PORT ADELAIDE 5.3.33 6.6.42 8.11.59 9.12.66
SCORERS - Collingwood: Fasolo (1.1), Oxley (1.1), Pendlebury (1.1), White (1.1), Adams (1.0), Crisp (1.0), De Goey (1.0), Elliott (1.0), Witts (1.0), Blair (0.1), Swan (0.1)
BEST - Collingwood: Varcoe, Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Adams, Swan
INJURIES - Collingwood: Broomhead (shoulder)
SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: Jordan De Goey replaced Tim Broomhead (shoulder) in the third quarter
REPORTS: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD: 45,418 at Adelaide Oval
| 1. September still in Port’s sights Port Adelaide's emotional win following the tragic death of former assistant coach Phil Walsh has reinvigorated the club’s finals hopes. The Power showed fight on what was a tough winter's night and held off a final quarter onslaught from Collingwood, who won the inside-50s 18-8 in the final term. It was an unknown how the Power would respond to Walsh's passing but they lived up to one of his famous phrases and "got the job done". Jack Hombsch was brilliant on Travis Cloke and the Power's midfield and defence stood up when it mattered most. Touted a serious contender in the pre-season, Port faces Adelaide in what will be an emotional showdown next week and Essendon in Melbourne in Round 17. Three wins in a row would get the ledger back to square at 8-8 and knocking on the door of the top-eight. 2. Bursting from the blocks For the first time since round four when it produced an eight-goal first quarter against reigning premier Hawthorn, Port got off to a flier against Collingwood. The Power played attacking and entertaining footy led by Ollie Wines' sensational clearance work and Justin Westhoff's run. The big man had 13 possessions on his way to his best game of the season while Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard were dangerous up forward. The Power dominated the play to kick five goals to one. Inevitably the Pies would fight back in the second quarter but were playing catch-up all game and in the end couldn't get past the Power. Port's ability to capitalise on momentum was a trademark last year and its showing signs that its mojo is coming back. For the third week running it looked like Collingwood was primed to win the game but again came up short. The Pies earned enormous amounts of respect in their losses to Fremantle and Hawthorn with the way they played but respect doesn't get you the four points. |
3. Dane fought the law, and the law wrong Dane Swan had an unusual run-in with the law the night before his 250th game. Swan was picked up from his hotel by friend and former Swans defender Gerrard Bennett to grab a coffee and was almost immediately swarmed by police cars and officers. Considering his body ink and Bennett’s hoodie, police mistakenly thought the pair were bikies. The mistaken identity was quickly noted and laughed off and they were sent on the way. 4. Vale Phil Walsh The moving tributes last round were a wonderful touch and the sentiment again hit the right note. It was the first game at Adelaide Oval since Phil Walsh's tragic death and Port Adelaide's too. Walsh played an instrumental role in two stints at the Power. First in their inaugural premiership in 2004 and then when he returned as Ken Hinkley's right hand man in 2014. The players and fans loved him as well and the use of INXS' Never Tear Us Apart in the final minute before the bounce set the scene perfectly. The blacked out Adelaide Oval for a slide show and tribute song was the spine-tingling finish. It will take a long time for South Australian football to recover but playing footy was the first step. 5. Pies fall short again For the third week running it looked like Collingwood was primed to win the game but again came up short. The Pies earned enormous amounts of respect in their losses to Fremantle and Hawthorn with the way they played but respect doesn't get you the four points. Despite an inevitable punishment from the Match Review Panel for his clash with Justin Westhoff, Taylor Adams was a bull in the midfield with 37 possessions, seven clearances, six tackles and a goal. Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom were also gallant while Travis Varcoe handled the conditions well and was pivotal in Collingwood's comeback. The Magpies are clearly a top-eight side but these three consecutive losses could really hurt as they jostle for position going into September. |
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Collingwood's close losses are “wearing thin”, coach Nathan Buckley says. A disappointing first quarter cost the Magpies dearly on Thursday night, slipping to their third straight defeat with a three-point loss to Port Adelaide. It follows a 10-point loss to Hawthorn and a seven-point loss to Fremantle in the past two weeks. "You assess them independently of each other," Buckley said of the losses. “But it wears thin after a while. “We believe we’re heading in the right direction and we’re proud of the players representing us.” Buckley was left to rue a five-goal-to-one start that the Pies couldn't overcome. “We’re not proud of our first quarter tonight and ultimately that was the defining aspect of the match,” Buckley said. "It was really poor coming out of the sheds when the conditions were half-decent. "We got smashed around the ball in contested ball and clearance, we leaked goals and didn't defend particularly well. "So to give up eight shots of 21 and five goals of nine in the first