Round 7
Port Adelaide v Geelong
6.35pm Anzac Day 2026
Adelaide Oval
By Nick Kossatch
Port Adelaide Power executed its new game-plan in the best possible way with an impressive 30-point win against hot favourites Geelong Cats at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night – 13.17 (95) 10.5 (65).
Power midfielder-forward Jason Horne-Francis (34 possessions, one goal) was awarded the Anzac Day Peter Badcoe VC Medal for best afield while Mitch Georgiades booted a game-high 4.6 in what could have been an even better night for him if not for some misses that he’d normally get goals from.
The Cats, missing key defender Sam De Koning, booted the first two goals via captain Patrick Dangerfield and in-form Jeremy Cameron and it looked like Geelong would replicate its previous three meetings against Port – all thrashings.
The home side had to make do without key defenders Todd Marshall (illness).
Port, in front of a healthy 41 thousand strong crowd that had a strong representation of current and ex-service women and men to commemorate Anzac Day, dominated in field play.
The Cats’ cause was made more difficult after veteran versatile tall Mark Blicavs hyper-extended his left knee when Power captain Zak Butters attempted to smother his kick in the first quarter.
Butters, Jase Burgoyne, Horne-Francis and twin talls Jordan Sweet and Dante Visentini worked perfectly in tandem sharing ruck duties and presenting as menacing targets up forward.
The effectiveness of Geelong speedsters Bailey Smith and Max Holmes, while good in patches, were largely quelled by Port’s counterpunch off half-back led by left-footed Kane Farrell, Logan Evans’ disciplined role on Dangerfield and Lochie Jones’ attack on the ball.
The Josh Carr game-plan is gelling well with a possession game and then run and gun through the corridor where Georgiades, Carlton recruit Corey Durdin (two goals) and Joe Richards went to work at the feet of Sweet and Visentini.
Cat defenders Tom Stewart and young gun Lawson Humphries toiled hard against the regular Power forward entries.
The long-ball ‘bomb it in hope’ game style in previous years seems to be well and truly a thing of the past in what is still a transitional phase of Port’s new evolution.
Horne-Francis locked away his medal claim for best-on-ground honours and the result with a classy left-foot snap to start the final quarter while Butters (30 possessions) played his best game against Geelong in four matches, escaping the clutches of Cat tagger Oisin Mullin.
Cameron booted his third goal while Georgiades finally nailed one from an acute angle to bookend Port Adelaide’s best win since Travis Boak’s farewell game last season against Gold Coast Suns.
WAYWARD MITCH’S ALMOST GAME
Port’s Mitch Georgiades could have and maybe should have had a career-best bag with seven, eight or even nine goals against Geelong’s undermanned defence. The West Australian still kicked four but he’ll be working hard on his accuracy at training because he also booted six points.
A RUCKING GOOD PLAN
Geelong’s Mitch Edwards looked promising early in the game by winning the centre taps but his influence was stopped by Jordan Sweet and Dante Visentini. The Cats lost Mark Blicavs, while Sweet and Visentini’s influence either in ruck or up forward grew as the game went on. Having both big men on the ground at the same time will be Port coach Josh Carr’s call more often than not.
PORT ADELAIDE 4.6 7.8 9.15 13.17 (95)
GEELONG 4.0 6.1 7.3 10.5 (65)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Georgiades 4, Durdin 2, Sweet, Moraes, Horne-Francis, Farrell, Burgoyne, Bergman, Richards
Geelong: Cameron 3, Neale 2, Martin, Dangerfield, Mannagh, Worpel, Close
BEST (Nick’s best)
Port Adelaide: Horne-Francis, Sweet, Butters, Farrell, Wines, Burgoyne, Visentini
Geelong: Stewart, Smith, Humphries, Cameron, O’Sullivan
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Geelong: Blicavs (knee)
LATE CHANGES
Port Adelaide: Todd Marshall (illness) replaced in selected side by Jack Watkins
Geelong: Sam De Koning (managed) replaced in selected side by Brad Close
Crowd: 41,164
Malarkey Votes
3 – Jason Horne-Francis (PA)
2 – Zak Butters (PA)
1 – Mitch Georgiades (PA)
Read more from Nick Kossatch (KOSSYPOWERMAN) HERE
Visit Nick’s website HERE
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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 57! I played basketball and supers football having accomplished two Aust Masters Championships with the SA o35s (2006) and o40s (2009) and two All Australian Masters guernseys in 2008 and 2018. Have played amateur footy and a bit of cricket and basketball when living in Adelaide, Renmark, Paringa, Alice Springs and now Gladstone in Aueensland. I was also a sport newspaper journalist in the Alice (2013-15) and Gladstone (2015-20). Now I’m a postie and run a sport website Clear Play Media.
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