Will it be the decision that comes back to haunt Trent Cotchin for the rest of his career? The Richmond captain won the toss against Travis Boak and elected to kick to the northern end of Adelaide Oval despite the strong breeze blowing the other way. The result saw the Power pile on eight goals to one in the first quarter, with errant disposals and turnovers plaguing the Tigers and costing them a 42-point lead by the first break. The most damning comment about the call came from former Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown. "Captaincy 101. You should always kick with the wind when you win the toss," Brown tweeted at half time, when the margin was out to 69 points.
2. We should have listened to Ken Hinkley
The Port coach maintained his confidence in the way his team was playing despite the fact they won just four games from 11 after round 13. But after finishing like a train against Fremantle in round 23 they carried on their hard-running, team-orientated style against the Tigers and put them to the sword with slick ball movement and relentless attack on the ball. There's no doubt the Power have carried their best football into September and with their elite fitness and fact they weren't troubled against the Tigers, the Dockers should be very worried ahead of next Saturday night's semi-final.
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3. How quickly things can change
Tiger fans have dared to dream every week since their winning streak showed that playing finals wasn't an entirely crazy proposition. They've ridden all sorts of highs and lows this season, peaking last Saturday night when their brave three-point win over the Sydney Swans sealed them inside the top eight. But just as their fortunes changed after September looked impossible at 3-10, the season lurched again on Sunday in the dramatic 57-point thumping at the hands of Port. Now it's up to the Tigers to make sure this stark return to reality doesn't scar them going into next season.
4. Tiger fans have a long night ahead
Walking through the streets of Adelaide on Sunday, you could have been forgiven for thinking you had been teleported back to Punt Road. There were supporters in yellow and black everywhere you looked after a convoy of buses and extra flights from Melbourne descended on the City of Churches. Those who boarded the buses on Saturday morning received a letter from Cotchin that thanked them for their efforts to make the game and included a $10 bill to cover "the first rest stop". But with the return convoy to leave Adelaide an hour after the final siren and arrive in Melbourne around 4.30am, the same fans have a very long night ahead of them.
5. Jake Neade could be the Power's finals x-factor
He's spent much of this season developing the defensive side of his game in the SANFL but the pint-sized Neade could emerge as the Power's game-breaker this month. Despite being one of the smallest players in the competition, Neade's attack on the ball and man was brave time and time again on Sunday, and he still found time to kick a brilliant running goal as one of three. He came into the side in round 20 and hasn't left it since – and it's hard to see him not worrying the Dockers next week after another impressive performance.
6. That's the last of the jumper gates
The AFL's decision to direct Port Adelaide to wear the club's alternative strip for the game to alleviate a potential clash because of Richmond's lack of an appropriate away guernsey proved an interesting subplot in the game's lead up. The Power wore their SANFL traditional strip - rush-ordered through a company in Fiji and delivered on Saturday morning – instead of their white strip, with the Tigers donning their clash jumper anyway to emphasise the difference. AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said before the game it won't happen again. "Who would have thought grown men would care what other grown men are wearing? But that passion is to be ignored at our peril."
3. How quickly things can change
Tiger fans have dared to dream every week since their winning streak showed that playing finals wasn't an entirely crazy proposition. They've ridden all sorts of highs and lows this season, peaking last Saturday night when their brave three-point win over the Sydney Swans sealed them inside the top eight. But just as their fortunes changed after September looked impossible at 3-10, the season lurched again on Sunday in the dramatic 57-point thumping at the hands of Port. Now it's up to the Tigers to make sure this stark return to reality doesn't scar them going into next season.
4. Tiger fans have a long night ahead
Walking through the streets of Adelaide on Sunday, you could have been forgiven for thinking you had been teleported back to Punt Road. There were supporters in yellow and black everywhere you looked after a convoy of buses and extra flights from Melbourne descended on the City of Churches. Those who boarded the buses on Saturday morning received a letter from Cotchin that thanked them for their efforts to make the game and included a $10 bill to cover "the first rest stop". But with the return convoy to leave Adelaide an hour after the final siren and arrive in Melbourne around 4.30am, the same fans have a very long night ahead of them.
5. Jake Neade could be the Power's finals x-factor
He's spent much of this season developing the defensive side of his game in the SANFL but the pint-sized Neade could emerge as the Power's game-breaker this month. Despite being one of the smallest players in the competition, Neade's attack on the ball and man was brave time and time again on Sunday, and he still found time to kick a brilliant running goal as one of three. He came into the side in round 20 and hasn't left it since – and it's hard to see him not worrying the Dockers next week after another impressive performance.
6. That's the last of the jumper gates
The AFL's decision to direct Port Adelaide to wear the club's alternative strip for the game to alleviate a potential clash because of Richmond's lack of an appropriate away guernsey proved an interesting subplot in the game's lead up. The Power wore their SANFL traditional strip - rush-ordered through a company in Fiji and delivered on Saturday morning – instead of their white strip, with the Tigers donning their clash jumper anyway to emphasise the difference. AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said before the game it won't happen again. "Who would have thought grown men would care what other grown men are wearing? But that passion is to be ignored at our peril."
