AFTER disappointing fans with their performances in the first two weeks of the AFL season, Port Adelaide headed to Geelong in the third game of the year to take on a side undefeated in its first year under the tutelage of Chris Scott.
The Power made one enforced change to the side, with inspirational skipper Dom Cassisi ruled out after being injured in the opening moments of the Round 2 game versus West Coast at AAMI Stadium - an injury he gritted his teeth and played through until the half-time siren.
Cam Hitchcock was also omitted from the side, with exciting youngster Hamish Hartlett coming into the team alongside the experience and forward threat of Daniel Motlop. The game was something of a homecoming for Power coach Matthew Primus, who was a rookie at Geelong and whose grandfather - the legendary Reg Hickey - has a stand named after him at the ground.
The Power began with Hartlett, Danyle Pearce and Kane Cornes joining substitute Jason Davenport on the bench; the previous week Davenport had come onto the ground at half-time to replace Cassisi, booting three goals against West Coast.
As always, Dean Brogan lead the charges from the ruck, alongside fellow midfielders David Rodan, Matt Thomas and Travis Boak. Matthew Broadbent laid a great tackle to begin proceedings to stop Geelong rampaging forward, indicating the Power’s defensive mindset early on - it was followed by further hard-tackling efforts from Paul Stewart and Matt Thomas. Cam O’Shea, in just his third game, was out-bodied by Podsiadly, who failed to make the most of his opportunity, failing to register a score.
From the resulting free Port went coast to coast with some great spread, but Chad Cornes failed to make the most of the opportunity after gifting the ball to Daniel Motlop. The Power kept the ball inside their forward 50 with some excellent defensive work forcing the ball out on the full, then some top tackling deep forward restricting Geelong’s run.
The ball pinged around the ground with Geelong opening proceedings with a point before Port once more had opportunities to put scoreboard pressure on the Cats, but errant kicking saw the scoreboard fail to open. Eventually Motlop secured an opportunity but pushed it wide with the wind. Irons missed Chad deep inside 50 with the pass, while Pittard didn’t make the distance, and neither did Gray with a snap around the body, Geelpong rushing the ball over the line before sweeping it forward, with Bobby cutting it off. Chad missed another opportunity to kick the first goal, before Stevie Johnson made the breeze look like it wasn’t a factor, kicking the first goal of the game.
From the ball up the Power worked the ball quickly forward but Rodan failed to kick straight too, registering Port’s fourth behind for the game. Finally, Justin Westhoff was able to boot one trhoguh at the 13 minute mark of the game, giving the Power the lead by 2 points.
The Power worked the ball forward quickly from a free at the centre bounce but Motlop was pinged for a push in the back. It was a scrappy contest early, with Geelong adding another point before a nice mark to Motlop across half-back saw the Power able to drive the ball forward where Gray again missed an opportunity to put scoreboard pressure on Geelong.
Eventually Menzel was able to goal towards the end of the quarter to extend Geelong’s lead in a quarter that was lacklustre in skill partly due to the strong wind, if not in endeavour.
Quarter time: Power 1.5.11 to Cats 2.6.18. Goal to Westhoff. Rodan with 8 possessions, 7 apiece to Pearce and Pittard, and Hartlett 5 in his first quarter for 2011.
The wind again caused major concerns for both clubs in the early stages of the second term before a 50 metre penalty to Chad after he marked it on half-back saw him roost it long to where Robbie Gray took a spectacular mark at the four minute mark, hauling in an absolute hanger, and then slotting the goal.
An opportunity was missed to take the lead after some clever work by Rodan to earn the free by handballing in front of himself on the forward flank was missed after Brogan failed to hit Thomas with the handball in the goal square.
A number of opportunities came and went with Geelong stretching the lead out to 4 points before, eventually, a goal was kicked by Hunt from the 50 metre arc. Hawkins kicked another poster, making it an 11 poiint gap at the 17 minute mark of the quarter. Excellent defensive pressure saw the ball held around the 50 metre arc of the Cats’ forward line, and eventually Chapman was able to snap a goal after the ball rebounded off Brogan’s knee. Stokes added another soon after.
As the quarter wound down, Ling added to scoreboard with another goal from the 50.
Half time: 2.5 to 6.11. Goals to Westhoff and Gray. Logan, Pearce, Pittard 13 possessions, Boak 12, Rodan 11, Kornes, Harteltt, Trengove 9, Brogan 8 and 9 hit-outs.
Both sides had opportunities to kick goals, with both registering points within the first 5 minutes of the third term. Chapman’s mark in a pack saw him boot another goal to make the margin 46 points. Robbie Gray was getting more of the ball around the ground rather than playing deep forward, but the Power simply couldn’t keep the ball out of the hands of prime movers such as Johnson, Kelly, Chapman and Selwood, with Podsiadly duly drilling another goal, making it 6 in a row for the Cats.
Brad Ottens made it 7 goals in a row for the Cats in a dominant display at home, with their ball movement through the middle of the ground inspired, with Hawkins adding to the domination.
Finally the Power was able to move the ball forward, with Rodan hitting Daniel Stewart on the lead. He duly drilled the goal at the 19 minute mark, kicking the Power’s third goal for the day. Geelong immediately answered to push the lead back out to 56 points, before Chad kicked a goal from a snap around the body.
Davenport was subbed in for Irons late in the third term. Some nice ball movement alongside the wing resulted in Hamish Hartlett taking a strong mark inside the 50, and the skilled midfielder kicked the goal - Port had by this time kicked more goals in the third term than in the entire first half.
Three quarter time: 5.7.37 to 11.14.80. Goals to Westhoff, Gray, D Stewart, Cornes, Hartlett. Boak 22 disposals, Pearce 19, Kornes 18, Logan and Pittard 17, Rodan, P Stewart 15, Hartlett 4, Brogan 13 and 11 hit-outs.
Geelong continued along their clinical way in the last term, with their midfield regularly slicing by the finest of cuts into their forward 50 - their ability to move the ball cleanly, quickly and efficiently is something that’s definitely to be admired.
Elementary mistakes certainly didn’t help the Power, with punches back inside 50 and towards direct opponents gifting the Cats goals. The floodgates certainly opened in the final term, with the Cats moving the ball at will - the wind was making things difficult, holding up kicks when you’d expect it to push them deeper, and at times working in the exact opposite way. Eventually the Power worked the way forward, with Gray soccering through his second goal of the day to make it a 56 point margin.
Geelong were dominant throughout the day - they simply didn’t allow Port to get hands on the ball in a display of ruthless football.
Final Scores: 6.7.43 to 17.20.122
Best: Boak, Brogan, Logan.
Crowd: 22,420.
