And so it’s come this: the season closer against Melbourne at the historic Adelaide Oval.
In a year of difficulty for the Power, the team was determined to salute the first ever AFL game at Adelaide Oval with a win, and farewell retiring warrior Dean Brogan with style.
The ruckman returned to the side following a difficult second half of the year plagued by injury at the expense of Matt Thomas, who missed with a knee injury, with the big fella starting on the bench alongside Banner and Broadbent with Jonas as the sub for the game.
New cult hero Butcher and Rivers were going toe-toe-toe as the ball was bounced, with Garland loose man down back for the Dees. There was no clear break, but Melbourne dribbled through two behinds early on before some excellent transition play saw Morton goal.
From the next centre break Ebert marked strongly on the half forward flank - his set shot was true in an absolutely fantastic piece of history in the making!
Melbourne peppered the scoreboard, and eventually McKenzie was able to nail a second goal, before more points were scored by the Dees. From a free kick directly in front of goal Westhoff sprayed it wide left, sailing out on the full.
A snap from Banner was rewarded by a free kick as the tackle got him around the neck, and his kick was true - the lack of pressure put on the scoreboard by the Demons could prove to be telling.
A spilled mark from Logan following a superb kick by Motlop saw the Dees stream forward, but Fitzpatrick kicked onto the man on the mark to deny a scoring opportunity. But eventually Jones was able to dodge around an opponent to score a third goal for the Demons.
Boak had a set shot on the 50 after the siren rang out, and his kick was extraordinary - a torpedo from 55m out that sailed straight over the goal umpire’s head!
QUARTER TIME: 3.2.20 to 3.6.24. Goals: Ebert, Banner, Boak. Possessions: Salopek 10, Pearce 7, Gray, Motlop, Rodan and Surjan all 6.
A nervous kick for goal from Morton streaming into goal saw him miss the shot, and the Power streamed forward with tackling pressure absolutely superb - eventually Ebert was able to snap on his right boot - when does that ever happen? - and the Power were all of a sudden in front despite being well down on inside 50 entries after the first term.
Melbourne got the quick break from the bounce, with Martin’s set shot for goal being another inaccurate kick for the Dees.
A fine piece of work from Martin saw the Dees tie the scores up again, with their tackling pressure creating the opportunity to score. Fitzpatrick then marked strongly in his first game, with the tall forward missing another shot for Melbourne.
After an out of bounds free kick, McDonald earned a 50m penalty, but his shot was wayward, cannoning into the post. Westhoff then redeemed himself by earning a free for holding and kicking long to give the Power back the lead.
From a bounce inside the Power 50, Rodan was able to extricate the ball and himself from the pack and snap truly. From the bounce the Power won the clearance and Banner received the ball inside 50 after fantastic defensive pressure from Butcher to allow Gray to run into an open goal in some really exciting play.
Green earned a free inside 50, and he was never going to miss with his shot at goal, reducing the Poewr’s lead to 11 points. Bate then took a strong mark inside 50 and after a massive run-up at goal his kick was straight to make it a 5 point margin.
Several points were registered once more by both sides, before a free kick for Howe saw a long set shot take place from the 50m arc - it fell short but Jamar was waiting to pull down a big pack grab in the square. His kick was easy enough to see the Dees take the lead close to half time.
HALF TIME: 8.4.52 to 7.11.53. Goals: Ebert 3, Banner, Boak, Westhoff, Rodan, Gray. Possessions: Motlop, Pearce and Salopek all 13, Banner, Carlile, Ebert and Gray all 11, Rodan 10, Brogan and Westhoff 9.
After winning the centre clearance with Moloney booting long inside 50, the Power was able to rebound, before once again the Dees charged forward, but Carlile continued his excellent game, cutting off another scoring opportunity.
The ball pinged back and forwards for both sides as the shadows from the new western stand started to lengthen, and finally some hard work by the Demons was rewarded for their effort, with Jones booting his second for the day.
Some fantastic play out of the middle of the ground saw Motlop run onto the ball and goal from just on the 50m arc in some genuinely exciting play out of the contested ball stoppage.
McKenzie’s long-range set shot was centimetre perfect, to make it a 7 point game once more.
