LATE SURGE SAVES POWER
WHEN Port Adelaide fell 20 points down under an avalanche of inside 50s and clearances to Melbourne last night the question was whether it was up for the fight.
For three quarters it had stumbled under Melbourne’s finals-like pressure, but it refused to wilt and came up big when it mattered.
There was Charlie Dixon’s repeated contests, Robbie Gray’s knock-ons, Justin Westhoff’s courageous play, Ollie Wines and Paddy Ryder’s overhead marks and Dougal Howard’s fist. Then Lindsay Thomas and Sam Gray finished it off with their set shots to get the Power home by 10 points.
Tom Jonas was the rock in a defence under siege, but Westhoff was incredible, as was his 50m goal in time-on of the final term.
Earlier, Port’s oldest player chased down Dom Tyson for a free kick, took contested marks in the forward line, spoiled the ball in defence and pinch-hit in the ruck to again highlight just how versatile he is.
Just as awesome was Wines who in the dying moments took a contested mark from a Power kick-in, pushed forward and took one at half-forward as the final siren went.
Captain Travis Boak was very good and his kick to set up a Westhoff goal from Todd Marshall’s ground ball get on the boundary typified Port’s mindset.
The win takes Port Adelaide to a 9-4 record with games against Carlton, St Kilda and Fremantle coming up.
It was such a gutsy win for Port Adelaide that will give its top-four chances a huge boost because for three quarters the Power looked ordinary under Melbourne’s real and perceived pressure.
It could win the hot footy but needed cool heads to go with it and their composure had deserted them with hurried kicks, punching the footy when they could have marked, overrunning the ball and overhandballing when they needed to stay calm.
But class, a never-say-die attitude and a stoic defensive effort saw Port concede just two points in the final quarter to get the win.
The titanic ruck battle between Max Gawn and Paddy Ryder in the ruck finished even and while Melbourne’s midfield led by bulls Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney won the stats sheet, it didn’t translate to the scoreboard.