The Footy Almanac 2007 Round 2 – Port Adelaide v North Melbourne: How many Burgoynes can a team have?

The first printed edition of The Footy Almanac came out in 2007, before we had a website. In the absence of a real 2020 season, we will be publishing the 2007 pieces for the first time ever on www.footyalmanac.com.au. Follow the season!

 

Port Adelaide versus Kangaroos

12.40pm,

Sunday, April 8

AAMI Stadium, Adelaide

Report by Sam Pang and Brendan Murray

 

 

IF MODERN FOOTBALL FANS ARE PERPLEXED by theorising before a game, this fixture did little for their state of mind. Mark Williams revealed that the experienced Daryl Wakelin would be omitted from his side because there was no match-up for him. It’s a strange reason to leave out a senior player. Logic would suggest the Kangaroos had no adequate match-up for him. We waited for an announcement from Dean Laidley.

 

Suitably perplexed, we were then mesmerised by the toss. Adam Simpson called heads and decided that his $4.80 Kangaroos would make their away-clash a little more interesting by kicking against a four-goal breeze.

 

Perplexed and mesmerised, we were soon downright confused. Dean Brogan, Port’s in-form ruckman, started in the centre square, but David Hale, the Kangaroos’ ruckman, started in the goalsquare. A long way from the goalsquare sat Aaron Edwards, the Kangaroos’ debutant and 100-goal Liston Medallist. Adding further confusion, the Kangaroos started Glenn Archer next to Edwards on the pine. Just to make sure Port Adelaide’s coaching staff were entirely baffled, Dean Laidley started himself on the bench.

 

Port dominated possession throughout the opening term, enjoying the expansive wings of Football Park, but bombed the footy blindly into a crowded goalsquare. The Kangaroos responded by running the footy into the wind (the first tactic of the day we could understand), finding their evasive and influential playmaker Daniel Wells at will. Archer emerged from the bench to ruthlessly halt Nathan Krakouer’s attempted run into an open goal, providing commentators with an opportunity to again refer to him as the Shinboner of the Century. At the other end of the ground, Toby Thurstans delivered a slapstick moment when, from a kick-in, Hale smothered, gathered and kicked the Sherrin over the blushing full back for a goal. The Kangaroos had masterminded a first-quarter lead of four points. It was all rather bizarre.

 

Sticking with their winning formula, the Kangaroos again started Archer on the bench. While Foxtel commentators discussed the merit of Archer’s benching, Frawley sought to alleviate the concerns of Roos’ fans by declaring that Archer “never rarely plays two bad games in a row”.

 

Port emerged from the quarter-time huddle with a better game plan. Forwards led into the space of an Archer-less forward line. The home team poured on six goals. The only thing keeping North in the game was the brilliant solo effort of Corey Jones, who kicked all four of the visitors’ goals for the term. Port went into the shed 10 points up. Order at Football Park was restored – sort of.

 

Port Adelaide had the wind in the third term and soon led by 32 points.?The Burgoyne brothers were devastating, weaving effortlessly through the middle, and delivering each kick with precision into the forward line. They were so good that one Kangaroos supporter beside us strained a smile and asked, “How many Burgoynes is one team allowed to have?” Boomer Harvey then kicked two in a minute to keep his side in touch, before Brett Ebert’s fourth goal gave Port?a 20-point lead as the oranges came onto the ground.

 

The final quarter surprised most. The Kangaroos closed to within 11 points before goals to David Rodan and Peter Burgoyne appeared to seal the win.?As good as Archer had been on the bench, the Kangaroos’ brains trust found a better use for him in the forward line where he had an immediate effect, crashing through packs to set up two goals. When deep in time-on Edwards marked and kicked truly, the Shinboners were back within a kick and an unlikely upset seemed likely.

 

However, the Port players controlled the final minutes chipping the footy around in the lamentable style which is all too familiar now. Ebert goaled, as he had four times earlier in the afternoon, and the game was over. Just before the siren, the boyish Krakouer (who could have been riding at the Oakbank carnival) kicked an audacious banana, signalling to all that with Warren Tredrea to return, we may just see more of such flair in the springtime.

 

Port Adelaide 2.7 8.12 13.18 17.20 (122)

Kangaroos 3.5 7.8 11.10 15.14 (104)

 

GOALS

Port Adelaide: Ebert 5; P.Burgoyne, S.Burgoyne, Pearce, Mahoney, Rodan 2; Lonie, Krakouer.

Kangaroos: Harvey, Jones 4; Hale 2; Edwards, Simpson, Wells, Sinclair, Thomas.

 

BEST

Port Adelaide: P.Burgoyne, S. Burgoyne, Ebert, Salopek, K.Cornes, Pearce.

Kangaroos: Harvey, Wells, Simpson, Sinclair.

 

MILESTONE

Harvey (Kangaroos) 250 goals.

 

DEBUT

Edwards (Kangaroos).

 

UMPIRES

M. Nicholls, Kamolins, Ellis. CROWD 25,054

 

OUR VOTES

P. Burgoyne (P) 3, S. Burgoyne (P) 2, Ebert (P) 1.

 

BROWNLOW

S. Burgoyne* (P) 3, Pearce (P) 2, Surjan (P) 1.

 

For more Round by Round reports of the 2007 season click HERE

 

If you want a printed copy of the 2007 edition of the Footy Almanac, they can be purchased here.

 

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

Do you really enjoy the Almanac concept?
And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help keep things ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE
One off financial contribution – CLICK HERE
Regular financial contribution (monthly EFT) – CLICK HERE