Port Adelaide defeated West Coast 13.17 (95) to 8.5 (53) on Good Friday at Optus Stadium, and here are my key takeaways for Port Adelaide.
Let’s start with my top five players.
Ollie Wines
Wines gets the nod as my best on ground. He was good early but really grew into the game to become the dominant force on the ground.
Port fans have been questioning if he was underdone, but the big-bodied midfielder carried a huge load on his broad shoulders.
Wines had the most touches (35) on the ground, the most inside-50s (ten), and the second most clearances (seven) and metres gained (636).
Kicked a huge goal to put the final nail in the West Coast coffin.
Tom Rockliff
The Rocknaissance continues, with Rocky being excellent all night with 32 touches and six clearances.
He finds the ball and gets it forward as best he can. If he has time, he’s an excellent kick, but if he needs to throw it on the boot, that’s what he does.
Does what he needs to time and time again. Important link man when the Port get their handball game going as well.
Sam Gray
Credit where credit is due. Last week Gray responded to widespread derision with three goals and this week he collected another two to go with 26 touches and five tackles in a hard-working performance.
In addition, he had the second most inside fifties (seven) on the ground and chipped in with four clearances playing largely forward.
Certainly not a fashionable player, but a cunningly clever one who works hard and has gelled well with the new recruits. He has ‘Port Adelaide player’ written all over him.
Sam Powell-Pepper
Had an excellent start to this game, opening the scoring in impressive fashion.
His stats belie the impact he had on the game, as he battered into bodies, chased like a madman and showed Eagles players a clean pair of heels repeatedly.
After an average start to the season, he has elevated his running game and it was on show on Friday.
At times it looked like he was running on air while Eagles players struggled through treacle, shown by his 513 metres gained for the night.
Travis Boak
Boak set the tone early with his herculean efforts.
In the second quarter, Mark Hutchings switched to more of a shut-down role on Boak, showing the influence he was having, but attempts to close him opened space for others.
Travis ended up with 23 touches and a game-high clearance total of eight in another crucial performance.
The moment
Connor Rozee had a quieter night stats-wise, but is already a player who makes every touch count.
Late in the third quarter, Scott Lycett created a contest in a two-on-one at half forward.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
The ball tumbled out the back and a charging Rozee pounced on it without even breaking stride, burning off first Shannon Hurn and then Liam Duggan – while taking a bounce in the wet – and slotting an effortless snap from 35 out.
This was the moment that sent significant numbers of despondent Eagles supporters to the train station at three-quarter time.
The stat
The inside-50 count closed as a shocking blow-out for Port, 71 to 38, summing up the one-sided dominance that no-one saw coming.
The call
Coach Ken Hinkley resisted calls for more widespread changes and stuck with his young guns, and they rewarded him by running through brick walls for him all night.
Meanwhile, the veterans and middle-tier players played at a shockingly high level.
The play
For their second goal in the first quarter, Port put together a stunning play that summarised the night.
Having regained possession, Port went to Todd Marshall in the centre square, he handballed to Zak Butters, who sidestepped Jack Petruccelle.
He thumped a handball to Brad Ebert, who immediately unloaded hands to Powell-Pepper charging through the centre square.
He then found Gray with a neat little kick at half forward, who cleverly put a left-foot snap over the oncoming Eagles player to find Xavier Duursma breaking into 50 alone.
Duursma ran in to coolly slot the goal – his kicking technique on the run is a thing of beauty.
Wild youthful talent combined with more experienced heads in an unexpected mix right out of the mad scientist’s lab.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
The takeaway
In one of the upsets of the year, Port applied huge pressure while taking the game on in exciting fashion.
Forget never giving up, this was never letting up. And for a team with so many young players, on a ground Port had never won on, it was seriously impressive.
Port suffocated the Eagles with their full-team press, while ruthlessly exploiting turnovers in direct and devastating fashion.
This was a shock-and-awe performance that no-one saw coming.
By the end of the night, there was not an area of the game Port didn’t dominate against the reigning premiers on their home deck.
Port have not just escaped the straitjacket of the expectations they were forming, but they have knocked down the padded walls and launched themselves into the stratosphere.
