Injury pain and Brisbane blitz leave Port on brink
Murray Wenzel |
Port Adelaide have slipped three wins outside the AFL top eight and endured injury carnage in a valiant 28-point loss to the Brisbane Lions.
The visitors lost bookends Dante Visentini and Esava Ratugolea in the first quarter at the Gabba on Saturday night, then in-form Sam Powell-Pepper left the game in the third term with a likely anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee.
But, with just two fit men on the bench and the returning Ollie Wines deputising in the ruck, they found a way to stay in touch before losing 18.12 (120) to 14.8 (92) to the defending champions.
Victory kept Brisbane (11-4-1) in second place, while Port (7-9), with seven rounds to play, need a miracle to bridge the three-win gap between them and the top eight.
Port coach Ken Hinkley, stepping down at the end of the season, conceded their finals hopes were over and that Powell-Pepper, who tore his right ACL early last season, had suffered a repeat.
“That’s really, really sad … it gets a bit sadder for me, because it’s my last game of coaching Sam, and he’s been such a great player for me,” Hinkley said.
Powell-Pepper, who celebrated the arrival of his third child earlier this week, played just three games last season before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in April.
“See that happen to him now, for the second time on the other leg,” Hinkley said.
“For all those people who think they get paid too much or they don’t work hard enough … have a look at that boy tonight and have a look at how he feels.
“He’s had a great week … but in typical Pep fashion, he’ll deal with it.”
An 11-minute, six-goal blitz after a slow start to the first quarter and three quick goals after Powell-Pepper’s injury were enough for the hosts, who had come off the bye determined to improve their 4-3 Gabba record.
But it was the Power who started hotter, the 10th-placed side needing a scalp to climb the ladder.
Willie Rioli (three goals) and Mitch Georgiades (four goals) gave the visitors an early advantage, and Powell-Pepper had an immediate reply to Charlie Cameron’s (three goals) first major.
The Lions flicked the switch though, aggressive running and clean finishing by standout Zac Bailey (five goals, 12 score involvements, 26 disposals) triggering a brilliant offensive flourish.
Tackle pressure lifted and the Lions, guilty of poor accuracy in recent losses, couldn’t miss.
Eric Hipwood’s goal on the siren made it seven consecutive majors, and Josh Dunkley put them 38 points clear with the first strike of the second term.
Port had lost Visentini (ankle) and Ratugolea (hamstring) to complete the first-quarter carnage.
But they found a response, Jack Lukosius (three goals) ending the Lions’ run on his return from a long-term knee injury.
Gold Coast recruit Lukosius bombed two more huge majors from outside 50 metres as Port continued to rally from as far back as 40 points.
And when Georgiades managed a fourth, the margin was only 16 points with 12 minutes on the clock.
But Levi Ashcroft stubbed through a relieving major from close range that finally broke Port’s back.
Jaspa Fletcher continued his fine season in Brisbane’s defence, Hugh McCluggage had a goal and seven clearances in his 29 touches, Cameron led the forward-line defensive pressure, and Travis Boak (27) worked tirelessly for Port.
“A crazy sort of a game,” Lions coach Chris Fagan said.
“They were all over us in the first 10 minutes, then suddenly we kicked eight goals … I don’t know where that came from, and it was fairly blistering footy.”
Fagan was still critical of his side’s low tackle count (36 to Port’s 51) but confident their ceiling remains high.
AAP
