Port Adelaide v St Kilda
Friday 13 March 2009, 3.30pm
PRE-GAME
A bright and warm 30 degree Friday afternoon greets the Power and Saints players as they go through their final warm up.
Port Adelaide’s final line-up consists of 25 players. Missing from the 29 named on Wednesday is Tom Logan, Matt Thomas, Toby Thustans (knee) and Jason Davenport (Danny Meyer replaced Marlon Motlop in the squad and is in the 24).
St Kilda have 24 players.
FIRST QUARTER
The Power is in its new white-front, teal-back clash guernsey with white shorts and white socks, while St Kilda are in their three-stripe black, white and red jumper with black shorts and hooped socks. The Power’s white looks better against the contrasting Saints than it did against Geelong when there was probably a bit too much white out there.
1min – POWER GOAL – Justin Westhoff
Opening goal to the Hoff after winning a holding the ball with a good chase down from behind.
Power by 6 pts
8min – SAINTS GOAL – Andrew McQualter
Milne played on in the goal square and was well tackled by direct opponent Surjan but just managed to get it out to McQualter who snapped the goal.
level
14min – POWER GOAL – Robbie Gray
From a throw in inside the Power 50, Gray pounced on the ball and was ridden into the ground unfairly, winning the free, and slotting from 35m
Power by 7 pts
16min – POWER GOAL – Wade Thompson
St Kilda tried to bring the ball across the face of the Power goal but the small forwards were there ready to pounce. Thompson wrapped up his opponent in the goal square who had to kick it through for a rushed behind. He was pinged for a deliberate behind under the new rule and Thompson couldn’t miss from the resulting free kick. Power by 12 pts
21min – POWER GOAL – Brett Ebert
The Power went long inside 50 with Brett Ebert and another player one-on-one with opponents leading into the space (running back with flight). Ebert couldn’t mark but was first to recover and snapped well on his left from 25m.
Power by 19 pts
24min – SAINTS GOAL – Stephen Milne
Power turnover trying to bring the ball out of defence, after a series of St Kilda handballs it ends up with Milne who doesn’t miss many snaps, this one from 40m.
Power by 13 pts
26min – POWER GOAL – Robbie Gray
Chipped it around across 60m line then some neat passing inside 50m hit Robbie on the lead who goaled well from 45m and a 45 degree angle
Power by 19 pts
QUARTER TIME
Port Adelaide 5.3 (33)
St Kilda 2.2 (14)
Without seeing the stats, it doesn’t seem like there’d be a huge difference in inside 50s to this point. The Power has just looked more dangerous up forward and put St Kilda under a lot more pressure when they’ve had the ball. Nathan Krakouer is marshalling the back half very nicely once again.
SECOND QUARTER
7min – POWER GOAL – Peter Burgoyne
Won a 50m penalty, missed what it was for but we had the ball because St Kilda kicked out on the full from a Motlop behind.
Power by 27 pts
It’s just gone up on the screen that the current temperature is 30.0.
10min – POWER GOAL – Brett Ebert
One of the biggest cheers of the day from the 1,000-odd crowd for Alipate Carlile who beat Kozi in a race for the ball then kicked off the ground to Justin Westhoff on centre wing, who shrugged a tackle and it ended up with a loose Ebert who kicked the set-shot.
Power by 33 pts
13min – POWER GOAL – Wade Thompson
Passage of the day. Motlop on half back managed to knock it over his head on purpose to Shaun Burgoyne who kicked a 50m pass to Tredders, who looked up but saw no-one inside 50 except a foot race on between Wade and his opponent. Tredders backed his lightning quick teammate and put it out in front of them. It got a bad bounce but Wade recovered, won a free, and slotted from 10m.
Power by 39 pts
18min – POWER GOAL – Warren Tredrea
This is a new one. The goal umpire, field umpire, and two boundary umpires conferred on whether it was a goal or point, decide it was a point, goal umpire whacks his chest, then starts again and signals goal! Tredders marked one-on-one on his chest from a long Josh Carr ball inside - vintage style - turned around and run into goal square, and almost missed from 3m.
Power by 45 pts
22min – POWER GOAL – Justin Westhoff
Tredders won a contested ball in the goalsquare, shrugged a tackle and fired a 15m handball backwards to a loose Westhoff who kicked an easy one.
Power by 52 pts
24min – POWER GOAL – Justin Westhoff
Contested mark 15m out after Ebert took a contested mark 45m out near boundary. This is really dominant now. Can’t remember the last St Kilda inside 50m.
Power by 58 pts
HALF TIME
Port Adelaide 11.7 (73)
St Kilda 2.3 (15)
A six goal to nothing quarter has set the Power up for a strong win to enter the season in a fortnight’s time. It was total domination for the majority of that second quarter, winning multiple clearances, and everything working up forward. Justin Westhoff shone, while Tredders had a great patch, kicking one and setting up another two. Steven Salopek and Nathan Krakouer look like they’ve been half-backs all their life. Brogan and Lade dominating the taps.
Power goalkickers: J. Westhoff 3, Thompson 2, Gray 2, Ebert 2, Tredrea, P. Burgoyne
Second half continues here
