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| 2002 SEASON 2002 Report Card: Port Adelaide by Samantha Lane, afl.com.au Thursday September 26, 2002 2002 Record: wins - 18, losses – 4, position – 3rd 2001 Record: wins - 16, loss - 8, position – 5th What went right: A lot. The Power finished as minor premiers in the best performance of its six-year history, and was rated a flag favourite during the year. Four Port Adelaide players made the All-Australian cut - Josh Francou and Brett Montgomery earning their first guernseys, while Matthew Primus and Warren Tredrea enjoyed the honour in successive seasons. Francou maintained his magnificent form in successive seasons, and was runner up in the Brownlow Medal. He proved last year’s equal third placing was no fluke, and scored the best finish ever in the count by a Port Adelaide player. The Power also overcame the significant hurdle of winning its first ever AFL final, after bowing out in straight sets last year despite placing third. Port’s on-ballers were mighty throughout the year, Francou accruing 525 disposals. He was aptly supported by Nick Stevens, Roger James and Josh Carr. Chad Kornes, Montgomery and Tredrea were among the league’s top-10 markers. Skipper Primus led admirably and was one of the competition’s best ruckmen in 2002. What went wrong: Season 2002 may well be remembered as a year of lost opportunity for the club. But its opening week performance in the finals was the undoing of its season. And while its conqueror in Saturday night’s second preliminary final, Brisbane, looks headed for siuccessive premierships, Port was well-beaten by 56 points. The most disappointing aspect for the club was that it should never have found itself in the situation. But after dropping their first match in the finals series, the Power set themselves up for a re-match with the premiership favourites on Brisbane’s home ground, the Gabba. Who stepped up: Chad Cornes has missed just one game in three seasons, and put in a career best performance this year. He accrued the fifth highest number of disposals at the club, but proved difficult to match up on and was always dangerous up forward. Jarrad Poulton was de-listed last year, but had a dramatic change of fortune this year. He missed just one match after straightening up his kicking and improving his fitness. Darryl Wakelin clearly had his best season ever in defence, and rebounded admirably from a fractured cheekbone to play in the Power’s last match after a month on the sidelines. Missing in action: Michael Wilson and Bowen Lockwood were victims of injury. Wilson suffered a crippling knee injury during preseason training, while Bowen Lockwood was forced to retire after battling back problems and was unable to add to his match tally of 50. Disappointingly, club stalwart and key defender Darren Mead could not crack the seniors for a 10-week period during the season. Scott Bassett did not go on with it, and managed just five senior games after a promising 2001. Forward Che Cockatoo-Collins was down on goals. He managed just 20 for the season, after kicking 41 last year. Best performance: Port Adelaide 13.12 (90) d Brisbane 13.6 (84), round 22 at AAMI Stadium. One of the most memorable matches in recent times, and one which was of vital importance. Port was forced to dig deep, and a Roger James goal sealed the sweet victory with just two minutes remaining. The Power secured top spot, and in so doing looked set to enjoy a home preliminary final. Worst performance: Collingwood 16.12 (108) d Port Adelaide 10.13 (73), first qualifying final at AAMI Stadium. After the hype of the previous week, Port was expected to dispose of their travelling opponents and cruise to a home preliminary final. Many believed the Power were a sure thing to make the grand final, but this was the game that all but dashed its hopes. Off-season shopping list: Mark Williams has indicated Port will be an eager participant in the off-season trading period, but has refused to discuss the Power’s deficiencies. The club boasts an even side with plenty of improvement left in it. A young key defender will help make the looming departure of Stephen Paxman and Darren Mead more manageable. Williams’ summary: “For a team to back up from a 16-game winning season last year to win more than those (19) and to win a final, we’ve got something out of that that the players can hang their hats on as a stepping stone to better things…After losing the first two games of the year, a lot of doubters were around. To regroup and finish the end of the minor round with the most wins was terrific and it showed that we could keep at the task.” AFL.COM.AU’S suggested membership motto for 2003: “This year we will consolidate.” PORT'S FIRST FINALS WIN Finally! Port breaks through Chris McAsey, afl.com.au Friday September 13, 2002 Port Adelaide will play off for a place in the grand final against the Brisbane Lions after defying its critics with a steely 24-point win over Essendon in the first semi-final at AAMI Stadium on Friday night. The Power set up its first finals victory with a six-goal third quarter that cracked open a tight contest dominated by both defences. In a low scoring game that was all about momentum swings, Power kicked the first three goals, then conceded five to the Bombers to trail by 12 points at half time. With neither side able to find a consistent avenue to goal, it was a significant lead and the Power looked to be wilting again under the weight of expectation. But the Power midfielders, who had been well beaten by Jason Johnson, Peverill and Misiti in the first half, found their legs in the third. Stuart Dew bombed two trademark goals and Nick Stevens ran hard through lines to score two more and kick the Power away. The Power led by 22 points at three-quarter time, but with Kevin Sheedy throwing all his guns forward, the Bombers came again with two early goals