Round 4 – Port Adelaide v Melbourne: Wall-paper cracks become Grand Canyon chasms
“Wallpaper cracks become Grand Canyon Chasms”
It gets uglier for Port Adelaide.
For every minute that Steven May and Max Gawn intercepted everything that came their way – courtesy of the Power’s wayward forward entries – at each moment the besieged and injury-riddled Port’s confidence was eaten away.
Power coach Ken Hinkley, sadly for him and perhaps most of the coaching staff, are on tenterhooks on the back of reigning premier Melbourne Demons’ 10.8 (68) to 4.12 (36) win at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.
Gawn and young superstar prodigy Luke Jackson dominated.
Luke Jackson. He’s 20. He will be the best player in the AFL before 2025, if not sooner.
Despite the best efforts of returning defender Tom Clurey (14 marks), Willem Drew’s sterling tagging job on Demon gun Christian Petracca, the tireless Travis Boak, youngster Miles Bergman and some nice midfield moments in the second half by Zak Butters, there wasn’t much else for the hosts.
But Hinkley took an optimistic view of what is ahead for his team.
Add to the fact that the hosts could not produce a goal in the first half in a half that yielded its lowest score in the first hour. Ever.
“Absolutely we‘re optimistic. Why not? We haven’t had everything the way we want, it’s a long season. I get that people are going to question my belief, but I’m strong in it. I think we can absolutely move forward and improve quickly,” Hinkley said.
A shoulder injury to Scott Lycett didn’t help Port’s cause and Gawn and Jackson feasted.
Port’s first-ever Brownlow Medallist Ollie Wines suffered a heart scare and remained the night in hospital.
At least the Power won the second half.
However, again, that was just wallpaper over cracks and now potholes in the Power’s now road to nowhere.
Hinkley however assured the suffering Power fans that the theme is to work hard and that the rewards will come.
“Our whole football club will stick together and work really hard to make sure we quickly get back on track somewhere close to what they would love us to be playing like,” he said.
“No one wants it more than the people that are working inside the club, we’re desperate for it to turn around.
“We know what we’re trying to get right and we’re working really hard to get it right.”
PORT ADELAIDE 0.3 0.5 1.8 4.12 (36)
MELBOURNE 1.3 6.6 9.7 10.8 (68)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Motlop 2, Houston, Georgiades
Melbourne: Fritsch 3, Harmes 2, McDonald, Viney, Langdon, Gawn, Jackson
BEST
Port Adelaide: Burton, Bonner, Jonas, Bergman, Clurey
Melbourne: Gawn, Harmes, Jackson, Langdon, Petracca, Brayshaw, Jordon
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: McKenzie (knee) replaced in selected side by Bergman, Wines (nausea)
Melbourne: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Dumont (replaced Wines)
Melbourne: Bedford (unused)
About Nicholas Kossatch
Tall and intelligent and athletically built who calls a spade a spade. Love sports writing and sending letters and texts to the editor about AFL and the Port Adelaide Power - win, lose or draw. I do not sit on the fence. Soon to be 40! I play basketball and over 35's supers football. Have played amateur footy and a bit of cricket and basketball when living in Adelaide. Do some writing for the Murray Pioneer,
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It shouldn’t be all gloom & doom @ 0-4 Nick. Way back in 1975 North Melbourne were 0-4 after the first four rounds, then won the flag.
The future is unwritten.
Glen!
It’s always great to see the Power lose. It’s still not over for them though. Way back in 1980, Neil Balme’s first coaching stint with Norwood, the Redlegs lost their first 6 matches and then met Port Adelaide in the Grand Final and came within a whisker of gaining the Flag. The only real sour note about the game was Ollie Wines having to be subbed out with a heart complaint, it must have been quite frightening for the young star. Hopefully he’ll soon come good.