Australian Football

Match Report

An upset win over Sydney has propelled a resurgent Port Adelaide back into the top eight and given coach Ken Hinkley a strong chance of participating in finals football in his first year at the helm of the Power. On a wet and windy afternoon at Football Park the Power overcame a sluggish start to finish all over a stunned Sydney Swans side, running out winners by 18 points.

The Swans, with first use of the breeze, opened up a handy 17-point break over Port at quarter time and kept the Power at bay when they had use of it in the second term, leading by nine points at the long break. But when the third term commenced and the Swans had the winds at their back it was Port Adelaide that made all the running. They kept Sydney at bay for most of the quarter, with Goodes scoring Sydney's only goal, while kicking two of their own, through Angus Monfries and Jay Schulz, to reduce the margin to four points at the final break.

Despite Port having the wind in the final term, there was an expectation among many, if not most, that the reigning premiers would regroup and hold Port Adelaide off. And when Kieran Jack responded to a Monfries goal that had given the Power the lead temporarily in the opening minute, that expectation was reinforced. But Port would not be denied. Chad Wingard gave the lead back to Port at the six-minute mark, but when Mitch Morton replied for the Swans four minutes later, it would be Sydney's last hurrah. From that point on Ken Hinkley's charges took complete control, kicking the final three goals of the match, through Robbie Gray, Wingard and Justin Westhoff, to give the Power a highly meritorious win.

Port's victory was set up by veteran Chad Cornes (21 disposals), Wingard (three goals, 20 possessions) and Brad Ebert (26 touches), while Kieran Jack (23 disposals and two goals), Josh Kennedy (31 touches) and Nick Malceski (26 possessions) did all they could to keep the Swans in the game.

The unexpected loss sees Sydney now sitting surprisingly outside the to four, half a game behind Essendon. The Swans will host ninth-placed Carlton on Friday night and a win over the Blues would do Port Adelaide another favour, who take on seventh-placed Collingwood at Football Park on Saturday.

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Wingard 3; Monfries 2; Broadbent, Neade, Schulz, Westhoff, Gray
Sydney: Goodes, Jack, Tippett 2; Mitchell, Morton

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Wingard, Monfries, Cornes, Wines, Broadbent, Hartlett
Sydney: Malceski, K. Jack, McVeigh, Kennedy, O'Keefe

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Ebert, Broadbent, Cornes, Wingard, Gray, Westhoff, Lobbe
Sydney: Kennedy, Jack, O'Keefe, McVeigh, Pyke, Malceski

COACHES' COMMENTS
Ken Hinkley (Port): Today a young group took Sydney on and weren't intimidated by their physical presence and just kept playing hard all day. I'm really proud of the way they did it. Our good game last week [against GWS] was about our pressure and we knew that we had to bring that today against Sydney and they [the players] did it.

John Longmire (Syd): I thought we started well. At quarter time I thought things were going okay but unfortunately Port Adelaide turned the pressure up and I don't think we handled it as well as we should have. They kicked 9.6 from turnovers and we kicked three behinds from turnovers. I think that was probably the story of the game. We didn't use the ball well when we had our turn, weren't able to make them pay.

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Stewart (back) replaced in selected side by Campbell Heath
Sydney: Adam Goodes (knee)

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Jasper Pittard replaced Matt Thomas at three-quarter time
Sydney: Jed Lamb replaced Adam Goodes at three-quarter time

UMPIRES: McBurney, Farmer, Pannell