AHEAD of their meeting in Round 3 of the 2018 AFL Premiership Season we thought we would look back at one of the best clashes between Port Adelaide and Brisbane.

The Power and Lions had been by far the best two sides of the 2002 season but just which side would take out the minor premiership all came down to the final game of the season at AAMI Stadium on August 31.

46,439 supporters were on hand to witness the spectacle, which would go down as one of the greatest games in the club’s AFL history to date.

Neither side was able to break away in the first half, despite the Lions leading by 10 points at the main break.

Creative forward Chad Cornes had taken up a defensive role on rampant Brisbane forward Jonathan Brown and Cornes dished up a performance which would see him feature permanently in that position for years to come.

The Power seemed to have broken the game apart in the third term by booting 7.5 to 1.3 but the Lions came roaring back and hit the lead by a point with four minutes left in the match.

With time ticking away, Nick Stevens sent a desperate kick forward to a contest deep inside 50. 

Peter Burgoyne wasn’t able to hold the mark but Roger James - who had been best on ground with 31 touches, nine clearances, five tackles and a goal already - won the crumb and hooked around his body to kick his second goal and win the match for the home side.

The six-point result sealed Port Adelaide’s first AFL minor premiership and an important confidence-boosting win heading into the finals.

PORT ADELAIDE    1.2   5.4   12.9  13.12 (90)                  

BRISBANE              1.2   7.2   8.5    13.6   (84)      


GOALS

Port Adelaide: James, Wanganeen, Primus, Dew 2, P Burgoyne, K Cornes, S Burgoyne, Guerra, Francou

Brisbane: Akermanis 3, Voss, Headland 2, Lynch, Hart, Black, Leppitsch, Brown, Power


BEST 

Port Adelaide: James, Wanganeen, Primus, C Cornes, P Burgoyne, Carr, Stevens, Poulton 

Brisbane: Black, Voss, Pike, Headland, Akermanis, B Scott, Hart


Umpires: James, Allen, McLaren

Official crowd: 46,439 at Football Park

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