PORT Adelaide has surged into the top four with a come-from-behind 14-point win over Carlton at Marvel Stadium.
Down by 31 points in the second quarter, the Power gritted their teeth and got to work, holding the Blues to just one goal in the second half to record the 11.13 (79) to 9.11 (65) win on Friday night.
A seven-goal second quarter had the Blues in the box seat, before the Power hit back in the second half, chipping away at the deficit slowly but surely, and holding Carlton to its equal-lowest score of the season.
When life was tough for the Power, Mitch Georgiades (three goals) was the lone hand in the resistance, before the likes of Willem Drew (22 disposals, 12 tackles) and Connor Rozee (24 disposals, six inside 50s) came to the party.
Carlton's willingness to turn up the heat had the second-placed side up and about early. Desperate defensive running was a feature for the home team, while over-possessing the footy was Port Adelaide's theme as a result.
Sam Walsh showed off how much he loves facing the Power, backing up his 34-disposal, 13-tackle performance back in round 12 with another 23 disposals and 11 tackles. Meanwhile, Charlie Curnow (three goals, 19 disposals) was a star in attack, even without Harry McKay by his side due to illness.
In the opening half, too often was young gun Jason Horne-Francis (23 disposals, one goal) determined to take on the world alone, regularly attempting to break through the clamps of multiple Blues and getting caught cold. But he persisted, growing in importance as the game wore on.
Where poor conversion let the Power down when they met Carlton back in round 12, it seemed early that they had shaken off their worries in front of goal. Two stunning set shots to open their scoring off the boots of Esava Ratugolea and Georgiades suggested an improvement in front of the big sticks, but it wasn't to be as they went on to kick just nine goals from 22 scores afterward.
Port Adelaide's first half was laden with skill errors. Any sense of flow or control in the game was stymied by a misfired handball, dropped mark, or undisciplined free kick against. It highlighted a distinct lack of cohesion between the group.
But once the visitors got a taste of control, they relished a hard-running, unified style of play that worked beautifully.
The Power's late surge was met with tired legs from Carlton which, coming off a five-day break, was forced into an early substitution with David Cuningham dislocating his shoulder in the first quarter.
The tag
Carlton tagger Alex Cincotta's run of impressive shutdown roles continued on Friday. As flagged by Blues coach Michael Voss before the game, Cincotta put the squeeze on star Zak Butters, restricting the Power star from his usual game-breaking impact. In an attempt to escape the tag, Butters moved into attack midway through the second term, only for Cincotta to switch his focus to Port Adelaide captain Connor Rozee through the middle. The shift worked in Port Adelaide's favour, as Butters broke through for 10 important disposals through the third quarter as his side worked back into the game, before Cincotta returned to Butters in the final term.
The ARC in action
As Carlton was fighting hard to snatch back the lead deep in the final quarter, Darcy Byrne-Jones threw up a new challenge for the team in charge of goal reviews. Out of congestion in the goalsquare, Byrne-Jones kicked off the ground towards the goal line. The ball clattered into the goal umpire's foot, causing it to divert into the post, leaving the umpires no option but to send the decision upstairs. Ultimately, it was deemed a goal, putting Port Adelaide 14 points up with mere minutes left on the clock, and proved to be Carlton's death knell.
Curnow, a man on a mission
Even without partner in crime Harry McKay running around next to him, Coleman Medal leader Charlie Curnow was at his destructive best. Challenged all night by athletic Power defender Aliir Aliir, Curnow's neat mix of aerial strength and deft ground-level attack proved near on impossible to stop. By half-time Curnow had recorded 11 disposals – all kicks – and three goals. While his influence on the game quietened in the second half, he remained an ever-present threat to the Power's backline.
CARLTON 1.4 8.6 9.8 9.11 (65)
PORT ADELAIDE 2.2 4.5 7.10 11.13 (79)
GOALS
Carlton: Curnow 3, Kennedy 2, Young, Owies, Motlop, Cottrell
Port Adelaide: Georgiades 3, Ratugolea 2, Byrne-Jones 2, Rioli, Mead, Horne-Francis, Farrell
BEST
Carlton: Curnow, Walsh, Cincotta, E.Hollands, McGovern
Port Adelaide: Georgiades, Houston, Sweet, Farrell, Drew, Rozee
INJURIES
Carlton: Cuningham (left shoulder)
Port Adelaide: Nil
LATE CHANGES
Carlton: Harry McKay (illness) replaced by Lewis Young
Port Adelaide: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Carlton: Jack Carroll (replaced David Cuningham in the first quarter)
Port Adelaide: Quinton Narkle (replaced Lachie Jones in the final quarter)
Crowd: 40,500 at Marvel Stadium
