by Booney » Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:18 am
Another test against a genuine contender and another fail for Port Adelaide as we go down to Geelong by 21 points at Adelaide Oval on a cold Thursday night.
I started my night in excellent form, $50 in at the cas and $250 out. Walk across the bridge and despite Bum Crack being masked I spot him as we cross paths, lo and behold we’re sitting in the same bay as each other, with valleys07 en route to the game it’s a smorgasbord of SA Footy members as Lightning McQueen joins in the festivities at half time.
But, to the game.
For the neutral, much like the Bulldogs game, I imagine this one was a ripping spectacle. Rozee lit Port Adelaide up in the first term, a shot on goal after a strange umpiring decision before 3 more in the first term and the much discussed form he’s in is all but gone, 4 goals in a term and Port take a slender lead into the first break. The warning signs are there for Port though, Hawkins has 2 and Cameron has one, the two headed beast is in town.
The second term starts off much like the first with a bit of an arm wrestle before Port, on the back of Dixon, Farrell with a goal of the year contender and Georgiades majors skip away to a 20 point lead, for the first time on the night I’m growing in confidence that our form has turned around and our best is good enough to match it with the best. Then, in the blink of an eye the Cats kick 4 goals in 8 minutes, key targets Cameron and Hawkins get involved (again), Henderson sneaks down for one and Parfitt snags one late to give the Cats a 3 point half time lead. Game on.
After 16 goals in the first half just 5 are scored in the third, both sides struggle to break free, Port at times played into the Cats hands with slow ball movement through the middle allowing the Cats back half, led by Stewart who with no Marshall to follow gets freed up, to set up, the Cats then gave Port a look with some daring movement through the middle that isn’t normally their go only to have Port turn the ball over and score. It was a battle of attrition and the 10 Cats aged 30 or over were just holding sway, just.
I must admit, when Dixon kicked two to make it 4 for the night and Rozee bagged number 5 and Port had a 9 point lead I thought our young legs might have the run to finish the Cats off, not so. Stand up Jeremy Cameron, 3 goals in 8 minutes to make it 5 for the game and he’d almost taken the 4 points from the Power on his own. He’s moved to the Cats to get his crack at a flag and they were rightly willing to give up 3 first rounders to get him into their line up for a genuine tilt at it. Smith, on the other hand, a Hawk moving to the Cats after winning 3 flags is a filthy mercenary and if by some chance the Cats don’t win one while he’s there they can blame him, the football gods will be laughing. #traitor
I’ve written a couple of times that we don’t score enough against the best of the best, case in point. Against most sides 14 goals is enough with our back half being one of the better units in the comp, but sides like the Bulldogs with their midfield and Geelong with the best one-two key forward combination in the game don’t succumb to sides kicking under 100 points very often. Even the best of defensive efforts struggle to keep these two leading premiership fancies to under 100 points and in Port’s last two shots at the top we’ve shown in patches we’re capable but in the end the numbers on the board say we’re not.
A return to form for two of our major front half keys with Rozee snagging 5 and Dixon taking 4 contested marks for 4 goals, defensively we looked one big man down ( Clurey ) as once again Geelong isolate Hawkins on McKenzie and he has a field day. The midfield matched up with and matched the Cats. Ultimately the back half couldn’t get the job done, won’t be lone soldiers against Geelong there.
Boon’s best – Rozee, Wines, Dixon, Boak, Gray.
Changes v Gold Coast – With Marshall missing with concussion I suspect Ladhams moves into that role with Lycett returning from his 4 weeks suspension. Bonner, Motlop and Jones will be under some pressure and so too whoever picked Woodcock as the sub, having a one trick small forward pony as the sub robbed us of some flexibility and can’t happen again.
PAFC. Forever.
LOOK OUT, WE'RE COMING!