Round 4 – Richmond v Port Adelaide : Power wear down tenacious Tigers

 

Round 4

Richmond v Port Adelaide

4.15 pm, April 4, 2026

MCG

 

It was a dour struggle and not a game for any highlights package reels but Port Adelaide Power squared its win-loss record with a 42-point win against a gallant Richmond Tigers at the MCG – 13-12 (90) to 6.12 (48).

Twice the young Tigers outfit faced hefty deficits at half and three-quarter times and twice Port responded. When Jack Lukosius booted two goals in the final quarter – the game was all but beyond Richmond’s reach.

Both teams missed gettable goals in perfect sunny conditions and other mistakes aplenty that frustrated the sparse pro-Richmond crowd. Perhaps the best passage of play was impressive Port’s Kane Farrell’s kickout that spotted Lukosius. He then laced out a perfectly weighted pass to Joe Richards who kicked truly.

Such plays were few and far between, but the Tigers’ livewire Maurice Rioli gave his team a glimmer just before half-time with a spectacular one-handed grab and goal.

Power midfield dynamo and stand-in captain Zak Butters lifted with 20 possessions in the second half after a quiet start while defensive pillar Aliir Aliir repelled Richmond forward entries with timely marks. He also collected 18 intercept possessions as his fellow key defender Esava Ratugolea (knee) watched from the sidelines.

Young Tiger Liam Fawcett looked lively with two goals and a likely replacement for 33-year-old Tom Lynch.

Port simply had too much class and Butters said the onus was on the midfield to get better in the contest during the half-time lines group discussions. Jason Horne-Francis (two goals) recaptured some of the form he had against Essendon a fortnight earlier for the Power.

Darcy Byrne-Jones was busy with 26 touches and Jase Burgoyne continued his rise as one of the AFL’s talented young wingmen. Key forward Mitch Georgiades booted two goals and worked hard up the ground in a great contest against Tiger Ben Miller.

Richmond missed veterans Lynch, ruckman Toby Nankervis and classy forward Rhyan Mansell but there’s much to work on with for second-year coach Adam Yze.

QUARTERBACKS SHINE FOR THE POWER
The defenders are different in their respective styles of play but their roles in a relatively young Port Adelaide defensive unit remain the same. Centre-half-back Aliir Aliir and Kane Farrell were unstoppable with 20 possessions between them in the first quarter alone. Farrell’s long-range kicking was mostly on point while Aliir was a constant roadblock in the Tiger’s forward line.

RICHMOND WINLESS AND A 26-YEAR LOW
Richmond enjoyed a successful 2017 to 2020 period that yielded three brilliant premierships, but its next phase of sustained success may be sooner than most pundits predict. Key forward Liam Fawcett leads an array of young cubs. The two Sams – Lalor and Banks have talent in spades as does defender Luke Trainor and the freakish Maurice Rioli and all displayed fighting fury against the Power. On a more sombre side, the Tigers’ 48 points was its lowest score since 1999 and it’s 0-4 start to the season replicates the start of its 2010 campaign.

 

RICHMOND            0.1     3.4     4.8     6.12     (48)
PORT ADELAIDE    1.6     5.7     8.11   13.12     (90)

GOALS
Richmond: Fawcett 2, Lalor 2, Rioli, Banks
Port Adelaide: Georgiades 2, Whitlock 2, Horne-Francis 2, Lukosius 2, Wehr, Richards, Durdin, Sweet, Drew

BEST (Nick’s best)
Richmond: Rioli, Lalor, Prestia, Hopper, Miller, Taranto
Port Adelaide: Farrell, Burgoyne, Butters, Sweet, Georgiades, Horne-Francis, Aliir

INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
Port Adelaide: Nil

Crowd: 34,471

Malarkey Votes

3 – Aliir Aliir (PA)

2 – Jordon Sweet (PA)

1 – Darcy Byrne-Jones (PA)

 

Read more from KOSSYPOWERMAN (Nick Kossatch) HERE

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