Round 8 – Port Adelaide v Western Bulldogs: Mojo back?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Port Adelaide produced its best game of the AFL season so far with a hard-fought 17-point win against an injury-ravaged Western Bulldogs.

 

The Power, also without a couple of key players, put the foot down with a five to two-goal third quarter in which Todd Marshall made most of clean forward-50 entries with five marks.

 

He booted two goals, clunked eight marks, set up a couple of goals and crashed packs in a near best afield performance in Port’s convincing 12.14 (86) to 10.6 (69) win at a cold Adelaide Oval on Friday night.

 

Greater Western Sydney Giants recruit Jeremy Finlayson kicked three goals while 100-gamer Sam Powell-Pepper continued his strong season with two goals.

 

The Doggies booted the first two goals of the game and appeared in its 2021 preliminary-final-mode.

 

However, this edition of the Power used coach Ken Hinkley’s motto in ‘staying in the moment’ and wrested the momentum off the Bulldogs.

 

The hosts led by two points at quarter-time and four by the long break.

 

Aaron Naughton looked to be the only Western Bulldogs’ forward capable of taking the game away from Port. The star centre-half-forward kicked four goals.

 

Port Adelaide kicked six behinds in a messy final quarter by both teams in what was otherwise a free-flowing Friday night blockbuster.

 

Young Power ruckman Sam Hayes continued to impress against seasoned Stefan Martin, North Melbourne Kangaroos recruit Trent Dumont was also instrumental in the Power’s third-quarter surge.

 

Riley Bonner was giving a lot of drive off half-back before a worrying right ankle injury ended his night after 22 disposals.

 

Travis Boak led the way with 30 touches while Connor Rozee continually broke away from packs with his speed and step and he accumulated 21 possessions.

 

The crafty Robbie Gray snared two first-quarter majors to get Port rolling.

 

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said Bonner’s injury could be ‘just one to two weeks’ and also added the forward mix of Marshall, Finlayson and Mitch Georgiades is starting to click as key power forward Charlie Dixon starts his comeback campaign for the Port Magpies.

 

“I’d rather have that problem than not have that problem,” he said of Dixon being added to the mix next week in the AFL.

 

“We’ll see how Charlie goes, and let’s not get too carried away. He’s coming back from a long time off.

 

“We’ll make sure he gets through the game as well as he can and then make some decisions.”

 

Port travel to Tasmania to take on struggling North Melbourne Kangaroos on Saturday afternoon at Blundstone Arena.

 

 

 

PORT ADELAIDE              5.0      7.4      12.8    12.14 (86)
WESTERN BULLDOGS    4.4      6.6      8.8      10.9 (69)

 

GOALS  
Port Adelaide: Finlayson 3, Marshall 2, Powell-Pepper 2, Gray 2, Motlop, Boak, Dumont
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 4, B.Smith 2, Dunkley, Khamis, McNeil, Liberatore

 

BEST  
Port Adelaide: Boak, Marshall, Rozee, Finalyson, Bonner, Amon
Western Bulldogs: Naughton, B.Smith, Macrae, Dale, Liberatore

 

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Bonner (ankle)
Western Bulldogs: O’Brien (calf), Vandermeer (hamstring), Weightman (shoulder)

 

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Lachie Jones (replaced Bonner at three-quarter time)
Western Bulldogs: Hayden Crozier (replaced O’Brien in the third quarter)