Australian Football

Match Report

Port Adelaide has virtually assured itself of a place in the finals and kept alive its top four hopes with a hard-fought win over a plucky Collingwood at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday. The match started off slowly, with a very uninspiring first quarter producing just three goals, but an early second-quarter burst set up what proved to one the decisive break for the Power, allowing them to absorb a third-quarter challenge from the Magpies and record a 27-point win.

The Power kicked an early goal through Patrick Ryder but Collingwood then set up a highly defensive high-possession structure that prevented Port from scoring another major until very late in the term. However, the game plan - or perhaps poor execution of it - also seemed to hamper the Magpies' own ability to score. They did not manage a major until Jamie Elliott kicked their first at the 22-minute mark, but an answering goal from Sam Gray had Port ahead by seven points at quarter time.

Another low-scoring quarter looked likely when the first five minutes produced only two behinds to the Power but they suddenly broke the shackles after that, majors to Dan Houston, Ollie Wines and Jack Neade saw them jump to a 27-point lead. The Magpies fought back late in the term, kicking three of the last four goals, but Port had a comfortable lead of 22 points at the half. 

With Brendon Ah Chee and Robbie Gray kicking the first two goals of the second half, Port took a 34-point lead that was going to be hard to run down, but the Magpies certainly made a fist of it, with four majors in a row, two to Ben Reid and one each to Will Hoskin-Elliott and Steele Sidebottom, cutting the margin to just eight points. But a late goal to Charlie Dixon had Port's lead back out to 15 at the last change.

Jarman Impey got the all-important first goal of the final quarter, extending Port's lead to 21 points, and although Collingwood made several comeback attempts from there, the Power always managed to find a goal when they needed one, eventually recording a 27-point win that, while not overly convincing, keeps them in the hunt for a top four spot and the double chance.

For Port, Chad Wingard (32 possessions, eight marks) and Brad Ebert (28 disposals, five marks) played important roles in the win while Collingwood's best included Sidebottom (27 touches, seven tackles) and Taylor Adams (31 disposals, nine tackles).

To keep its top four chances alive, Port Adelaide will have to defeat the Western Bulldogs at Eureka Stadium in Ballarat. The Power will then host Gold Coast at home in round 23. Collingwood, now mathematically out of the finals equation, will see out its season with matches against Geelong and Melbourne at the MCG.

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Boak, R. Gray, S. Gray 2; Wines, Houston, Ryder, Ah Chee, Neade, Dixon, Impey, Howard
Collingwood: Reid 4; Moore, Elliott, Phillips, Sidebottom, Hoskin-Elliott, Blair

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Wingard, R. Gray, Dixon, Ebert, Wines, Westhoff, Neade
Collingwood: Sidebottom, Reid, Adams, Treloar, Crisp, Howe

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Collingwood: De Goey (groin), Hoskin-Elliott (hip)

UMPIRES: Fisher, Rosebury, Deboy

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COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Gerard Healy, Mark Ricciuto, David King