Buddy brilliance not enough to prevent Port win

Port Adelaide has seen off a Lance Franklin-led smash-and-grab raid by Sydney to boost their top-four tilt with a thrilling 10-point win at Adelaide Oval.

It was a final quarter to remember for Franklin, whose tackle on Power defender Tom Jonas lit social media up midway through the term.

He converted ensuing free into points, which was enough to make the home crowd nervous.

When the former Hawk kicked his fourth major shortly afterwards, the Swans were in front with just over five minutes remaining.

However, late goals to super sub Sam Mayes and ruckman Scott Lycett sealed a pulsating 12.9 (81) to 10.11 (71) win for the home side.

The Power led by as much as 16 points in the second half, but the Swans had all the momentum in the final term and looked set to pull off a stunning border raid, having flown into South Australia on the morning of the match due to Covid-19 restrictions.

But Ollie Wines and Travis Boak were terrific late in a midfield that wrested back the momentum to hand Port its 10th win of the season.

“There’s no doubt (the game) was slipping away a little … but I thought our resilience was remarkable,” coach Ken Hinkley said.

“There was a bit of an opportunity to not keep at it and to our boys’ credit they did keep at it.”

Franklin was the star up front for the Swans, with Callum Mills finishing with 10 clearances and 30 disposals and Luke Parker the leading possession winner on the ground with 34.

“I thought we showed great character in the last quarter to come back and hit the front,” coach John Longmire said.

“It would’ve been great to be able to hang on but they were a bit too good.”

Buddy booked

Franklin was pivotal as Sydney got the better of a free-flowing opening to lead by six points at quarter-time. Buddy had four score involvements and drew level with Jack Titus in sixth spot on the all-time goal kickers’ list with his 970th major.

But the superstar forward also went into the umpire’s book, reported for making front-on contact with Jarrod Lienert.

Wet & wild

Scoring dried up as heavy rain fell late in the first quarter and early in the second.

The Swans adapted to the change in conditions quicker and went inside forward 50 16 times to Port’s five late in the second quarter. But, a superb Tom Papley long goal aside, the visitors failed to make the most of their scoring opportunities.

Charlie Dixon, unsighted in a quiet opening term, exploded into action with two of his side’s three goals as the Power took a four-point lead into the main break.

Boak bobs up

Boak had just seven touches in the first half, but he managed to shake minder George Hewett to kick the first goal of the second half.

The Swans struggled to create forward thrusts as the Power ratcheted up the pressure, with another three-goals-to-one quarter giving the home side a 15-point lead at the last change.

Frantic finish

Franklin took over sixth spot on the goal kickers’ list in his own right with the first goal of a frantic final term then chased down Tom Jonas to win a free kick that he converted for his third. His fourth put the Swans in front by four points, but Mayes and Lycett were able to reply to seal a memorable win.

Port doing Hinkley proud

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has hailed the resilience of his injury-hit squad after the Power moved into the top four with a gutsy come-from-behind win over Sydney.

Lance Franklin’s fourth goal put the surging Swans in front with just over five minutes remaining in Saturday’s pulsating clash before medical sub Sam Mayes and ruckman Scott Lycett goaled to seal a memorable 12.9 (81) to 10.11 (71) win at Adelaide Oval.

Hinkley was proud of the performance, particularly given players of the calibre of Robbie Gray, Orazio Fantasia, Tom Clurey, Zak Butters, Xavier Duursma and Tom Rockliff are out injured.

“I thought our resilience was remarkable,” Hinkley said.

“We’ve had a squad mentality all the way through and right now, without saying too much, we’re stretching and testing that out a fair bit to be honest.

“There was a bit of an opportunity to not keep at it and to our boys’ credit they did keep at it.

“We’ve got a few boys missing but we’re hanging in.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to be really proud of the way that we’re hanging in and I’m incredibly proud of the group and the way that they’ve gone about it.”

Defender Trent McKenzie is set to join Port’s lengthy injury list after he hurt his shoulder in a fearsome collision with Sydney’s Will Hayward in the frantic final term.

McKenzie was subbed out of the match and will have scans on his left collarbone.

“I don’t think it’s broken but we’ll wait and see where it lands,” Hinkley said.

“Another one will get added to the (injury) list probably, but hopefully he’s not too bad.”

Should McKenzie be ruled out of Saturday night’s clash with Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium, Hinkley should at least be able to call upon Clurey as a replacement as he nears a full recovery from a broken jaw suffered in round nine.

The Power replaced Geelong in fourth spot with the win against a top-eight opponent that will go some way to help shake the ‘flat track bullies’ tag levelled at Hinkley’s side on occasion this season.

“I dislike the conversation around top eight (opponents) … I just think it’s a waste of breath,” the coach said.

“It’s a waste of time when people talk about that.

“It’s about the (whole) season … I don’t know how many times we have to talk about it.

“We’re 10-4 and I’m remarkably proud of the resilience of the team.

“They got tested all the way through (by Sydney) and they were able to hang in there and get the job done.”

POWER 4.3 7.4 10.6 12.9 81

SWANS 5.4 6.6 7.9 10.11 71

PHELAN’S BEST POWER: Wines, Boak, Dixon, Lycett, Drew, Houston. SWANS: Franklin, Mills, Parker, Dawson, Lloyd, Hewett.

GOALS POWER: Dixon 2, Marshall 2, Bergman, Mayes, Lycett, Boak, Farrell, Houston, Powell-Pepper, Rozee. SWANS: Franklin 4, Papley 2, Hayward 2, Gulden, Parker.

INJURIES POWER: McKenzie (shoulder), Hartlett (hip – late withdrawal). SWANS: Nil.

REPORTS: Lance Franklin (Syd) for making front-on contact with Jarrod Lienert.

UMPIRES Haussen, Margetts, Brown

ADELAIDE OVAL

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JASON PHELAN’S VOTES

3 O. Wines (PA)

2 L. Franklin (Syd)

1 T. Boak (PA)