Port Adelaide sink Geelong to climb high of AFL ladder

Port Adelaide have produced 19 magical minutes to sink Geelong by 38 factors and climb to the highest of the AFL ladder.

The Energy weathered an early storm earlier than blowing the reigning premiers away in a third-term blitz of their 16.14 (110) to 11.6 (72) triumph at Adelaide Oval on Thursday evening.

Port, extending their club-record profitable streak to 11 video games, substitute Collingwood in high spot on the ladder.

And coach Ken Hinkley’s outfit, with 12 wins and two losses, will maintain high billing for no less than per week, with the Magpies (11-2) having a bye this weekend.

The Cats (six wins, seven losses) retain ninth spot however might slip as little as twelfth by the top of the weekend with their defeat compounded by an damage to Patrick Dangerfield.

Geelong coach Chris Scott could not verify reviews his skipper, who copped a heavy knock to the again within the second quarter however performed out the sport, has been despatched to hospital.

“I can not reply that,” Scott stated.

“He obtained a knock after which he seized up after that. I might say it is a again spasm or one thing like that however the trustworthy reply is I do not know.”

Port slipped 21 factors behind within the second quarter and have been 13 factors down three minutes into the third time period.

However an inconceivable Sam Powell-Pepper aim – a dribbling effort from the boundary line – sparked a match-defining scoring spree.

Powell-Pepper’s strike was the primary of seven consecutive Energy targets in a 19-minute burst that turned their deficit right into a 30-point benefit.

“We’ve obtained some constant themes to the way in which we play and tonight we demonstrated these themes in that third quarter once more,” Hinkley stated.

“We’ve received 11 in a row … collectively they’ve been exceptional.”

Port forwards Jeremy Finlayson (4 targets) and Todd Marshall (three targets) have been very good, whereas utility Dan Houston (31 disposals) continued his glorious kind.

Performing captain Ollie Wines (28 touches), Zak Butters (23, one aim) and Connor Rozee (25) have been additionally influential.

Geelong’s Gary Rohan additionally booted three targets whereas Zach Guthrie (26 possessions), Max Holmes (24), Mitch Duncan (20) and Isaac Smith (20) have been chief ball-winners for the guests.

The Cats, with Rohan scoring his three majors, booted 6.2 to 2.6 in a powerful opening time period.

And so they maintained a 21-point lead halfway by the second quarter however Port kicked two late targets to cut back their halftime deficit to seven factors.

Port went 13 factors down within the third earlier than clicking into high gear with seven unanswered targets in 19 sensible minutes.

After trailing by 17 at three-quarter-time, Geelong crept inside 12 factors early within the last time period.

Powell-Pepper then once more stole the highlight. With brute power, he shrugged a Guthrie sort out and snapped precisely to set off a last Energy flourish – they scored the final 4 targets.

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