Where they will land is still anyone’s guess, but like an addict who has guiltily gorged themselves on too much of a good thing, I am remorselessly requesting more of the same please.
maxy
Roar Rookie
definitely feels like there has been a major... lets call it attitude change at port,total buy in from all players and to add burton butters drew duursma lycett and rozee into that team and a few positional changes and game plan overhaul all over a summers break is quite impressive so far.have had my doubts over Hinkley [not as much of some facebook port supporters] more to the point hes been there 7 years now and apart from a couple years have been a middle of the road team.i wouldn't underestimate a couple of coaching appointments either,havent watched all games,should have beaten Brisbane,didnt deserve to beat Richmond..but probably should have,that would make for interesting reading,still not sold on them for a genuine contender this year ….just starting to feel there has been a shift for the better,to still have hartlett,motlop,dixon,broadbent ,amon farell and lienert on stanby makes it interesting
Powa
Roar Rookie
people underestimated their depth
Grand-Dag
Roar Rookie
Absolutely Excellent! The more disruption the better - means no game is assured and every body has to play to their best ability. Brings back the 'X' factor. Bulies in 16, Richmond in 17 and the Eagles in 18. Pure team work won these GF's, not some super-stars, just the overall team playing together to achieve a goal. This has usually been the case but this year it may well be the year of 'Best Teamwork on the Day'. Looking forward to it and very happy to see the turmoil continue.
User
Roar Rookie
And I wouldn't be shocked if Tim English is at WC soon enough. Ruck division is not that bad and is biggest issue ATM is Vardy has been average a few times.
Klompy
Guest
When Naitanui went down in his first knee had lycett doing a good job. But need a young ruckman to support him. The Eagles let a couple of young talented ruckman go in the draft who were from WA. We got Vardy which has help a bit But now with the rule changes I just can not understand we let a couple of good young ruckman go. I think it has come back on the Eagles and the team is in trouble.
User
Roar Rookie
How many wins do top of the table st Kilda have? Only one me than wce, so this trouble your speaking of is were?
Klompy
Guest
The West Coast Eagles were pathetic on Friday night. Beyond Disappointing. I just can not understand why the Eagles have not developed a young ruckman. When Naitunai went down and lost Lycett over the last few years. They brought in Vardy, and they should of recruited a very good young Ruckman like they drafted Bailey Williams last year. Not an older ruckman but a young ruckman who can develop in the next couple of years. Like now would of been handy. The Eagles have overlooked a couple of very young talented ruckman in the draft and now they are in trouble. It is filtering down the team the eagles are not giving the forward the supply as the Midfield is losing the midfield and clearance battle. Just a very Disappointing thing that should not be happening, The Eagles should be in the top two not in the middle of the pack and in trouble.
Seymorebutts
Roar Rookie
In fairness, in two of the last three games Port where in front when the siren went...in the other one Port were taking the Eagles to the cleaners until until Ryder went down. So they could have won the last 4 in a row if not for some after the siren heroics by Shuey and the Guv.. very good team the Power.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
The ladder should be settling but it still looks weird. Tigers will be the fast risers.
Gerry
Roar Rookie
Yep thanks we dropped six last year 3 at home and 3 away. Sydney beat us twice haha. Still ended up second. Now half of the teams are on 3:2 . It’s tight.
User
Roar Rookie
We lost to North Melbourne and Essendon in similar manner last year.
Gerry
Roar Rookie
I must admit I thought Brisbane was an excusable blip but from what we saw on Friday there are some major concerns for the Eagles. It was not the fact they lost but the way in which they lost. I don’t think anyone expects them to win every game but something was seriously missing in the team on Friday. Let’s not get too carried away but whatever it is needs to be sorted out quick smart or we will be humiliated when we go to Geelong next week . Looks as if we have premiership blues. The team that took apart Collingwood at the G was completely absent. Come n guys we believe in you just believe in yourself. Suck it up and get back on the winners table please.
Cat
Roar Guru
It was purposeful. Like Port supporters exuberance.
Pelican
Roar Rookie
An over hyped use of superlatives Kilroy
User
Roar Rookie
Was definitely a plan b, reposition of players etc but port where better and a bit peeved due to other losses to WC and the loss to Richmond.
User
Roar Rookie
Was an excellent coaching performance by Hinkley/ schoey and crew. WC where poor but considering how even every game has pretty much been this year if you're off 5% you'll get done. As derm said yesterday WC are the number one seed so port deserve high praise for that match.
Cat
Roar Guru
And Port supporters still get way over hyped too easily after a game or two.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Port are still the most bipolar club in the competition. Can smash the premier at home and lose to the suns in Adelaide.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Port were very good and the eagles were poor, but Port came with a plan and executed which caught the eagles out.
Gary
Roar Rookie
It will be an interesting game in a fortnight when Port meet the Pies, also away. I didn't see the game, but read all of Port put in and the Eagles just didn't turn up... or was it a lack of a plan B given the weather conditions? You would think both teams can benefit from that game. Either way, sounds like Port is keen to venture into September. And Freo beats GWS away... tipping 9/9 this season will be a big ask.