by Booney » Tue Jun 12, 2018 3:43 pm
Firstly, I’d like to thank Richmond for making the summer of ‘17/18 bearable and allowing me to remain living in South Australia. I hope my fellow Port Adelaide family members took the time to thank them on Friday night, I know I did. Now the formalities are out the way, let’s get the 4 points! So we did.
I could use the opening stanza template from last week again. Dixon takes a couple of strong marks on the 50m arc and kicks truly, Westhoff keeps getting his hands on the ball and both shades of Gray have some important touches and bar back to back goals from Edwards into time on we’re right in this. Ryder is getting first hand on it, Wines and Westhoff are winning it inside, outside and in the air. Powell-Pepper is making his large presence felt and the back line is right in behind an eager DBJ. Doesn’t get enough credit at times young Darc. Since coming into the side in round 3, 2016 he’s not missed a game on his way to 54 consecutive matches and he’s as reliable as they come at the ripe old age of 22. He’s our back 7 stopper and you earn every kick you get on him. In the midfield Wingard has, almost, silenced those who were rightly critical of his recent form. He’s winning clearances and tackling. The sign of a man intent on playing his role.
In the first couple of overs after drinks Westhoff is on the front foot, two majors in 2 minutes and it’s back on level pegging. The next 10 minutes or so was an arm wrestle, a sign of things to come, with both sides bouncing the ball from inside Port’s 50 to nearly inside Richmond’s 50. 21 I50’s to 9 for the term. The game is on our terms. The high zone was keeping the ball in our front half and Richmond were battling to break through. Then, like a switch was flicked, Polec, with a sore right ear courtesy of an angry coach bursts into the game and has a hand in several forward forays that result in a burst of 5 goals in 9 minutes. S.Gray > Polec > R.Gray > Motlop > S.Gray and from 7 points down at ¼ time we go into the long break 23 points up. Wines huge in the 2nd term, 13 disposals, 8 contested, 4 clearances and 4 I50’s. That’s massive, even when compared to his quads. Again, Wingard is having an influence in the middle.
The next half hour wasn’t much to write home about. Contested ball numbers were all but even, I50’s were all but even, the only difference being the visitors managed two majors while we could only muster one two flagger with Robbie Gray kicking truly. Not sure who drove the shutdown here, Hardwick or Hinkley, I suspect it was a by product of the modern game. Hardwick didn’t want Port to slam on 5 in no time again and Hinkley was happy to stop the lead we had built eroding away. Regardless of who was the instigator it made for some pretty ordinary viewing, if not for the good guys being in front.
Much of a muchness on the last 30 minutes. Neither side was prepared to let the other side get any space to run and carry, as such the contested ball numbers went up for both side, the uncontested numbers went down and the pressure cooker gauge was on the up. It wasn’t end to end stuff at all, it wasn’t high octane, but it was high intensity. Port Adelaide had the early chances, the first 4 clearances and the first 3 I50’s could have resulted in a goal to Ryder or R.Gray and it would have iced the game. We just couldn’t finish it. Despite a lock down in the last half where Port had 8 scoring shots to 7 the last blast of the siren has us 14 points for the good.
It was the midfield, as it so often is, that lead the way. Ryder clearly winning the aerial dual with Nankervis and that gave Wines, Rockliff, Wingard and Powell-Pepper the opportunity to win 7 clearances each as we win that count by 14 and dominate contested possession by 33, this gives us 19 more entries into the forward 50. Them’s the numbers. There’s the game.
Very happy with the effort across the board. Only real lowlight was another quiet showing from Neade and Houston. With some form at SANFL level from the likes of Trengove, Amon, Barry and *gulp* Thomas the boys need to hope they earn a reprieve in a winning side this week and make the most of the opportunity.
Boons best : Wines, Powell-Pepper, Wingard, Westhoff, DBJ, Polec and carey after 4am.
#dickinyourarse
PAFC. Forever.
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