to bring the margin back to 12 points. Midway through the quarter, Blake Caracella squandered two golden opportunities to put real scoreboard pressure on Power, missing two shots within a minute. And when Che Cockatoo-Collins goaled from the rebound and Warren Tredrea outmuscled Sean Wellman to kick another minutes later, the Power had weathered the storm. With James Hird underdone and completely out of touch, the Bombers possibly missed Matthew Lloyd more than the suspended Fletcher. Still suffering from his head-clash with Eagle Adam Hunter at Colonial Stadium last Saturday, Lloyd failed to take his place in the line-up. Hird played forward for the first three quarters but was completely overshadowed by former team mate Gavin Wanganeen, who hardly put a foot wrong deep in defence. With Scott Lucas working both forward and back all night to cover Tredrea, the Bombers had no consistent go-to forward, while the Power went with a small attack again. It worked, with Dew booting three and Peter Burgoyne and Stevens two each. But it was Chad Cornes who the Bombers had most difficult matching up on. He was the dominant forward on the ground, leading hard and pulling down 13 marks in a best-on-ground display. Coach Mark Williams was relieved and delighted with the win. "I'm very pleased for the guys. It was a very gutsy win. There are a lot of tired boys in the room there, and they thoroughly deserved the win," Williams said. "At half-time I told them to keep running, keep working at it and keep believing. We spread the load well and everyone contributed. This proved that we can win finals and that's certainly something they will always remember." Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy wasn’t making excuses for the loss of Fletcher and Lloyd before the game, but he said the Bombers had lacked a focus in attack. “I’m disappointed. I thought that if some of our better players had have played better, we could have won the game,” he said. “But we kicked eight goals to 11 and you’re not going to win many finals with that sort of goal power.” Sheedy said he was yet to talk to veteran ruckman Paul Salmon about his future, but thought young ruckmen Hille and O’Keefe were due to step up. “It was really pleasing to see him (Salmon) come back and show what can be done with dedication. “In the end, the fans were really appreciative of it…and I think the fans really enjoyed to see him perform the way he has.” 2002 MINOR PREMIERSHIP Flag race opens up as Port finishes top Paul Gough, afl.com.au Saturday August 31, 2002 If Brisbane is to win back-to-back premierships they will have to do it the hard way after Port Adelaide blew the AFL premiership wide open on Saturday afternoon with their most important win since joining the competition in 1997. A Roger James goal with just under two minutes remaining sent a record Port Adelaide home crowd - outside of the annual showdown against Adelaide – of 46,439 into a frenzy and sealed a memorable 13.12 (90) to 13.6 (84) in the top of the table showdown at AAMI Stadium. James’ memorable right foot snap goal off the pack – after the Lions had looked to have pinched the game after trailing by 28 points at the last change – was clearly the most important goal kicked by any AFL player this season. The Power’s six point win means it will be Port Adelaide and not the previously all-conquering Lions that will have the benefit of two home finals in the lead-up to the grand final – provided they don’t slip up in the first week of the finals next week. And it was achieved in the most character-building, memorable and heart-stopping fashion imaginable after the Lions had stunned the huge home crowd by hitting the front, following five unanswered goals in the final term, with just under five minutes remaining. But Port showed unbelievable character to fight back and win the game to finish the season on top, with 18 wins and only four losses, and in the process taking a giant stride towards their first grand final. Port’s reward for their win is two-fold following Collingwood’s capitulation in Saturday’s other game against the Bulldogs at the MCG. Not only have Port secured the all-important top spot for the first time, in only their sixth season in the competition, but their first-up home qualifying final will be against the faltering Magpies – who will travel to Adelaide for their first finals game in eight years on the back of four losses in their past six games. A win there and Port, who have now won their past 11 home matches, will again have home advantage at the daunting AAMI Stadium in a bid to qualify for their first grand final in preliminary final week. In stark contrast the Lions, who came into this game as warm favourites, will now not only have to meet its recent bogy side in Adelaide in the first week of the finals but will then sacrifice home advantage for the all-important preliminary final, even if they win next week, due to the AFL’s controversial agreement with the MCC which guarantees at least one preliminary final at the MCG regardless of which teams have earned the right to host the match. And while the Lions’ qualifying final against Adelaide will be played at the Gabba, where the Lions are unbeaten in seven finals games – it’s worth remembering that not only did Adelaide beat Brisbane at AAMI Stadium earlier this year but were also the only side to beat them at the Gabba last year. With so much at stake, the first half of this match was played at an intensity befitting a grand final as the AFL’s two best teams went head-to-head at a ferocious pace. Such was the pressure on all players that only two goals (one each) were scored in absorbing first term, which featured plenty of simple skill errors from both sides who almost appeared overwhelmed by the huge occasion. But in the second term the Lions appeared to have seized control with Simon Black dominating and Jason Akermanis’s skill and composure in front of goal proving vital. However in the third quarter the reigning premiers were made to look second rate as Port’s midfielders swamped them with James, both Shaun and Peter Burgoyne and Nick Stevens’ inspirational. At that stage, particularly with the huge crowd behind them, Port looked unstoppable but the sheer persistence of Black hauled the Lions back into the game in the final term as the home side panicked under the weight of expectation. But thanks to best-afield James it found some inspiration just when it needed to most with their gutsy effort best summed up by the dominant performances of its two key defenders in Stephen Paxman and Chad Cornes, who thrashed the Lions’ two big guns in attack in Alistair Lynch and Jonathan Brown respectively. 