Robbie Gray produced a quarter for the ages as Port Adelaide came from 31 points down to post a 22-point win over Fremantle in Saturday night’s AFL semi-final at Patersons Stadium.
Port Adelaide’s flag hopes were on life support after Fremantle skipped out to a 46-15 lead late in the second quarter.
The margin would have been far greater if not for the Dockers’ wayward kicking in front of goal.
With Travis Boak hardly touching the ball in the first half, Port Adelaide required a special effort from someone else – and it was Gray who obliged.
Gray booted four goals in the third quarter to give his side the lead, before Ollie Wines booted two goals in a frenetic final term to ensure the Power held on for the 15.15 (105) to 11.17 (83) triumph in front of 42,338 shocked fans.
The win booked Port Adelaide a date with Hawthorn in next Saturday’s preliminary final at the MCG, while Fremantle were left to rue a season that promised so much but delivered little.
Wayward goalkicking cost Fremantle in last year’s grand final loss to Hawthorn, and it cost them a crack at this year’s flag as well.
The Dockers were all over Port in the opening half, but their return of 6.11 kept the Power in the contest.
Gray finished with four goals from 21 possessions, while Chad Wingard (four goals), Wines (three goals) and Hamish Hartlett (33 disposals) were also influential.
The Dockers suffered a massive pre-match blow when Alex Silvagni (hamstring) was ruled out, with the former rookie joining fellow key backmen Luke McPharlin (calf) and Michael Johnson (back) on the sidelines.
It left only Zac Dawson as a recognised key defender, and the former Saint performed admirably on Power forward Jay Schulz (one goal).
However, Dawson is in danger of missing the start of next year after he was reported for a clumsy spoil that collected Robbie Gray high.
The run-and-stun game plan that served Port Adelaide so well last week was nowhere to be seen in the opening half as Fremantle’s frenetic pressure set the tone.
Fyfe was influential with two early goals, while Lachie Neale had the ball on a string on the way to 15 first-quarter possessions.
When Port Adelaide skipper Boak fires, the Power normally win.
But with Boak held to just four possessions by Ryan Crowley in the first half, the Power were forced to adopt a damage control approach as Fremantle launched wave after wave of attack.
However, Fremantle’s waywardness in front of goal quickly became an issue as chance after chance went begging.
Even Michael Walters – arguably Fremantle’s finest kick – was suffering a case of the yips, with the 23-year-old booting three consecutive points within the space of four minutes during the second quarter.
Stephen Hill, Matt Taberner, Nick Suban, Chris Mayne and Matthew Pavlich also missed gettable goals in the first half, meaning a lead that could easily have been around 45 points was only 24 at the long break.
Even that gap seemed too much to overcome for the Power given their inept first-half display.
But Gray had other ideas, with the star forward booting four goals in the third term to turn the match on its head.
Fremantle briefly threatened to steal the match back with two early goals in the final quarter, but Wines replied with two of his own to send his side through to the preliminary final.
NeverTearUsApart
Guest
Waow! We have very nervous Hawks fans here! Awesome! :-)
Balthazar
Guest
Ha ha. No it was a quick post. Had to work yesterday. But if you read the entirety of my post before commenting, I said that they needed to work on goal kicking and possibly spend quality time with a sports psych in the offseason. So no I was not suggesting it was luck It has happened too many times and needs to be fixed. Happened infamously in the GF and even in the Prelim against Sydney last year, the difference being that Sydney was broken and couldn't get back into the game.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Don't have a problem at all with it Natalie. I think by and large I get more positive feedback on my comments than most around here, if you care to look at all the other threads this week. What I don't take to is ill informed and just silly comments. I didn't agree with Tim and Tim didn't agree with me. We had a discussion about it, which is what this site is all about. Not sure where you are coming from Natalie at all with this one because it's not about showing anyone up. You seem to think just because Bosk (who you readily admit you don't listen to much) has shown me up because he disagrees with my point. Okay then, makes perfect sense to you I guess. Bosk - I'm not disagreeing with what you just said, but don't bother with the bait unless of course you want to torment Gene. At the end of the day the Cats are restructuring, but I don't think that is a news flash my friend. The true trick is staying competitive while you do it and perhaps getting lucky in the process. The Cats could have got lucky on the weekend and were close to looking at a prelim. What you don't want to do is bring luck into the equation much when you are a challenger, which I don't at this point see Geelong being, but they are competitive.
Axle an the guru
Guest
My point Darren was that the likes of Pavlich and Kernahan are not as reliable under pressure like some others. I didnt say they never got those type of goals just that they were not as reliable at kicking them like some truly great players in the past. If Pav had of kicked that goal for Freo when port were coming at them,it may have swung momentum back Freos way. That was Pavlichs moment to stand up,he missed. Id seen Kernahan miss the same type of goal over the years he was playing. The likes of Carey,Brereton,Ablett or Lockett very rearly missed those needed type of goals that made them the exceptional champions they were. I didnt say Pav and Sticks were not champions,just that they are not as good as some in the heat of the moment.
