Port Adelaide maestro Robbie Gray has kicked six goals to inspire his AFL club to a comeback five-point win against arch rivals Adelaide.
Gray kicked five goals in a 25-minute burst to propel the Power to a 14.11 (95) to 14.6 (90) triumph on Saturday evening at Adelaide Oval.
His new teammate, ex-Cat Steven Motlop, kicked the match-winning goal with just 28 seconds remaining.
The Power were on the ropes at halftime, trailing by 21 points after an error-riddled opening half before 50,967 spectators.
But Gray took control, kicking five goals in the third term as Port turned their deficit into a 12-point lead at the last change.
Port stretched out to an 18-point buffer before Adelaide kicked three goals in a late flurry to steal a one-point lead with one minute remaining.
Motlop pounced on a loose ball and goaled on the run from 40 metres to deliver the Power a famous victory.
The brilliant Gray, a triple club champion, was sensational as Port snapped a five-game losing streak to Adelaide.
The Crows enjoyed early superiority – after Port’s Paddy Ryder kicked the opening goal, the Crows booted the next four to take a 4.2 to 1.3 quarter-time lead.
Adelaide grew their advantage to 21 points at the long break before Gray lit the fuse for the Power comeback.
Gray’s attacking colleague Chad Wingard and ruckman Ryder both kicked two goals, while former Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff (31 disposals) and Jared Poled (23 possessions) were influential.
Port skipper Travis Boak (24 touches), Ollie Wines (26 disposals) and Brad Ebert (24 possessions) provided the midfield grunt.
Adelaide’s Rory Atkins was a standout for his side with 29 disposals, Eddie Betts kicked three goals, while Cam Ellis-Yolmen booted two among his 20 touches.
The Crows host the Western Bulldogs on Friday night and Port travel to China to play Gold Coast next Saturday in Shanghai.
The season of player movement is almost over and the draft is just around the corner. However, the playing list and coaching list including other things are just about finalised and teams have started their pre-season training. Each team has expectations, risers and fallers and this article will preview each team and how they should […]
‘Boy, oh, boy, wowee!’ to quote Brian Taylor. My 2018 predictions have got off to an exhilarating start, with a couple of upsets and shocks to start the season.
My Round 2 predictions proved to have some close exciting games along with an upset or two.
Like Port Adelaide (who I looked at in my last analysis), cross-town rival Adelaide looms as one of the clubs most likely to shape this year’s draft order, with picks 8, 13, 16, and 21.
With the home-and-away season, the finals series, and the trade period all completed, it’s time to do not only a review of each club’s 2018 season (complete with expectation comparisons), but the expectations for the coming 2019 campaign.
