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Fuel for the fire
Port Adelaide trailed by nine points at half time with one less scoring opportunity.
The game was an arm-wrestle until that point and both sides had plenty of opportunity to damage the scoreboard.
Port Adelaide was perhaps further from the Swans than it should have been.
The visitors had brought their trademark accuracy in the first term with four goals from four shots before Dane Rampe clocked their first behind for the afternoon.
In contrast, the Power had opened its account quickly through some well-read crumbing from small forward Chad Wingard, but was then unlucky to miss two difficult set shots taken by Matthew Broadbent and Jay Schulz.
The Power would have trailed by just six points at quarter time had those shots converted.
Considering the conditions it was not a bad position to be in.
But let’s bring the numbers back into the discussion.
This was a match where the team to win the contested ball as well as finding uncontested space would go a long way towards winning the game.
Sydney’s style is typified by its pressure around the footy and the Power was able to match and better the Swans in that area.
It ramped up its contested ball-work after half time - having had 18 fewer contested possessions at the long break - winning that area 93-62 in the second half.
Considering the conditions it was not a bad position to be in.
But let’s bring the numbers back into the discussion.
This was a match where the team to win the contested ball as well as finding uncontested space would go a long way towards winning the game.
Sydney’s style is typified by its pressure around the footy and the Power was able to match and better the Swans in that area.
It ramped up its contested ball-work after half time - having had 18 fewer contested possessions at the long break - winning that area 93-62 in the second half.
It also won the clearances after the break by three.
But it was the way it used the ball and attacked the contest that was so critical to the way it ended the game.
Port’s hard work to get first hands at the ball allowed it to net 34 inside 50s after half time in contrast to Sydney’s 12.
Those sorts of numbers are crucial in a sloppy game of football – the regular supply of opportunity up forward was clearly relished by Port’s attackers and helped the home side run over the top of the Swans in the final term.
Brad Ebert and Matthew Broadbent played their best games for the year with Ebert having a workhorse 26 touches while Broadbent had five critical rebounds.
Scoreboard
Port Adelaide 1.2 3.5 5.6 10.12 (72)
Sydney Swans 4.1 5.2 6.4 8.6 (54)
Goals: Wingard 3, Monfries 2, Broadbent, Neade, Schulz, Westhoff, Gray
Leader board
Disposals: Brad Ebert (26)
Marks: Matthew Broadbent (10)
Tackles: Matthew Lobbe (11)
Clearances: Dom Cassisi, Hamish Hartlett, Andrew Moore (5)
Hitouts: Matthew Lobbe (37)
Score leader: Chad Wingard (18)
Fantasy Leader: Matthew Broadbent (115)
Head to Head
Kicks: Power 225 – 193 Swans
Handballs: Power 139 – 137 Swans
Disposals: Power 364 – 330 Swans
Marks: Power 66 – 44 Swans
Average Efficiency: Power 55.8% - 53.99% Swans
Clangers: Power 60 – 63 Swans
Clearances: Power 40 – 48 Swans
Hitouts: Power 46 –51 Swans
Tackles: Power 98 – 100 Swans
Rebound 50s: Power 31 – 36 Swans
Inside 50s: Power 52 – 43 Swans
Fantasy: Power 1628 – 1440 Swans
