The Power have continued their sensational run of form, beating Melbourne in a rain-soaked epic on Friday night footy as the Power moved to second on the ladder.
But in the end, the Power’s makeshift attack was able to overcome some missed opportunities in tough conditions help the side to a gutsy four-point home win over Melbourne.
Spearheads Charlie Dixon (quad) and Todd Marshall (concussion) were sidelined, as was the suspended Junior Rioli, leaving a very different looking Power forward line than in its previous game against Melbourne.
In the round 18 match in Alice Springs last year, Port had Dixon and Marshall, together with high flyer Mitch Georgiades and left-footer Jeremy Finlayson.
Georgiades suffered a season-ending knee injury last month, while small forward Orazio Fantasia (quad) was also unavailable.
That left mainstay Finlayson, alongside long-time defenders Darcy Byrne-Jones and Ryan Burton, fourth-game tall Ollie Lord and a pair of inexperienced goalsneaks – Jed McEntee (17 matches) and Francis Evans (11).
Between them, they managed five goals and six behinds for the match.
Their pressure was on song in the first two quarters, helping to ensure the hosts led the time in forward half statistic 62 per cent to 38 per cent.
Port also claimed 10 marks inside 50s to Melbourne’s six to the long break.
But the Power did not make it count, leaving the door open for the Demons.
“Realistically, they should be five goals up,” Eddie Betts said on Fox Footy at half-time.
“They’re just missing their shots.”
Fox Footy’s Garry Lyon added: “They’ve only kicked five goals in a half despite the dominance and that would be an issue for Ken”.
The Demons turned the game with a seven-goal to three third term to turn a 14-point deficit at the long break to an 11-point lead at the last one.
But the Power’s forwards were able to help them answer.
And their pressure was huge late.
Finlayson was lively in the first quarter, kicking a goal before a quiet next two terms.
He bobbed up to slot a major in the final quarter that brought the Power within four points.
Then came Lord’s big moment.
The 197cm grandson of Geelong’s 1962 Brownlow medallist Alistair Lord took a diving mark, resembling a slip’s catch in the forward pocket from a shanked Dylan Williams shot and showed incredible composure to convert a snap on his right foot.
“It’s massive the fact that Dixon’s out, Marshall’s out, it’s very important for Lord to stand up and take his opportunities when he can,” Luke Hodge said on Channel 7.
Byrne-Jones had a game-high 11 tackles, while Evans had six.
The Power’s forward pressure was immense, laying 18 tackles inside 50 to the Demons’ six.
Port also ended up winning inside 50 (61-48) and marks inside 50 (17-12).
Burton, who kicked a goal in the first term, moved back during the last quarter to cover the injured Trent McKenzie and took a crucial, late mark.
SPP’S PARTY TRICK
In the first game of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, Port’s indigenous stars did the damage on the scoreboard early as the home side jumped out to a 12-point lead at the first break.
Sam Powell-Pepper got the ball rolling in spectacular fashion, kicking a superb goal while facing away from the big sticks.
Powell-Pepper was in the right place at the right time to snare a deft Scott Lycett tap and quickly send the ball sailing back over his head for a party trick goal.
Jeremy Finlayson made up for an earlier miss with after the ball fell in his lap and Jason Horne-Francis made it three goals in a row after the siren.
Port’s lead stretched to 25 points in the second term after Dan Houston made it five majors in succession.
Butters continued his rich vein of form with 23 possessions in the first half, five more than the next highest tally on the ground that belonged to Rozee.
Clayton Oliver aside, Melbourne’s midfielders weren’t having the same impact, Christian Petracca with just seven touches at the main break.
But if there was one blot on the Power’s copybook it’s that they didn’t kick straight in front of goal and should’ve been further up than 14 points at half-time.
FLAT ATTACK FIRES
The Demons owned the top-ranked attack in the competition after nine rounds, averaging 106.9 points a match, but they were restricted to their lowest first-quarter and first-half scores of the season.
Melbourne kicked back-to-back goals for the first time when Bayley Fritsch bobbed up for a couple late in the first half, but the task of pegging back the home side’s lead was made more difficult by the driving rain that lashed Adelaide Oval during the third quarter.
But the Demons lifted in the sodden conditions.
On the back of a much-improved performance at the stoppages, Melbourne’s sputtering attack roared to life with a blistering six-goal burst.
The resurgent Demons led by 17 points when local lad Brodie Grundy, a one-time recruiting target of the Power, booted his first and raised his index finger to his lips to shush the booing crowd.
CASUALTY WARD
Travis Boak suffered a heavy knock to the back in the first quarter, but soldiered on before he was subbed out in the third term.
Jake Bowey also left the game in the third quarter after picking up a calf injury.
Rozee was left dazed and had blood streaming from a hand, also in an eventful third term, after a high hit from Lachie Hunter that saw the former Bulldog reported.
POWER 3.2 5.7 8.8 11.14 (80)
DEMONS 1.2 3.5 10.7 11.10 (76)
PHELAN’S BEST POWER: Butters, Rozee, Houston, Horne-Francis, Drew, Powell-Pepper, Wines. DEMONS: Oliver, Hunter, Rivers, May, Gawn, Petracca, Salem.
GOALS POWER: Butters 2, Finlayson 2, Lord 2, Powell-Pepper, Rozee, Houston, Horne-Francis, Burton. DEMONS: Fritsch 2, McDonald 2, van Rooyen, Pickett, Petracca, Spargo, Hunter, Grundy, Chandler.
INJURIES POWER: Boak (ribs). DEMONS: Bowey (calf).
REPORTS: Hunter for rough conduct on Rozee in the third quarter.
UMPIRES: Haussen, Broadbent, Deboy, Gavine
37,565 at ADELAIDE OVAL
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Butters (Port)
2 Oliver (Mel)
1 Rozee (Port)