Down three men at the start of the final quarter, the Port Adelaide Power were strangely vulnerable.
I say “weirdly” because they were a much better team for most of the game, but their inaccuracy allowed the Saints to get close enough to worry them. Two quick goals, and no turnovers, could have told a story.
The Force entered the final stanza without Alire Alire, who exited the game with a concussion, Sam Powell-Pepper, who is awaiting tests after injuring his knee, and Connor Rosie, who is dealing with hamstring pain. Combine that with the perilous state of Port’s ‘Team Yeps’, and the Saints had a chance to pinch one of their own.
But winning away from home is hard to come by, and every time Saints get close, Port manage to find a way to fight back. If I were to describe this match and win, I would call it a “nugget.” It was a hard-fought win for the Force, who were seemingly in control of the points, but failed to take full advantage, allowing the Saints a chance…if they were good enough.
It wasn’t Port’s best work – perhaps a long way off, but they got four points the hard way.
Among all that, it was a pleasure to watch a young man with a famous name become one of the best players on the field.
There’s a lot to do in this game – let’s move on to The Mongrel’s Good, Bad, and Ugly.
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