch

E: [email protected]

 

 

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