Now that was a game of great wet weather football!
Port Adelaide, who went by the name of Yartapuulti for this game, were challenged by Melbourne (Naarm) in the third quarter in a blast of powerful football reminiscent of the push the Dees made in the 2021 GF against the Dogs.
Coming out of three-quarter time, the question had to be asked – would Port Adelaide fold just as the Bulldogs had, or would they stand up and prove that they are, indeed, a contender in 2023. The four-point win to the Power answered that question emphatically.
Powered by Zak Butters’ relentless attack on the contest, Port elevated their own pressure to lock the ball in their forward half, attacking and attacking again. The lead see-sawed, with the Dees breaking through to steal back the lead, but Port refused to lay down.
A Connor Rozee goal following a brilliant one-handed pickup of the footy in wet weather by Jason Horne-Francis put the Power in front for good as the home team ran out winners.
It was a gutsy win by Port; a real season shaper in many regards, and with the club now having won seven in a row, it is time that people started taking this team seriously.
Let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Big Questions.
Oh, what the hell? A Mongrel paywall? Yep, I own this site and believe my work is worth twenty cents per day. If you don’t, that’s fine. Sometimes I open these up after a day or two. Sometimes I don’t open them up at all. It’s a real gamble to wait, you know? You could join us and access the members’ game reviews, as well as columns like the Wingman of the Year, Recruit of the Year, and other nonsensical stuff HB comes up with each week?
