Media articles & stats: Tigers fall agonisingly short in thriller against Port

[one-eyed]

Tigers surge falls agonisingly short in thriller against Port

By Sarah Black
AFL Media
10 April 2021

PORT ADELAIDE  3.3  6.10  9.12   11.13 (79)
RICHMOND         4.2   6.3    8.7   11.11 (77)

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Motlop 2, Rozee 2, Butters, Duursma, Fantasia, Houston, Hartlett, Georgiades, Gray
Richmond: Riewoldt 3, Lambert 2, Bolton, Short, Castagna, Lynch, Martin, Aarts

BEST
Port Adelaide: Boak, Wines, Butters, Aliir, Lycett, Motlop
Richmond: Cotchin, Martin, Short, Houli, Broad, Bolton

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Butters (ankle), Duursma (knee)
Richmond: Nil

LATE WITHDRAWALS
Port Adelaide: Marshall (ankle), replaced in selected side by Ladhams
Richmond: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Mayes (replaced Butters)
Richmond: Caddy (unused)

Crowd: 33,742 at Adelaide Oval

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Port Adelaide defeated reigning premier Richmond by just two points in a Friday night thriller.

Robbie Gray was once again the hero by kicking the winning goal with four minutes to go, and the Power's defence held firm in the frantic final minutes in the 11.13 (79) to 11.11 (77) win in front of a heaving Adelaide Oval crowd.

The match adds to the series of classics between these two sides in recent years and was a weirdly frenetic affair full of fumbles and fierce tackles. Port dominated the clearances and often forced the Tigers into one too many handballs, possibly a taste of their own medicine.

Richmond had become a strong clearance team by last year's finals series but was blown out of the water 36-24 by a powerful Port core of Travis Boak (29 disposals), Ollie Wines (27), Dan Houston and the elusive Butters.

Aliir Aliir and Jack Riewoldt (three goals) were locked in an intriguing battle, with both having claims to taking the chocolates at various stages.

Port Adelaide took an 11-point lead into the final break, but Dustin Martin wasn't ever going to lie down, brushing off debutant Lachie Jones to snap the first goal of the final quarter.

It cut the margin to five points, before Mitch Georgiades shook off his yips to kick a settler. Kane Lambert briefly took the lead until Gray's heroics just two minutes later.

Bachar Houli (26) made a successful return to top-flight footy after tearing his calf in the Grand Final and skipper Trent Cotchin was outstanding in the stoppages.

It was a banged-up Power by the end of the game, with Zak Butters (ankle) subbed off, Connor Rozee and Tom Clurey suffering corkies, Orazio Fantasia rolling his ankle and Xavier Duursma appearing to injure his knee in the dying minutes.

Debutant watch
Curiously for two well-established sides, there were three players making their debuts under Friday night lights. Birthday boy Lachie Jones' 17 touches were met with rapturous applause by the home crowd, and the NGA product was like a bull at a gate coming off half-back, barely blinking at the step up to the top level. Former Woodville-West Torrens teammate Rhyan Mansell was handy in the backline for Richmond, showing all the defensive traits that have held the Tigers in such good stead. Will Martyn worked hard and will be better for the run.

Swinging the changes
Kamdyn McIntosh has been a mainstay Richmond winger for quite some time now, and with Pat Naish not picked, there was no clear-cut replacement for the concussed runner. The Tigers employed a variety of players in the high-intensity role, including Jack Ross, Will Martyn, Shane Edwards and even Trent Cotchin. Marlion Pickett, Jayden Short and Liam Baker occupied the other wing. Coach Damien Hardwick threw Edwards into the centre after the main break, and it seemed to stem the flow of Port Adelaide's clearances somewhat.

The premiership quarter
It looked as if Port Adelaide had wasted its second-quarter dominance, kicking point after point, and Jason Castagna's lead-stealing goal at the start of the third seemed to confirm it. The Tigers normally dominate the latter part of quarters, but the Power found their radar, kicking three quick goals – punctuated by a stunning 60m bomb from Hamish Hartlett – to take an 11-point lead into the final term.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/579952/power-limp-home-in-titanic-armwrestle-against-tigers

[one-eyed]

Port Adelaide reset premiership push by bringing down Richmond

By Steve Barrett
The Age
April 10, 2021

Port Adelaide 11.13 (79) d. Richmond 11.11 (77)

Port Adelaide overcame a squall of sore bodies, a bout of goalkicking yips and the modern era’s mightiest dynasty to reset their premiership drive in the most gutsy fashion, winning by just two points.

