Back in the Hunt! Port Beat Bad Blues

Over the course of two hours, the Port Adelaide Football Club introduced Carlton to a house of horrors.

Separated by just percentage points, the seventh win of either teams’ season would see them just one win away from the top eight at the end of season 2025, and firmly back in the finals hunt.

In the 50 point win, Connor Rozee and Zak Butters did as they pleased in the center of the Adelaide Oval, while Port’s forwards, lead by Mitch Georgiades, left Carlton’s back six demoralised beyond repair.

Rozee, Butters, and Georgiades and were assisted by Jordon Sweet, Miles Bergman, Joe Richards, Travis Boak, Hugh Jackson and Kane Farrell, while George Hewett, Patrick Cripps and Tom De Koning played lone hands for the Blues.

The first quarter saw the Power kick five goals to none.

Jesse Motlop’s miss hit started a first quarter from hell for Carlton, he kicked the belly of the ball going for a snap, before Mani Liddy’s drilling ball found Darcy Byrne-Jones to start the scoreboard ticking over the Port. 

Mistakes from the Blues allowed Port to grow in confidence, as they started terrorising Carlton as they moved the football from defence.

Kane Farrell’s 53 metre bomb just got over the line against Jack Silvagni’s fingertips. However, Silvagni wasn’t to be beaten twice as he stopped Byrne-Jones from taking a mark 20 metres out in the next passage of play. 

Carlton were making life easy for their hosts, missed kicks, and scrappy errors were all bonuses for Port Adelaide, as they got repeated inside 50s for the first stanza.  Mitch Georgides then got a goal, and then another moments later, and still Carlton failed to fire a shot. 

In the second things continued to get even worse.

Sam Docherty’s mistake at one end opened the door at the other as Byrne Jones kicked his second.  Carlton were a shell of themselves, as the game had the makings of a brutal, brutal loss. 

Georgiades will be in Carlton’s nightmares tonight.  The big forward had his third, and as the margin stretched toward eight goals, Carlton whimpered at Port Adelaide’s might.  Georgiades went side stepping to put through number four shortly after as Port did as they liked, and still Carlton didn’t have a goal. 

Unable to impact, Carlton were motionless as Port moved around their opposition. Mistakes were plentiful, as Port put Sydney’s loss well in truly in the review mirror, and Carlton put more pressure on an already suffocating Michael Voss.

Lewis Young finally kicked Carlton’s first goal with two minutes in the half, as Carlton dragged the margin back to under seven kicks.  ‘

At the end of the half, Carton were 46 points down, beaten badly and needing something, they had only kicked one goal in the game.

The third quarter started much the same, Travis Boak, Willie Rioli and Miles Bergman all goaled within eight minutes of the starting bounce as the Power kept Carlton to two disposals for the term.   The game was at a 62 point game high lead before Carlton finally found some relief from Jesse Motlop.   

Carlton’s horrific goal kicking continued, McGovern had an opportunity for Carlton’s second in a row.  However, he missed as the Blues left a taste close to disgust in the mouth of blue baggers that could still feel. 

After another quarter of pain, Oli Hollands kicked a goal, as Carlton felt something akin to reward in what had been a tough night.

Port kicked two goals to start the last, before Carlton kicked five, including one to the skipper, Patrick Cripps, who was potentially under the effect of sickness. However, by then Port were already looking ahead to next weeks game in Brisbane.

Port: 5.4 8.10 13.11 16.14.110

Blues: 0.3 1.6 4.9 8.10.58

Goalkickers:

Port:

Georgiades, (5), Rioli, (3), Byrne-Jones, (2), Bergman, (2), Visentini, Jones, Farrell, Boak

Blues:

Fantasia, (2), Young, Williams, Motlop, Hollands, Docherty, Cripps

Best, (alphabetical order):

Port:

Bergman, Butters, Georgiades, Rozee, Sweet

Blues:

Cripps, De Koning, Fantasia, Hewett, Williams

Injuries/ Tribunal:

Miles Bergman got hit in the nose after friendly fire in the middle against Zak Butters, he was taken the ground, but he returned after half time. Adam Saad also found himself in trouble after a big shoulder from Dante Visentini, he took the hit to the jaw, and the Port big man might find himself in the MRO’s hot water.  Saad would end the his night shortly after this incident.