Surjan was hurt in a marking contest, but with Gray having gone up into the middle the Power was beginning to win all the stoppages - he won another and Rodan earned a free for a trip, and he goaled to make the margin 1 point as Jonas was activated for Surjan.
A fantastic bit of play from Motlop saw the Power stream forward but an inaccurate long shot for goal saw the scores tied at 66 apiece.
A huge mark from Howe in the forward 50 first paid and then withdrawn, with a bounce taking place inside 50 instead - the Power rebounded nicely out of the defensive 50, switching from one flank to the other as the Poewr streamed down the SACA members wing - eventually Westhoff was able to clutch a strong mark at the 23 minute mark of the third term.
Melbourne failed to clear the ball out of defensive 50 and eventually Motlop was able to tap the ball down to Salopek who snapped truly - it was an absolutely amazing piece of play that’s sure to make the highlights reel for Round 24!
More nice build-up from the Power saw Schulz mark on the lead directly in front and goal again to make it a three goal margin late in the third term.
Morton earned a free after it seemed that the Dees were about to stream into goal, but his set kick outside 50 found Trengove unmarked, and his set shot saw the margin back to 2 goals.
THREE QUARTER TIME: 13.6.84 to 10.12.72. Goals: Ebert 3, Westhoff 2, Rodan 2, Banner, Boak, Gray, Motlop, Salopek, Schulz. Possessions: Motlop and Salopek 20, Pearce 18, Banner 17, Gray 16.
The Power won the centre clearance through Gray but his kick forward was smothered - from there the Dees streamed forward and Howe snapped truly to reduce the margin to a goal. The Dees then won the centre clearance with Howe marking well, and passing to Martin - his kick sailed across the face to fail to register a score, but the Dees held the ball inside their 50 close to goal.
Boak won the possession to get it to Ebert, but his pass to Butcher hit Rivers, who then turned it over to Carlile, who hit Westhoff but then missed the pass to Butcher by foot. It was helter skelter stuff in the final term for 2011 for both sides.
The Dees won the ball in the middle of the ground and streamed forward, with too many players unmarked - Jetta goaled to level the scores. Smother after smother took place with 5 in total for the term before eventually the Dees got their reward, with debutant Fitzpatrick running into an open goal.
After a series of comedic errors, Lobbe was able to drift forward from the ruck as he took an uncontested mark deep in the forward pocket at the cathedral end - his shot was inaccurate, but the Power had finally scored in the final term.
The Power’s tackling pressure was superb, with Westhoff earning a free and getting it forward, where Boak was able to snap it truly to wrest back the lead.
Butcher booted it forward to where Westhoff hauled down another great pack grab, and played on to goal and make it a 7 point margin midway through the term.
Westhoff continued his inspired game, hauling down a Dees player at the 19 minute mark of the final term to earn a holding the ball decision and he kicked truly to nail his fourth for the game.
The Power had won the ascendancy in the middle, and Ebert narrowly missed his chance to extend the margin by another goal as his kick after a strong mark sailed across the face.
The Power won the contest in the middle of the ground with Lobbe marking strongly to goal and make it a 21 point margin, before another point stretched it further.
Martin earned a free kick inside the Dees forward 50, and his set shot was true to reduce the margin to 16.
Some terrific pressure in the back half stopped the Demons from clearing the contest with ease, and instead Westhoff cleared it, but it came straight back and Green marked well directly in front of goal - his kick reduced the margin to 10 points.
The Dees won the centre clearance but weren’t able to effect an inside 50, and instead the Power cleared the ball to the Chappell side wing. Jamar won a free, and the Demons were able to work the ball to Green, who launched a long kick wide.
Moloney earned a free but the siren rung out and Port Adelaide made history as the first side in the AFL to win a game at Adelaide Oval!
FINAL SCORE: 17.10.112 to 15.14.104
GOALS:Westhoff 4, Ebert 3, Boak 2, Rodan 2, Banner, Gray, Lobbe, Motlop, Salopek, Schulz
POSSESSIONS: Salopek 26, Pearce 25, Motlop 23, Banner and Ebert 21, Gray 20.
CROWD: 29.340
