Despite losing the disposal and inside 50 count, Port Adelaide was able to make the most of its opportunities to secure a 16-point victory. Image: AFL Photos.

THAT was different ... and probably a sound pointer for what is to unfold in September when AFL finals test teams that are quickly knocked onto the back foot.

Port Adelaide on Sunday evening lost the disposal count against Fremantle - by 21 (366-345). For context, Port Adelaide gave the home team at Perth Stadium a 35-disposal start during the first term, so the differential favoured Port Adelaide by 14 after quarter-time.

Port Adelaide - in a key performance indicator Ken Hinkley's team has owned for years - lost the inside-50 count by six (46-40). Again, for a greater understanding of how this road game turned Port Adelaide's way from time-on of the first term when Sam Powell-Pepper scored his team's first goal: Fremantle won this territory marker by eight during the opening quarter - and Port Adelaide by two after quarter-time.

Port Adelaide having "just" 40 inside-50s - when it has averaged 57.5 this season to rate No. 2 behind Melbourne in the league rankings - says plenty in itself.

Port Adelaide won by 16 points. The other key indicator worth emphasising in a game that demanded the sleeves be rolled up was critically won by Port Adelaide by three - contested ball went 125-122.

Port Adelaide won the contested possession count - an important indicator of a team's performance. Image: AFL Photos.

Sometimes the overstated numbers do give meaning to a match. In this case, the statistics are more revealing than usual.

This game - that delivered Port Adelaide's first win against Fremantle in Perth Stadium - reaffirms that some games do not play out as designed on the whiteboard and in those pre-game briefings at Alberton. The opposition does indeed have a say, particularly on its home deck. And by applying significant pressure at the contest, Fremantle did make a game with no consequence to its 2023 ambitions become a statement about its intent to close an unfulfilled campaign with some honour and pride ... and promise for 2024.

Fremantle did win the possession game early. It set up scoreboard pressure early. It delivered that reminder - timely too - that finals can be this way. And it demanded Port Adelaide adapt or perish ... as many remember (with pain) from those moments at Football Park at West Lakes with Collingwood and Sydney during the 2002 and 2003 qualifying finals.

Port Adelaide did not choke on Sunday.

Rather, it strangled Fremantle to present its soundest defensive game since round five when Port Adelaide was digging itself out of that "untenable" start to the season that began with terrible 100-plus leakage in defence.

Port Adelaide gave up just 58 points to Fremantle - its second-lowest score against this season in which the lowest was 56 to the Western Bulldogs in round five at Adelaide Oval.

Defence ruled, as legend has defence will dictate terms during finals.

Nothing came easy for Fremantle, with Port Adelaide achieving its second-lowest score against in 2023 . Image: AFL Photos.

Port Adelaide's team defence - tested by the medical orders on captain Tom Jonas and the subbed Ryan Burton - conceded just five marks inside Fremantle's forward 50-metre arc, a season-low for the West Australian team. This vice forced Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir to speculate by throwing defenders Luke Ryan and Brennan Cox forward in the hope of cracking the team system commanded by Aliir Aliir and Miles Bergman and Kane Farrell. Dan Houston rolls back nicely too.

At the other end of Perth Stadium, Port Adelaide achieved efficiency and accuracy with 25 shots from those 40 inside-50s. Sam Powell-Pepper scored two goals, so did Jeremy Finlayson and Darcy Bryne-Jones ... but not Todd Marshall who appears to have lost that radar that would have allowed him once to put the Sherrin on the goal umpire's head.

And in between this manic defence and the opportunist attack was midfielder Zak Butters doing just as Zak Butters has done all season - play with extraordinary verve and passion and industry that will define him as AFL elite. There also is the power of Jason Horne-Francis.

No-one - well, none of the pundits - expected a match-up of the top-four placed Port Adelaide and the also-ran Fremantle in 14th spot to become a pointer to September.

And yet this twilight match does serve as a very strong reminder of how September can play out ... and how Port Adelaide might need to adjust on the spot to win in a way that is different to the team's norm.

00:29

RAA Play of the Day R23: Butters stuns with GOTY contender | PTV

Zak Butters breaks free in the stoppage and kicks a ripper to claim the RAA Play of the Day for Round 23.

Port Adelaide left Perth in February - after pre-season losses to West Coast and Fremantle - leaving very few critics impressed.

The return trip - for a game everyone, including Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley, described as "not pretty" - should impress many for how Port Adelaide "earned" four premiership points while Fremantle set the terms early with a tactical playbook that clearly avoided putting speed on the game.

Should any final work to the same agenda - as history remembers with Port Adelaide in those crushing starts to major rounds from 2001-2003 - this mentally and physically demanding contest in Perth that closed round 23 should serve Ken Hinkley's group extremely well.

Sometimes you have to win different.

Prevailing in one of the toughest fixtures on the calendar, Port Adelaide will take confidence out of its Round 23 match up. Image: AFL Photos.

ON REVIEW: That goal post - the one that stands to the left when you face the old scoreboard at Adelaide Oval - has developed quite a reputation.

It "saved" Port Adelaide in the 1958 SANFL grand final, although Port Adelaide legend Geof Motley insists the late set-shot kick by West Adelaide ruckman Jack Richardson was touched by team-mate Ted Whelan before it hit that post ... to deny West Adelaide a premiership-winning goal and to assure Fos Williams a flag in his final match as a player.
It did not rattle enough for Port Adelaide in 2018 when Josh Jenkins was credited with the Showdown-winning goal.

And it certainly did not move at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night when a goal umpire inexplicably did not seek the security of score review preferring to believe in his own convictions.

Australian football is to have quite a long conversation this week because of that goal post ...

ON (P)REVIEW: For the first time in its AFL story, Port Adelaide on Sunday will play a 23rd game in a home-and-away campaign. At high noon, Port Adelaide will host non-finalist Richmond at Adelaide Oval - three months after winning the same match-up by 10 points at the MCG where the memorable, season-defining winning streak reached seven of the eventual 13.

Twice before - in a 22-game home-and-away series - 17 wins has gained Port Adelaide the McClelland Trophy as AFL minor premier during the breakthrough premiership season of 2004; and second spot to Melbourne in 2021.

Port Adelaide plays Richmond in the final round of the home and away season, facing the Tigers at home. Image: AFL Photos.

It could be the same reward of a home qualifying final this season, but it is most unlikely.

Port Adelaide can finish the home-and-away series in any position from minor premier (should both Collingwood and Brisbane lose to Essendon and St Kilda respectively) - and fourth (should Port Adelaide lose to Richmond and Melbourne beat Sydney).

Most likely, Port Adelaide will remain third - with 17 wins - and start the finals on the road against Brisbane at the Gabba in a throwback to 2001.