quarter is bad footy." Despite Collingwood's good percentage (122 per cent) it's in danger of slipping to eighth on the ladder by the end of the round after three straight losses. "Tonight we travelled interstate and played against a top-four side from last year,” Buckley said. "They're yet to be proven but when you look at the names on paper they still look pretty strong." Midfielder Taylor Adams picked up 37 possessions but will inevitably be sighted by the Match Review Panel after a kneeing incident with Justin Westhoff in the third quarter. PORT Adelaide has survived incredible final-term pressure from Collingwood to edge home three-point winners at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night. Playing in former assistant coach Phil Walsh's honour, Port hung on as the Magpies kicked four of the game’s last five goals to steal a 9.12 (66) to 9.9 (63) win. The final siren sounded as the Pies entered inside 50 for the 18th time in the quarter. After an incredibly trying week, Port coach Ken Hinkley said he was immensely proud of his players. "I was just really proud of what they did tonight. They hung tough, they hung really tough – they got the job done," Hinkley said. "We sang the song as a whole club, everyone – normally it's just the players ... for the first time in my time I actually got involved in singing the song." Jack Hombsch and Matthew Broadbent were brilliant in defence for the Power, while Justin Westhoff (26 possessions, one goal) played his best game this year and Ollie Wines (34 disposals) was a contested ball force. Taylor Adams (37 disposals) was prolific, captain Scott Pendlebury (28) was great for the Magpies, as was Dane Swan (33) in his 250th game. The fog of Walsh's death last Friday still hung over Adelaide as both clubs entered the stadium without fanfare – no banners or team songs. The Power’s start was inspired, out possessing the Magpies early and converting with the first four goals of the game; the second courtesy of a clever step and finish from Jarman Impey. Failing to match the Power's hardness or spread from the contest, it took until the 19th minute for Pendlebury to weave through traffic and snap his side's first. Down by 26 points at the first break and with rain forecast, the Magpies enjoyed the start they desperately needed in the second with three quick unanswered goals through Jarrod Witts, Jack Crisp and Jesse White. Collingwood had another after a tight 10-minute period and should have had a few more. It was pouring by the time Patrick Ryder won the first tap of the second half and Gray booted the first goal as he did in the first half. With Westhoff carving around the ground, Taylor Adams tried to distract him with a 'drop knee' to the face – an act that not only drew the ire of Westhoff's teammates but one that's likely to land him in hot water with the Match Review Panel. A brilliant tap over his shoulder while off balance from Jay Schulz allowed Wines to gift Chad Wingard his second and given the conditions the Power's 22-point buffer looked a match-winner. But again the Magpies hit back, first through Alex Fasolo and then Travis Varcoe neatly slapped the ball back from the boundary to Jamie Elliot who made no mistake. Just as the game looked iced, Collingwood attacked again; Jordan De Goey reduced Port's lead to two goals, then Adams somehow floated a snap through from hard-up against the boundary. The visitors' drive was relentless to the final siren, with Port narrowly hanging on for an emotional and memorable victory. "The bad start, it was really poor coming out of the sheds when the conditions were half decent," he said. "Got smashed around the ball…leaked goals, didn't defend particularly well. Magpie midfielder Taylor Adams won a career-high 38 disposals against Port Adelaide on Thursday night. Adams, 21, has won 30 or more disposals in five of his 54 senior games, a feat he has achieved three times in twelve games this season. On top of his 38 disposals, Adams won seven clearances laid six tackles and took the ball inside 50 on five occasions. "
Nathan Buckley |
COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley admits the close losses are wearing thin and blames the latest setback — a three-point loss to Port Adelaide tonight — on one bad quarter of football. The Magpies conceded five goals to one to trail by 26 points at quarter time at Adelaide Oval and despite a gallant fightback in the wet, couldn’t land the knockout blow to effectively end the Power’s season. Collingwood has now lost its last three games to Fremantle, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide by a combined total of just 20 points. “That wears thin after a while,” Buckley said. “We believe we’re heading in the right direction, we’re proud of the players that are representing us at the moment because their effort has been relatively consistent and at a good level. “But we’re not proud of our first quarter tonight and ultimately that was the defining aspect of the match. “It was really poor coming out of the sheds when the conditions were half decent. We got smashed around the ball, in contested ball clearance, leaked goals, didn’t defend particularly well, so to give up eight (scoring) shots of 21 and five goals of nine in the first quarter was bad footy.” Buckley said he did not think his players were overcome by the emotion of the past week, nor coming up against a Port Adelaide side which was playing for the first time since the death of its former