Embarrassed last Saturday in Perth by West Coast and faced with the might of dual reigning premier Richmond, the Power scrapped their way to the finish line - fighting against an imposing opponent, physical warfare and, at times, against themselves - in an Adelaide Oval classic.

Connor Rozee (corked thigh), Orazio Fantasia (rolled ankle), Tom Clurey (corked thigh), captain Tom Jonas (ankle), Xavier Duursma (knock) were all battered but unbowed, while Zak Butters (left ankle) was eventually subbed out of the contest midway through the fourth after he had arguably been as influential as anyone on the park.

There were pangs of deja vu from last year’s gripping preliminary final at the same venue - which the Tigers won by six points.

Perfect autumn weather met the players on Friday night as opposed to the heavy showers the players slogged it out in last October, but otherwise there were some eerie similarities ... Dustin Martin’s one-on-one fend-off of Darcy Byrne-Jones, Toby Nankervis’s intercept marking and the trend of play which had Port in command at half-time, everywhere except the scoreboard.

The reality is the Power could - and should - have buried the Tigers by the main break.

The home side turned a five-point quarter-time deficit into a seven-point advantage at the long break but six missed set shots in the second term, with overwhelming edges in clearances (21-8) and inside-50s (18-8), kept Richmond on the back foot but well in the fight.

The Tigers dictated the territory battle in the third stanza, taking the lead after Jason Castagna goaled on Jack Riewoldt’s assist.

But Port struck back with three straight goals, capped by a Hamish Hartlett 60m bomb to recapture the lead - 11 points at three-quarter-time.

Martin started the fourth in the middle against fellow superstar Travis Boak before drifting forward, shrugging off Port debutant Lachie Jones in trademark fashion and goaling across his body to set the Tigers on their way, before giving Boak a butt tap of respect.

Lambert gave Richmond the lead back before Robbie Gray marked and goaled expertly to put Port, against the flow of play, back in front.

Camped in their back half repeatedly, battling an injury-shortened bench and a host of sore on-field bodies, the Power rose magnificently to the occasion.

Riewoldt’s late long miss following Gray’s major was followed by Willem Drew’s gritty rundown of Jack Aarts, Karl Amon’s goalsquare smother of Jason Castagna and, ultimately, a drowning of applause when the full-time siren sounded.

VOTES
Boak - 8
Lambert - 8
Short - 7
Wines - 7
Butters - 7

BEST:
Port: Boak, Wines, Butters, Amon, Houston, Motlop.
Richmond: Lambert, Short, Martin, Bolton, Houli, Nankervis.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/port-adelaide-reset-premiership-push-by-bringing-down-richmond-tigers-20210409-p57hzy.html

[one-eyed]

1. ARE WE WORRIED ABOUT THE TIGERS? ABSOLUTELY NOT

Foxsports
10 April 2021

Quite clearly Richmond can lose home and away games and still win the flag. Heck, they can lose against Port in Adelaide and still win the flag.

You still would’ve liked to have seen a bit more from the midfield, which has been below-par all season and was well beaten on Friday night, losing the contested possession by 35.

But they looked very dangerous for periods, playing exciting end-to-end footy, and led the game with five minutes left when on all of the underlying stats they had no right to win it.

Their leading disposal-getters were Jayden Short (31, with an excellent 808 metres gained), Bachar Houli (26, though it seemed like he was fumbling most of them) and Kane Lambert (24, plus two goals in a stellar night); so no big nights from any of their key midfielders.

In the end, there’s no shame in losing to this Power team on the road. Plus, the Tigers lost two in a row in early 2019 and 2020, too.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/live-afl-2021-port-adelaide-power-vs-richmond-tigers-round-4-live-scores-updates-video-live-stream-stats-latest-news/news-story/17ed66c06c76cc73cdf4e13b24287341