Four goals from returning small forward Orazio Fantasia has helped Port Adelaide dominate Geelong by 43 points in the second qualifying final, but they’ll be sweating on his fitness after he was subbed off in the fourth quarter.
Fantasia kicked four cracking goals, including Port’s first two of the second half, to put them out of reach of their opponents, but had ice on his left knee after being taken out of the game early in the final quarter.
It was a small forward’s night in Adelaide, with Steven Motlop and medical sub Sam Powell-Pepper adding two goals each, alongside single majors to Robbie Gray and Zak Butters. Todd Marshall and Peter Ladhams added goals from the tall timber department, while Charlie Dixon played a much better game than his absence from the scoresheet suggested.
Travis Boak (32 disposals, eight clearances, seven tackles, ten score involvements) and Ollie Wines (32 disposals, four clearances) were their usual dominant selves in the midfield, Aliir Aliir was taking intercept marks for fun when the game was there to be won, while vastly superior forward pressure (12 tackles inside 50 to three) also played a huge role in the dominant win.
Mitch Duncan (32 disposals, 13 marks) was admirable in his first game back from injury, but the rest of the Geelong midfield brigade was well down on their usual output. Patrick Dangerfield could only manage 23 mostly low-impact touches, while Joel Selwood (16 disposals) and Cam Guthrie (17) were also quiet.
Geelong peppered the goals early in the first quarter but, in a repeat of last year’s qualifying final, where they kicked 5.12, could only manage three minor scores.
They were made to pay, eventually, after a turnover from Lachie Henderson on the half back flank gave Gray the ball. He was able to find a free Motlop inside 50 and the ex-Cat opened the scoring from point blank.
Port get their first through Motlop ⚡️
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— 7AFL (@7AFL) August 27, 2021
Both sides were evenly poised in the early part of the early quarter, but a 9-3 advantage to Geelong in the free kick tally had the 20,000-strong crowd irate. A particularly contentious dangerous tackle free kick had the commentators in disbelief, but the footy gods ensured Brandan Parfitt’s set shot sailed wide.
"Oh no… really?!"
This was called a dangerous tackle against Karl Amon; thoughts? ????
???? BLOG: https://t.co/mPCkGPG0wk
???? MATCH CENTRE: https://t.co/q27lD0Nur4
???? WATCH #AFLPowerCats #AFLFinals: https://t.co/gdcak8QtIH pic.twitter.com/6Zlb662NcF— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) August 27, 2021
Mitch Duncan started his first game in more than two months with a point to prove, gathering 11 disposals inside the first 15 minutes and having the quality of his disposals praised by Daisy Pearce in the Seven commentary team.
But the Cats couldn’t convert on the scoreboard and the Power were able to get themselves back on top of proceedings and establish a ten-point lead at the first break.
Fresh off being named to his first All Australian side, Aliir was causing havoc in defence too. Without an obvious opponent, he was racking up intercept possessions for fun – including five in the first quarter.
His last two directly set up goals, with a strong effort on ex-teammate Gary Rohan setting Ladhams up for an important major, before another set up Fantasia with six seconds left.
Aliir Aliir's FOURTH intercept mark sets up a Port goal just before the QT siren ????
???? BLOG: https://t.co/mPCkGPG0wk
???? MATCH CENTRE: https://t.co/q27lD0Nur4
???? WATCH #AFLPowerCats #AFLFinals: https://t.co/gdcak8QtIH pic.twitter.com/odgsv3PeH1— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) August 27, 2021
The Fox Footy panel sung his praises during the quarter time break, with Jason Dunstall declaring the “best man on the ground” had to be Aliir at that stage.
“How does he keep taking these intercept marks?” Nick Riewoldt added.
“Surely Geelong had a plan coming in? They absolutely did, trouble [is], it hasn’t worked,” he said.
Port started the second quarter the better of the two sides and got their third goal in a row off a shocking kick backwards by Patrick Dangerfield that Motlop converted into his second.
Their rampant pressure inside 50 had the Cats feeling the heat, although questionable umpiring decisions were keeping them off the scoreboard and ensuring the game was played to almost constant booing.
When Fantasia kicked his second after a sublime one-handed pickup, the Power were out by 25 and the Cats were on the ropes. Their night got even worse too after Mark O’Connor came off with a hamstring injury.
Sam Simpson and Marshall traded late goals, with Port heading to the sheds at half time up by 29 points.
The third quarter proved to be more of an arm wrestle, with Fantasia’s sublime running goal from outside 50 the lone highlight, but Port were still keeping Geelong nowhere near the scoreboard.
Their relentless pressure inside 50 saw the Cats cough up exit after exit, but the visiting back six put in a Herculean effort to restrict the damage to a solitary goal.
Fantasia’s fourth at the start of the last quarter made the margin seemingly unassailable, but Joel Selwood was able to peg one back for the Cats soon after.
Hawkins put through his second from the goal line just a few minutes later to give Geelong a pulse.
But time was well and truly against them, with Port running out the clock and adding two exclamation points through Powell-Pepper.
Port Adelaide now enjoy a week off and, COVID permitting, will host a preliminary final at the Adelaide Oval, while Geelong must play the winner of Saturday’s Sydney derby in Perth next week.
Port Adelaide – 12.14 (86)
Geelong Cats – 5.13 (43)
Power: Fantasia 4, Motlop 2, Powell-Pepper 2, Gray, Ladhams, Marshall, Butters
Cats: Hawkins 2, Cameron, Simpson, Selwood
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