With three players down as the last quarter commenced, the Port Adelaide Power were strangely vulnerable.
I say “strangely” because they had been a far better team for most of the game, but their inaccuracy had allowed the Saints to get close enough to worry them. A couple of quick goals, and the lack of rotations could have told a story.
The Power went into the final stanza without Aliir Aliir, who was out of the game with concussion, Sam Powell-Pepper, who awaits scans after injuring his knee, and Connor Rozee, nursing a sore hamstring. Combine that with a severe case of the “team yips” from Port, and the Saints were a chance to pinch one.
But it’s difficult to win on the road, and every time the Saints got close, Port were able to find a way to respond. If I were to describe this game and the win, I would call it “nuggety”. It was a nuggety win by the Power, who were seemingly in control at points, but failed to fully capitalise, allowing the Saints the chance… if they were good enough.
It was not Port’s best work – that might be a way off, yet, but it was four points earned the hard way.
And amongst all that, it was a privilege to witness a young man with a famous name step up to be one of the best players on the park.
Plenty to get through in this one – let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Good, Bad, and Ugly.
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