Well, the baseline has been set. Losing is now really winning and should be treated as such.
Kane Cornes’ firmer ream, Port Adelaide, visited Kardinia Park on the weekend and took it up to the Cats. I will not dispute that Port was good – I do believe they’re a good side – but I also believe that good sides don’t need glad-handlers making excuses for them or showering them with undeserved adulation.
Yes, Port were good, but Cornes’ assertion that their two-goal loss should be viewed as a win by the club was ridiculously one-eyed and, in many ways, quite stupid. You don’t win the moral premiership by gaining moral victories. There is only one flag for all teams to compete for, and to get in position to win it, you must actually win games.
Moral victories are mostly for lovers.
With that in mind, we have our version of Kane Cornes with us today to review the other eight games in Round 21.
Let’s see what he comes up with.
Take it away, Almost-Kane Cornes
WESTERN BULLDOGS DEFEATED RICHMOND
ACK – Look, you have to give Richmond a lot of credit here. When you take away the first quarter of the game, they actually almost won the game. The final scores were 126 to 126 to 71, but whilst that looks like a comprehensive win to the Dogs, Richmond actually managed to right the ship and get the game back on their terms for long periods.
Some would argue that the Dogs took their foot off the pedal, but good sides don’t do that. Remember that Geelong side that pummelled my team by 119 points? They didn’t take the foot off the pedal, but in a way, that was also a win for Port Adelaide because they didn’t just sit in the change rooms and cry until after the game was finished, when they really could have done so much earlier.
So, yes… I count the Dogs’ win as a bit of a moral victory for the Power.
ESSENDON DEFEATED WEST COAST
ACK – Get out of here, Essendon, you almost didn’t win. To me, that’s a loss!
Sure, you picked up four points and maintained a chance at playing finals, but you were playing a team that only had six premiership players on the park, and earlier in the season, Port Adelaide was able to beat West Coast by 40 points.
So really, Port should look at this result as a huge positive. It is a fantastic win for them
ADELAIDE DEFEATED GOLD COAST
ACK – Adelaide ended the Suns’ season in this game, and I suppose they should be given a bit of credit for it, but where did they do it?
The Adelaide Oval, where they have basically won all their games this season. You know who else plays at the Adelaide Oval?
Port Adelaide.
So, when you look at it like that, it is obvious to me that the Crows have been privy to some of the magic that makes Port such a special club, because when they’re away from that venue, they falter.
A huge win for Port in this game.
HAWTHORN DEFEATED COLLINGWOOD
ACK – A big win by the Hawks, but when you look at the fixture, who did Collingwood play last week? That’s right – Carlton.
But who did they play the week before – yep, your old pals, Port Adelaide.
It was obvious that the bruising, physical nature of the Port Adelaide game softened the Pies up. They were horrid against the Blues, and then the Hawks made them look second-rate. If you can’t see how this is a huge win for the Power, knowing that they can debilitate a team like Collingwood for two weeks after their game, then I think you’re probably jaded and have Vic Bias, or something.
SYDNEY DEFEATED GWS
ACK – The battle of the bridge! It was wet, it was slippery, and it was a hard-fought game. Not as hard-fought as the game in Geelong, but still a tough contest. The Giants probably kicked themselves out of this game with some terrible work inside 50. You know who else went inside 50 in Round 21?
Have a guess
Port had 50 inside 50s in their game against the Cats for 12 goals
GWS had 68 inside 50s for 12 goals.
Port are obviously better with their delivery inside 50 – a huge moral victory.
MELBOURNE DEFEATED NORTH MELBOURNE
ACK – Do you know how many premiership players were on the park for the Dees?
Heaps! They won a flag just two seasons ago, after all. Yet, at halftime, they trailed North Melbourne by four points. It was a pathetic effort, and some players looked fat! Do you know I run marathons?
Anyway, at halftime in the Port Adelaide game, the Power trailed by 17 points, which speaks to the heart of the Power, to mount a huge comeback, take the lead, and lose by only 12 points against a team with 17 premiership players out there, whereas Melbourne, with all their premiership stars, couldn’t even lead at halftime.
You know this is a moral victory to the Power. So do I… I just haven’t completely worked out how.
CARLTON DEFEATED ST KILDA
ACK – A great win by the Blues, on paper, but really, they were just beating up on a team that has only ever won one flag in their existence. Do you know how many flags Port Adelaide have won?
37, because SANFL premierships count just as much as VFL premierships do. Even more, because I played for Port.
Carlton may have won, but they were winning against the footy equivalent of a basketcase. And even then, it took them over three-quarters to take the lead. Pathetic effort in comparison to Port, who were right in it playing against a team with 86 premiership stars at their peak.
BRISBANE DEFEATED FREMANTLE
ACK – Look, we can count wins and losses all we like, but this week, HB at The Mongrel Punt didn’t even mention Brisbane in the Ten Things I Learnt column that comes out on a Monday. Far out… bring Gab Rossi back, right Lions fans?
You know who did get a mention in that column?
I think you do.
Me!
So a huge moral victory for me, and given my role as an unofficial mouthpiece for the Power, they get a bit of a rub, as well.
So, there we go. As you can plainly see, Almost-Kane has done a stellar job of making any other win in the competition a moral victory for Port Adelaide. Join us next week, when the Matildas’ games will be covered generously via someone wearing teal glasses, as well.
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