Darren
Guest
Bit harsh Axle. What about this? AFter the siren, last kick of home and away got us the double chance and we went on to win the flag. http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2014-05-22/moment-13-kernahan-after-the-siren
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Glad I'm not the only one who's noticed how often he get the yips in front of goal in big moments Axle. Great player who's done a brilliant job of impersonating a natural key forward rather than a midfielder where he played his best football, but his set shot action is not reliable under pressure. I don't think its psychological, seems mechanical. Far too late in his career to do anything about it though. As for Sticks' goalkicking, better not mention that time he shanked his kick OOTF after the siren when the Tankers needed just a score!
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Did you actually watch the game Peter or are you basing all of this off the stats sheet? Maybe if you had you'd have noticed how dominant Sandilands was. Time and again he'd give Fyfe silver service, took some huge marks and kicked at least one goal that I remember. As for the behinds Freo kicked a metric ton of them in the second quarter when they were absolutely dominant. They should have iced the game before half time. Port was always going to get back into the contest because Freo's defensive gameplan and trademark "manic pressure" is so freaking tiring its impossible for them to keep it up for four quarters - surely you must recall last year's prelim against your beloved Swans when their pressure largely dried up after half time? (admittedly the result was already decided by then, so should it have been this week had they not choked)
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Kudos for showing up unlike a certain Geelong fan. Best of luck for next year. Funnily enough it sounds like Dick Realsick is even more disappointed right now than you are...
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Rick that could have something to do with the ceaseless blathering I've had to endure from rabid Handbaggers like Gene over the years about how wonderful their "dynasty" was despite the fact they were never good enough to go back-to-back, something I consider essential for a period of dominance to qualify. And yeah pal, if you happen to be a Geelong flog then I'm afraid I have some bad news - the Cats' time at the top is now over, no ifs, no buts, they are a shadow of their former selves and even most Geelong fans with more than one eye open will be happy to admit it. Sydney, Hawthorn, Port & Freo have already gone past Geelong. Norf probably will next season. I can't see them pinching another flag anytime soon, Mackie, Enright, Kelly, Lonergan & Rivers are all 30+ so it won't be long till they're forced to stuff their backline with kids and we all saw how well that worked for Collingwood this year.
Don Freo
Guest
Zac is never a yapper. You have the wrong man there. He hit all ball BTW and will get off. At least Gray didn't dive. He wasn't hurt at all because he wasn't hit.
Natalie SwansFan
Guest
I don't pay attention to anything Boosk says but Rick, he makes more sense than you on this occasion. You didn't like someone showing you up just now and so you have decided to go and pull something from elsewhere??? That is weak.
Natalie SwansFan
Guest
Malceski didn't pull a hammy..... He did what is commonly called a Joey. He felt a twinge and went off, had a scan, and is all clear. See the difference between the Swannies and Freo is we manage our injuries and are full strength at the pointy end...... Well let's just see how those, slow, top of the table Swans that just swept aside the all glorious Freo, go against the Shinboners that just snuck over the line against the Cats.
Natalie SwansFan
Guest
Nah I sound like me Axle I just dislike it when people make ridiculous statements or predictions. Like Don who said the Eagles were going to firstly make the eight, then beat port, and then somehow beat Sydney who would have had to lose to Freo for that to happen. That didn't happen. Then some people say we will struggle against North because we lost to them in round 4. A side at the time that was 1-2 and written off because Franklin was bad for the club, was leading. Hanners astray and had a falling out with ROK. The same club that played Norf without Tippett, Goodes, Reid, Llyod and Bird. Yeah we lost, then won 12 straight since then. Full strength, different story.
Simoc
Guest
You're so lucky you're not playing Freo. The Hawks were no match for Freo a couple of weeks back but they made up the numbers. I think you're maybe just rabid.
Walt
Guest
Turn it up campaigner. I bet you were the first to point out that Hawthorn didn't actually win the GF last season - Freo lost it. Disingenuous tripe.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
So I'm guessing it's going to be 8 straight incorrect tips after the prelim then Don?
Don Freo
Guest
Rick. Why in the world do you care so much about what I say? Do you need my affirmation so much? For the record, I think you are this site's least courteous and least balanced contributor. So, you could always just not be so concerned about what I say.
Don Freo
Guest
Pot Kettle Black. Good grief Rick. Give me Bosk any day. He is a pleasant man compared to you.
Don Freo
Guest
You could just accept you know nothing Rick. You have to write essays every time, repeating what you have already said. What you have repeated says nothing and is usually peurile. You are always off beam. Just go and try to play a 68th game. Maybe that will give you some gravitas.
Steele
Guest
Freo really need to recruit a decent forward in the off season and develop a more offensive game plan. Lyon has come so close too many times now for it to be simply a case of unlucky.