PORT Adelaide star Robbie Gray joined elite company by winning the AFL Coaches' Association Champion Player of the Year award this season and he showcased his rare talent in the semi-final win over Fremantle.
Port was desperately searching for a spark after Fremantle dominated the opening half and Gray stood up with a stunning individual display.
The 26-year-old combined skill, courage and a willingness to get his hands dirty in a match-winning four-goal burst in the third quarter.
Port's confidence swelled on the back of Gray's brilliance as he inspired the Power to a stirring 22-point victory.
Performance against Fremantle
It's nearly impossible to keep the competition's best players quiet for four quarters, although Cameron Sutcliffe should be commended for his efforts to shut down Gray.
The Port gun had 13 disposals to half-time, however his impact was limited.
Fremantle would have been pleased to see the damaging star sweeping deep into the backline to help the Power's overworked defenders.
But Port needed Gray, who had 35 goals to his name this season, to influence proceedings at the other end in order to fight back from a 24-point deficit.
Power coach Ken Hinkley anchored him closer to goal again to start the third quarter and the move immediately paid dividends.
Spurred by Hinkley's calls to play 'the Port Adelaide way', the Power surged forward in scenes more akin to the jaw-dropping start that sliced Richmond to shreds in the elimination final and Gray didn't let his teammates' hard running go to waste.
Port only kicked three goals in the opening half, but inside 45 seconds they had their fourth when Gray judged a long ball best and marked near between the goal and behind posts.
Minutes later he backed bravely into the unknown inside 50 and won a free kick after he was collected by the swinging forearm of Dockers defender Zac Dawson.
After composing himself momentarily, the 183cm tough nut slotted back-to-back majors to haul Port to within two straight kicks.
Belief swept through the Power camp and suddenly Freo looked shaky.
The Dockers' defensive wall had been breached and – after two more Gray majors and further goals to Chad Wingard and Ollie Wines – Patersons Stadium was silenced as Port hit the front at the final change.
The foundation had been set for a stirring backs-to-the-wall triumph, with Gray the chief architect.
Despite Sutcliffe clamping down again in the final term, Gray finished with 21 touches – 13 contested – and used the ball with precision at 81 per cent efficiency in a superb performance.
High point
His match-turning four-goal blitz in the third quarter. Freo's suffocating pressure was stifling Port's run and Ken Hinkley's men needed a spark. Enter Gray. The Power gun did it all. He marked and goaled inside a minute, then backed courageously into oncoming traffic, copped a high hit from Zac Dawson and slotted the set shot. Gray soon nailed his third and then fourth (on the second attempt) from an inspirational chase down on Tendai Mzungu that handed Port a two-point lead at the final change.
Low point
Sutcliffe held Gray in check in the first half and, perhaps out of frustration, the Power forward started looking for free kicks midway through the second term. Neither team could extricate the ball during an intense passage of play inside the Power's attacking 50 and after throwing his hands out once too many times when tackled, Gray was chastised by the umpire for playing for free kicks. He took the message on board and dominated the third term.
The stats sheet
| KICKS | HANDBALLS | DISPOSALS | INSIDE 50s | CLEARANCES | CONTESTED POSSESSIONS | UNCONTESTED POSSESSIONS | GOALS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Q2 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Q3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Q4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 10 | 11 | 21 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 4 |
What they said in the rooms
"He's been a pretty strong player all year. Obviously he won the coaches' award... Robbie wasn't playing at the level he wanted to play at, I know that, and he's proud but again, the whole team wasn't. Robbie wouldn't have done what Robbie did if the team didn't fight back together. It couldn't happen individually." – coach Ken Hinkley
"To kick four in the third quarter got us back in the game and gave us that momentum that is so important in AFL football. He has just had an unbelievable year so far. He just works so hard on his footy and it is starting to pay off for him." – teammate Justin Westhoff
How will he fare against the Hawks?
Gray's strength overhead and hardness at the contest will hold him in good stead against the Hawks, who will also be worried by his pace inside 50. Gray had one of his quieter games disposal-wise in round 10 against Hawthorn – finishing with 18 touches – but he still booted two important goals as the Power won over some of its doubters in an impressive win. The Hawks might decide to tag Travis Boak with Will Langford, given Ryan Crowley's success on the Power skipper, so Gray could be spared any close checking when he roams through midfield. The Hawks tend to rotate heavily through defence and Taylor Duryea, Shaun Burgoyne and Grant Birchall could all spend time marking Gray at the MCG in Saturday's preliminary final.
