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FREMANTLE: 3.5, 6.11, 8.13, 11.17 (83)
PORT ADELAIDE: 2.2, 3.5, 9.9, 15.15 (105)
GOALS
Fremantle: Walters 3, Fyfe 2, Barlow 2, Sandilands, Crozier, Pearce
Port Adelaide: Gray 4, Wingard 4, Wines 3, Monfries, White, Schulz, Polec
BEST
Fremantle: Fyfe, Neale, Barlow, Walters, Sandilands, Dawson, Mzungu, Crowley
Port Adelaide: Gray, Wingard, Wines, Hartlett, Lobbe, Nead, Trengove, Carlile
INJURIES
Fremantle: Taberner (grin), Ibbotson (shoulder)
Port Adelaide: Jonas (hip)
Chris Mayne of the Dockers and Jasper Pittard of the Power contest for the ball. Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images
What Happened
Port Adelaide produced a fightback for the ages, coming from 31 points down to defeat Fremantle in a belter of a semi-final on Saturday night at Patersons Stadium.
Prior to this weekend, only two top-four sides had previously been bundled out of the finals in straight sets since the current finals system was introduced in 2000. But in the space of 24 hours that stat was turned on its head as first Geelong and then Fremantle were knocked out of September, the first time two beaten qualifying finalists have been both knocked out the following week.
For the Dockers, defeated Grand Finalist last year, the pain will be intense after they dominated the first half and led by 31 points late in the second quarter, having restricted Port to just two goals.
But having wasted their chances in that second term – Fremantle kicked 3.6 for the quarter – the Dockers were caught by a late sucker punch just before half-time as Chad Wingard kicked truly to make the margin just 24 points at the break.
Up to that point, Fremantle’s superb team defence had stifled Port’s running game and forced the Power into turnover after turnover, allowing the Dockers undermanned defence to be relatively untroubled.
But that all changed at the break as Port coach Ken Hinkley immediately took his players behind closed doors and told them, win or lose, play the game on their own terms.
And the Power responded with one of the most brilliant second halves seen in September in recent memory as they ran Fremantle into the ground and booted 12 goals to five to progress to next Saturday’s Preliminary Final clash with Hawthorn.
Robbie Gray proved immense in the third term, kicking four goals for the quarter as the Power found themselves two points ahead at the last change.
That advantage was quickly wiped out as Fremantle scored two rapid-fire goals to open the final quarter through Michael Walters – brilliant as well with three goals on the night – and Hayden Crozier.
Leading by 10 points, Walters should have had the chance to extend that margin further for Fremantle when he was held and taken high in a one-on-one contest close to the Dockers’ goal.
But when the umpire didn’t pay the free, Port took advantage of the let-off as they took the ball up the other end for the exceptional Ollie Wines to snap a cracker.
When Wines ran into the square to kick his second in a matter of moments and his third for the night, Port had re-taken the lead as Matt White’s booming goal helped the Power extend the margin out to 11 points.
A quality snap from Daniel Pearce saw Freo come again but with the margin just four points, the Power won a desperate battle deep in defence before taking the ball coast-to-coast for Wingard to brilliantly slot his fourth for the night.
That proved the straw that broke the camel’s back as late goals to Jay Schulz and Jared Polec sealed a massive result for the Port Adelaide football club.
Angus Monfries and Ollie Wines of the Power celebrate a goal. Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images
Fallout
Following a brutal encounter, Port will have to get everything right coming up against reigning premier Hawthorn next weekend. Tom Jonas may also be struggling to get up after suffering a heavy cork to his hip. Fremantle defender Zac Dawson was reported for a crude spoil but would be unfortunate to get pinged, while Garrick Ibbotson may need surgery after dislocating his shoulder. Ibbotson still bravely returned to the field and even took a massive mark late in the game.
Hope he's in my fantasy team
Hamish Hartlett was brilliant all night with 33 possessions, while Wingard and Gray booted four apiece and Wines posted three goals and had 26 disposals.
What's next
For Fremantle, a painful pre-season awaits as this capitulation will simply reinforce the ‘shocker’ tag they had worked so hard to shed over the last two seasons. But for Port, the Power are already looking towards a preliminary final clash with Hawthorn. It’s incredible to think, though, that just over two years ago, this was the same club reeling from the tragedy of John McCarthy’s death in Las Vegas. The turnaround under David Koch and Ken Hinkley is simply remarkable and an inspiring tribute to McCarthy’s memory.