Australian Football

Match Report

Port Adelaide has just pipped a feisty Brisbane outfit to maintain a place in the top eight and keep alive the hopes of finals action in coach Ken Hinkley's first year at the helm. In a low-scoring yet highly entertaining match, there was never more than 13 points between the two sides and Brisbane, which kicked with the aid of the breeze in the last term, had several chances to steal the points but couldn't quite bring off a win that would have kept its slim finals chances alive.

Kicking with the wind in the first term the Power used it reasonably well to set up a 12-point quarter time lead, and then defended against it well in the second quarter to set up a 10-point half-time buffer. But as play opened up in the third term, a combination of missed shots from Port Adelaide and accurate kicking from Brisbane allowed the Lions to close the gap to just four points at the final change.

With the breeze at its back, Brisbane was expected to attack strongly in the final term and push for a victory that would see Port tipped out of the top eight. But the Power, using an extra man in the backline, defended strongly, to the point that neither side even scored in the first 15 minutes of the quarter.

A goal to the Lions would have seen them take the lead but at the 16-minute mark, a crucial error from Brisbane defender Daniel Merrett, in which he marked and then was called to play on after the umpire deemed he had stepped off his line, saw Port wrestle the ball free from him. It ricocheted around in the hands of several players before falling to ground in the Power goal-squarem, where Chad Wingard swooped and kicked what proved to be the match-winning goal for Port.

Brisbane did have two shots at goal after that point but missed both to eventually finish nine points adrift of Port in what was an enthralling encounter.

The victory enabled Port to maintain a place in the eight. The Power, who will face Adelaide in a Showdown encounter next Sunday, have a one game break over ninth-placed Carlton. A win for Brisbane would have left it within a game of the top eight but the heartbreaking loss now leaves it three games adrift with virtually chance of September action.

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Schulz 2; Moore, Mitchell, Wines, Westhoff, Butcher, Monfries, Wingard
Brisbane: Brown, Zorko 2; Bewick, Crisp, Green, Merrett, Moloney

BEST - THE AGE
Port Adelaide: Boak, Moore, O'Shea, Hartlett, Broadbent, Wingard
Brisbane: Rockliff, Redden, Patfull, Leuenberger, Adcock, Bewick

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Boak, Hartlett, Moore, Schulz, Mitchell, Broadbent
Brisbane: Rockliff, Leuenberger, Redden, Moloney, Golby, Adcock

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Brisbane: Moloney (hamstring)

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Sam Colquhoun replaced Dom Cassisi at three-quarter-time
Brisbane: Jack Crisp replaced Ashley McGrath at three-quarter-time

UMPIRES: Margetts, Ryan, Schmitt

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Danny Frawley, Brad Johnson, Cameron Mooney