In the final game of Round 23, Port Adelaide hit the road in an attempt to stay in the hunt for a top four finish. They landed at Optus Stadium against a Fremantle team that has gone nowhere near delivering on the promise they displayed in 2022.
From the outset, the reason for Freo’s 2023 demise was evident – they could not hit the ocean from the beach when it came to finding a target inside 50 and by the end of the game, despite having six more inside 50 deliveries, they could not match Port’s professionalism and precision with the footy.
Port were not at their best, however, with the Freo pressure – one of their better attributes – continually forcing their high-quality ball users to kick under duress. I don’t want to say that Freo dragged Port down to their level, but that’s the way it felt. And really, I often feel that way when I watch the Dockers play.
In a scrappy affair, it was moments of class from Zak Butters, Connor Rozee, Jason Horne-Francis, and Willie Rioli that gave them the advantage. They were tested, and though it was far from pretty, Port stood up, picked up yet another road win, and now sit just percentage outside the top two.
Time to find out what went down as we explore this game with The Mongrel’s Talking Points.
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