Poor Suns eclipsed
administrators and it will confirm that Port are very good.
But it will also reveal the Suns did not cope with the conditions or the occasion.
“That is as disappointed as I have been to be honest,’’ coach Rodney Eade said afterwards. “I didn’t see that coming. “The preparation was good, the attitude was good, so it was very disappointing.’’
If Chinese like contact sports yesterday’s game would have been a hit.
If the AFL are trying to tell them ours is the most skilful game in the world, they’ll have a bit more convincing to do. Or they’ll look for another opponent for Port Adelaide.
The game was as physical as they come and in such an open stadium, the clashes of bodies could be heard from every seat in the house.
But it was also scrappy. Maybe the surface was too manicured, because the players slipped over too often – the Suns far more often than the Power.
And, whether it was the humidity or the strong breeze which restricted players from kicking much more than 40m to the northern end, or maybe just nerves, the Suns’ skills were terrible.
“Some of the fumbles were inexplicable, they were clear, I thought there was something wrong with the ball there at one stage,’’ Eade said.
“And a lot of players fell over on this side (western) of the ground and it didnt’t seem to be wet, I don’t kmow if it was wrong studs.’’
Port were sensational. Brad Ebert starred, Travis Boak was everywhere and the Suns had no answer for Jared Polec’s run.
While they too had some traction and handling issues, they also produced some highlights.
The goal of the year may have come from Justin Westhoff’s volley from the forward pocket at the southern end.
The Suns suffered a blow when Rory Thompson withdrew at the 11th hour after pulling a hamstring in the warm-up. However, Eade stuck to his plan to play Steven May on Port goal sneak Robbie Gray and replaced Thompson with ruckman turned defender Keegan Brooksby.
Brooksby was in the corporate tent being interviewed when he got the call to hit the sheds and kit-up.
When May marked over Gray’s head in the sixth minute the move looked to have paid off. And everytime the ball came in high he marked it or killed it.
But Gray is one of the canniest players in the competition, and he found ways to score.