Port Adelaide Power have emerged victorious over the Fremantle Dockers 15.15.105 – 11.17.83 in a frenetic elimination final at Patersons Stadium on Saturday night.
Fremantle made the most of their home ground advantage in the first half, maintaining their edge over Port Adelaide with continuous, suffocating pressure on the ball. Port showed why they were playing finals footy, fighting back in the third quarter and pushing through to claim a famous victory.
Port Adelaide worked hard to match the Dockers early, claiming the opening goal (Monfries) and clearing the ball in defence with some gifted kicking.
The Power could not contain Nat Fyfe, who looked fired up and ready for a big game. He was heavily involved in the midfield and kicked the first for Fremantle after a tight and physical period.
The 9-point first quarter difference was further expanded early in the second when Aaron Sandilands took a solid mark and kicked a clean goal. Fremantle nailed the next two and began to break away from Port Adelaide (6.10.46 – 2.4.16).
Chad Wingard (2.2) won a rare contest up front for Port Adelaide in the final seconds of the half, kicking the major and avoiding a scoreless quarter for the Power while reducing the gap to four goals.
Port Adelaide needed to start positively in the second half and they did. Robbie Gray kicked two goals in four minutes and the Power began to play with more composure.
When Ollie Wines kicked the third goal of the quarter for Port Adelaide and reduced the margin to four points, warning bells were ringing for Fremantle.
Someone had to step up, and Michael Walters answered the call, grubbering a magical kick across his body from the left corner pocket to lift the crowd and his team.
Port Adelaide Power won the third quarter and set up a thrilling final term. Chad Wingard and Robbie Gray kicked their third goals and Fremantle gave up the lead they had held for 71 minutes. Gray kicked another to tally four for the quarter.
Walters heralded the beginning of the fourth with his third goal, proving to be a clutch player for the ‘Purple Haze’.
It took an incredible passage of play from Ollie Wines, who kicked two goals in two minutes (3.0), to stem the Fremantle momentum.
The courageous Matt White, playing with a cracked jaw, continued the rampage with a bomb of his own to post a 9-point lead with 12 minutes to go for Port Adelaide Power.
Port then threw players back in defense, choking the flow run forward for Fremantle in order to protect their lead. The Dockers were forced to kick long and take risks. Nat Fyfe managed to squeeze a handball away and Danyle Pearce kicked a big goal.
Chad Wingard showed why he is considered a star, running hard to make himself available in the forward 50 and finishing well to kick his fourth goal and Port clear by 10.
The Port Adelaide Power kicked a further two goals to clinch the victory and send the Fremantle Dockers crashing out of the AFL Premiership race.
Chad Wingard reflected on the halftime message from coach Ken Hinkley after the match.
“[He told us] If we go down, we are going to go down playing the way we have played all year,”
“Lucky enough, we got our run going in the second half.”
The Power will play the Hawthorn Hawks at the MCG next week for a place in the grand final.