assistant coach Phil Walsh. “There’s no doubt they’ve been emotional the last two games we’ve played — have been significant occasions and emotional events,” Buckley said. “But potentially after a couple of solid games and close losses, that’s the only thing I can point to (as to why it happened) but our preparation was pretty good, the way we finished the game off would indicate the six-day break wasn’t a worry but we just couldn’t find the energy and intensity that we have for 11 of the last 12 quarters and it happened to be the first quarter tonight. “We probably got our bodies in the right places more often than not this time around ... (we) probably did that better than late in the game against Fremantle. “So there’s a bit of growth there but we didn’t get the ultimate result.” Buckley said he had not seen the incident involving his midfielder Taylor Adams and Port Adelaide’s Justin Westhoff in the third quarter when Adams’ knee appeared to make contact with Westhoff’s head as the Power big-man was on the ground. But he praised Adams’ performance after he had 37 disposals from just 74 per cent of game time. “It’s a midfielder’s night, it’s a grinding night when the conditions get like that, and Tay is a guy that just grinds away and that’s exactly what he did,” Buckley said. With a heavy heart in a storm, Port Adelaide mustered all of its will-to-win to upset Collingwood in a three-point thriller at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night. It was enough to keep the Power's finals dream alive. This was the stuff Port's former assistant coach of 10 years Phil Walsh was reared on at a heavy Hamilton ground, and typical of the Port that has been missing for much of this season. It was a nightmare for Collingwood with Taylor Adams facing serious sanction for an ugly incident early in the third quarter when he appeared to drop a knee into the head of Justin Westhoff, causing the Port forward to lie on the ground clutching his head. The Pies also lost midfielder Tim Broomhead with a shoulder injury during the term. One of their best until then, the extent of the injury will be further assessed today, but the early indications were not good. He is unlikely to play against the West Coast Eagles on Saturday week. Given the drama over the past week, there was always the unknown quality about Port going into this game, but from the start it was obvious they were ready to give their all. It loomed as one of the most defining 19 mins 38 secs of the season for both sides – the time it took Collingwood to kick their first goal while Port had floored them with four brilliant goals reflecting the dominance statistically. The figures weren't flattering for the Pies – Port leading the disposals 80-45, the inside-50s 10-3, contested possessions 26-18 and clearances 12-5. And they could have led by more than 26 points at quarter time had Chad Wingard – one of their best – had kicked straight. Collingwood had played some big matches going into this game, but this was by far their toughest challenge in terms of completely changing the trend – turning the game around before a hostile home crowd against a side fuelled by emotion. The Pies had five young players with fewer than 20 games experience. To then level the scores in the second term – also at the 19-minute mark – kicking 4.3 to 0.1 when light rain began to fall was outstanding, largely brought about by the influence of Dane Swan and Pendlebury, plus the Pies' gritty defensive work in their forward-50. Both sides had injury concerns with Jack Frost and Jarman Impey subbed under the concussion rule after playing well, only to return. Port ruckman Matthew Lobbe wasn't moving freely after a ankle knock in the opening minutes and was barely influencing the game, while Tim Broomhead had shoulder concerns. Port captain Travis Boak was also sore, and interestingly had one kick and 15 handballs up to half-time. However, given the emotion surrounding this game, no one was giving up easily. It was a test of character, and both sides stood up to be counted. It wasn't like the fifth ranked Pies playing the 12th side in the competition – for a rare time this season Port was playing like everyone expected pre-season – far more competitive, skilful play with plenty of run. Port led by seven points at half-time with the rain becoming heavier, and the need to be clean and more efficient became greater. Travis Cloke was well held by Jack Hombsch, and there was a strong feeling that if the big Pie could break the shackles he could determine the result. But Cloke did nothing. The conditions certainly didn't favour him, and when Broomhead was finally forced out of the game there were grave concerns. Scores were hard to come by, and when Port ploughed their way to a 22-point lead close to time-on in the third, it was significant considering the ugly conditions. Port was playing inspired football, but under enormous pressure Collingwood continued to slug this game out. Players like Jamie Elliott and Alex Fasolo, and to a lesser degree Cloke, began to emerge better, and Collingwood got within 11 points at three-quarter time. Port had not been finishing games strongly of late, and a new twist was likely. But, of course, this game was different. There was no way the Power were going to surrender this game. Collingwood has now lost three in a row, but don't ever suggest they were honourable losses. Walsh always said they didn't exist. |
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