POWER FAILURE by George on the Outer

South Australians should be well familiar with the damage that storms can do to the power supply.  But Port Power forgot those lessons on Thursday night football as they watched the Melbourne storm descend upon them from across the border and ruin their hopes of a top four placing.

Just as equally, the win to the Demons cemented their spot in the top two and sent out the message that a team who had been going around in circles for the past couple of weeks, has in fact, turned into a cyclone.

The first quarter of the game was emblematic of a grand final match, such was the intensity.  It wasn’t just two top sides playing each other, but two sides who had a lot at stake.  Melbourne could drop to fifth spot with a failure, and Port was eyeing a potential top two placing.

This was the intensity not seen in Melbourne for the past month, but they brought their best to the contest, with player after player throwing themselves in, when the need arose.  Neither side took a backward step and the result of the game would not necessarily be who blinked first, but rather who could impose themselves on the other.

Melbourne led by a goal at the first change, and the fight continued in the second. It was Melbourne who exerted the most pressure kicking five goals for quarter, and even with a Charlie Dixon goal after the siren, they still held a 19 point break at half-time.

The second half of the game was similar, with Melbourne just too good, and progressively putting the foot on the throat of Port to deny them chances, and equally to capitalise on their own opportunities.

The game was fundamentally a match of the mids, and what a contest!  Wines had 33 touches, but he was harassed and punished by Jack Viney who had 10 tackles, most of them on his old mate Ollie.  Christian Petracca was simply superb, with 33 touches of his own, and he blew the game away at critical times as he moved forward finishing with three goals. Clayton Oliver was just as emphatic with 31 touches while Max Gawn took progressively Lycett apart in the ruck.

Once again, the Demons lost the centre clearances, but overwhelmed Port at the around the ground stoppages.  Even if the ball came out of the middle, the usual stoppers in the back-line of Steven May, Jack Lever and now Harry Petty and Michael Hibberd just kept intercepting any Port attacks.  May 6 intercepts, Lever 7 and Petty and Hibberd 8 each.

Importantly, while Port tried to take down Lever and his influence, it was Petty and Hibberd who filled the gap.  They simply took apart the likes of Rozee and Marshall, who normally account for a good number of goals.  But then May also unpicked Dixon who didn’t manage a major during normal play, but kicked two after the half and full time sirens.

Up forward, what a difference a Ben Brown makes!  He didn’t trouble the goal umpire, but he cleared out space, brought the ball to ground and forced Port to play their best defender on him.  He completely ruined their defence as Jonas and then Aliir were forced to cover his height and leap, which kept them away from the other Melbourne forwards.  Tom McDonald especially, who was able to lead into space without the best defender on his shoulder, and was rewarded with three goals.

Likewise Kozzy Pickett returned to form with the crumbing opportunities not there in previous weeks and finished with 3 majors, while Bayley Fritsch and Charlie Spargo picked up a couple of singles.  All of a sudden the Melbourne forwards look lethal, especially when the Demons only entered the forward 50 just 45 times, yet posted one of their biggest winning margins for the season. The difference between last week and this was … Ben Brown!

The other telling “learning” to be had from this game is to have players who are suited to their role. Port only had Lycett as ruck, and had to use Aliir and Dixon as stop-gaps, even at centre bounces.

Like Melbourne in previous weeks, this takes away the skill set these players possess from their specialist area, and exposes the side.  Dixon was forced up the ground, and this only left May on his own to marshall the defence in Dixons absence.  Aliir left Tommy Mac to do what he wanted.  It is one thing to have players who can “float” forward or back, but it is another thing to expect them to play those roles for long periods in the game.

Port Power were unplugged from the main grid, by the Melbourne Cyclone.  With 7 rounds to go, will the strength of the cyclone remain and push aside all in its way?

It certainly will if the players can see what results when you play in a certain way.  It is the style that wins finals and the ultimate prize.

MELBOURNE 3.2.20 8.4.52 10.9.69 12.14.86

PORT ADELAIDE 2.2.14 5.3.33 7.5.47

GOALS

Melbourne McDonald Petracca Pickett 3 Fritsch Jackson Spargo

Port Adelaide Dixon Georgiadis 2 Amon McKenzie Rozee Wines

BEST

Melbourne Petracca McDonald Oliver Salem Gawn May

Port Adelaide Boak Amon Wines Georgiades Aliir

INJURIES

Melbourne Nil

Port Adelaide Butters (knee)

REPORTS

Melbourne Nil

Port Adelaide Nil

SUBSTITUTES

Melbourne Tom Sparrow (unused)

Port Adelaide Martin Frederick (replaced Butters)

UMPIRES Simon Meredith Andre Gianfagna Jacob Mollison

Official Crowd 30,908 at Adelaide Oval