Geelong has utterly blanketed Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval, recording a comprehensive 34-point victory over a side they have owned in the past decade.
Since Dom Cassisi kicked the game-winner for Port Adelaide in round 21, 2007, Geelong have only lost to the Power once.
Lindsay Thomas and George Horlin-Smith were late inclusions, for Todd Marshall and Tom Hawkins respectively, and the inclusions’ respective matches told the story of the night.
Horlin-Smith was terrific with 26 disposals and two goals, while Thomas had his moments but was largely disappointing, including an incident in the second quarter that will see him come under scrutiny.
It took more than 15 minute, for Horlin-Smith to kick the first goal of the game, before Patrick Dangerfield followed up immediately.
Both were courtesy of Joel Selwood, who was on fire from the outset, with highlights including a terrific chase on former teammate Stephen Motlop.
The vaunted combination of Selwood and Dangerfield, as well as Tim Kelly, who continued his outstanding start to his career, ensured the Geelong midfield gave their side an advantage.
Port Adelaide’s first goal was a long time coming, and it came courtesy of a skilful finish tight in the pocket by Jake Neade, but Sam Menegola responded to restore a hard-earned two goal lead by quarter-time.
Shortly after quarter time Hamish Hartlett was taken from the ground following an ugly head clash.
Youngster Lachlan Fogarty capitalised on a holding the ball free kick inside forward 50 to kick the second quarter off on the right foot for the Cats.
Geelong’s ball movement was slick and efficient, while Port Adelaide’s ball movement was typically stagnant, and when they tried to go quicker, Geelong’s defence stood tall.
Jake Neade remained Port Adelaide’s only goal scorer, as he was called to play on, yet retained his composure to slot a neat goal.
Robbie Gray lifted his output playing more around the ball, and Port Adelaide slowly but surely edged their way back into the contest, which for a time had looked to be going all the way of Geelong.
Lindsay Thomas produced a sterling set shot from deep into the pocket to bring the margin back to seven points.
However, shortly afterwards, he ironed out Scott Selwood with a high bump, and will expect to miss at least one week.
Selwood took no further part in the game.
Robbie Gray got on the end of a Brad Ebert pass, before bending through Port Adelaide’s third goal in a row, cutting the margin to three points.
Esava Ratugolea was controversially paid a low mark inside the forward 50, and nailed the goal to wrest some momentum back in Geelong’s favour.
In the first three minutes of play in the second half, Ollie Wines and Sam Gray both scored from within the goalsquare, to give Port Adelaide the lead.
Geelong’s precision and creativity going forward had deserted them, as they were suffering from their efforts to isolate Patrick Dangerfield.
Brad Ebert and Ollie Wines were now in charge of the midfield, with Gray continuing to assert his unique skill and flair on the contest.
Under immense pressure, Geelong’s defence, sans Harry Taylor and Lachie Henderson, were superb, and it was James Parsons who kicked the next two goals.
Karl Amon produced a terrific shot from 50 metres on the run, ensuring at least partially that the home side’s dominance did not go unrewarded.
However, Jordan Murdoch followed that up with a goal on the siren to give the Cats an 11 point lead at three quarter time.
The pressure and intensity around the contest was suffocating, with utmost desperation being spent for every clearance.
Mitch Duncan widened the gap to begin the last quarter, andthe Cats proceeded to lock the game down.
The next goal came over 10 minutes later, and it was to George Horlin-Smith, to all but ensure a Geelong victory, before Tim Kelly and Daniel Menzel at last put the icing on the cake.
Both sides are now 3-2, in a season shaping up to be more even still than last year’s.
PORT ADELAIDE 1.2 4.4 7.5 7.8 (50) GEELONG 3.2 5.7 8.10 12.12 (84)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Neade 2, Amon, R Gray, Thomas, Wines, S Gray
Geelong: Horlin-Smith, Parsons 2, Dangerfield, Ratugolea, Menegola, Fogarty, Kelly, Menzel, Murdoch, Duncan
BEST
Port Adelaide: Wines, Ebert, Gray, Houston, Jonas
Geelong: J. Selwood, Dangerfield, Mengola, Kolodjashnij, Duncan, Horlin-Smith, Bews
INJURIES Port Adelaide: Todd Marshall (concussion) replaced in the selected line-up by Lindsay Thomas Geelong: Tom Hawkins (back spasms) replaced in the selected line-up by George Horlin-Smith, Scott Selwood (concussion)
TALKING POINTS
1. AN UNDERRATED DEFENDER
Of all AFL players who have an established spot in their side’s 22, Jake Kolodjashnij may well have generated the fewest headlines of the lot.
The tall defender, who played his 50th game in round three against West Coast, is rarely beaten one-on-one, and is strong and composed under pressure.
Despite Port Adelaide’s midfield dominance through the second and third quarters, he managed to restrict powerhouse Charlie Dixon to 11 disposals and no goals.
With Harry Taylor and Lachie Henderson on the sidelines, the Cats have needed some less experienced defenders to stand up, and their entire backline was outstanding tonight.
2. THE MYTH OF DANGERWOODLETT
Gary Ablett’s return to Geelong signalled comparisons to the other famed midfield triumvirates of the 2000s – Brisbane’s Voss, Akermanis and Black, and West Coast’s Judd, Cousins, and Kerr – but Chris Scott’s party line about not relying on three players appears to have more and more merit by the week.
When the three of them have lined up in the centre square, their teammates have seemed overly conscious to get the ball in their hands and they have lost both games.
Tonight, Dangerfield lined up forward more often than in the midfield, and lesser lights such as Horlin-Smith, Menegola, Duncan, and Kelly stood up.
While they aren’t as good as Dangerfield or Ablett, they competed well against an at-times rampant Port midfield, despite being a man down for most of the contest.
The Cats are 3-0 in games when they haven’t had the complete “Dangerwoodlett”.
Chris Scott must be enjoying what he’s seeing from the alleged support crew.
3. WHAT'S WRONG WITH PORT'S DYNAMIC FORWARD LINE?
Dixon has the potential to be an A-grade key forward, and there are a glut of talented, very dangerous forwards Ken Hinkley has to work with in Wingard, Motlop, Watts, Westhoff (when he plays forward), both Robbie and Sam Gray, and even at times the captain Travis Boak.
Lindsay Thomas and Jake Neade also got on the scoreboard tonight.
Against a backline missing talls Henderson and Taylor, as well as Cam Guthrie, too often their ball movement was stagnant and forced a high kick in, which the Geelong defenders picked off with ease.
When they were able to find space, poor skills let them down.
Port Adelaide should be one of the highest scoring teams but this ugly seven-goal showing compounded a run of four games in a row where they have failed to pass the 100-point mark.
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