2002 WIZARD CUP PREMIERSHIP Port go back-to-back Ashley Browne, afl.com.au Saturday March 16, 2002 Port Adelaide has become the first team since Essendon in 1993-94 to win back-to-back pre-season premierships when it defeated Richmond by nine points to win the Wizard Home Loans Cup at Colonial Stadium. In what was a dour, scrappy affair for most of the night, Port set up the win by booting four of the first five goals of the match, and then, with the match on the line at three quarter-time, three goals in as many minutes early in the final term to put the game away for good. Port eventually prevailed 10.11 (71) to Richmond’s 9.8 (62) in front of a large and noisy crowd of 36,481. Port midfielder Nick Stevens won the Michael Tuck Medal for best afield. As is often the case in pre-season football, there were no stand-out players and few dominant four-quarter players. Port got by thanks to an even contribution from its midfield and key forwards who kept bobbing up when they needed to. Warren Tredrea booted two goals for the match in an enthralling clash with emerging Tiger backman Ray Hall. He booted the first goal of the match, less than a minute into the last quarter and then another in the final term, as Port piled on the pressure. The opportunistic Peter Burgoyne also snared two for the victors, while Che Cockatoo-Collins and Stuart Dew also chimed in with singles. ``I thought bit was a real team performance,’’ Port coach Mark Williams said. ``It was a terrific game, very tight and something the AFL would have been looking for.’’ Port’s midfield was great throughout, with Josh Francou and Stevens providing enough drive to allow the side the luxury of playing Gavin Wanganeen in the back pocket all evening. Richmond’s problem, on the other hand, was a forward line that never clicked into gear until too late. Matthew Richardson booted two goals, but was generally well held by Darryl Wakelin. Richardson’s best football came in the third term, when after a spell on the bench, he played in the midfield and across half-forward to good effect. Brad Ottens did well in spurts, but the Tigers will be relishing the return of former Sydney ruckman Greg Stafford, so that their two-pronged forward line can wreak some damage. Williams said the part played by Matthew Primus in the opening few minutes of the final term was critical. ``He blew the game open for us.’’ Port’s fast start was critical to the result. Tredrea snapped truly, followed by Burgoyne from a patented left-foot goal. Within six minutes, Port had a two-goal buffer, and until Richmond’s late burst in time-on in the final quarter, the Tigers could not get closer. The Tigers did press in the third quarter. Humbled by a first half in which they managed only two goals, the Tiger backline got on top and some run was established through the midfield. At the final change, the Tigers had bridged the margin to 13 points, and with the pulsating crowd finding some voice, looked set for a big final quarter. But Port have emerged as the cold, calculated killers in the AFL and snuffed out hopes of Richmond’s first night flag in just three minutes in the final quarter. Dew snapped a goal with that raking left foot of his, followed by another from Francou and then a Tredrea mark and goal to make it five goals. There were late theatrics from the Tigers, who briefly revived hopes of an unlikely and undeserved win, but Port had been the more even and composed team throughout and deserved to win. ``We didn’t play that well, but only lost by nine points,’’ said Richmond coach Danny Frawley. ``There is lots of improvement in us and the focus now is Collingwood.’’ ``There were no points lost today, which is a bonus and there will now be a steely resolve from all of us.’’ THE PORT CONCEPT Port Power: Small fish struggling in a bigger pond Convictcreations.com Port Adelaide Power fans are like small fish struggling in a bigger pond. An immensely successful club in the tin pot competition known as the SANFL, the club's fans have had some difficulty accepting that success in the AFL does not come as easy as in the SANFL. As a consequence, many have gone back to watching the Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL because they want to feel like a big fish once more. Something to prove: The Port Adelaide Football Club lays claim to the title of most successful senior football club, not only in South Australian, but Australia-wide. It's a proud working class club built on values of strength, courage, loyalty, honour and a strong sense of unity. Since playing its first game in 1870, the club has gone on to win an Australian record of 34 SANFL premierships and has been runner up 35 times. After almost 2500 games, it has notched up a 72.6% win ratio. The club has never finished lower than seventh, and has only been out of the the finals 12 times since 1877. Of course these stats have always meant very little to people outside South Australia. When Victorians heard Port fans crowing that they were the best, they simply replied that the SANFL didn't matter as the VFL was of the higher standard. In some respects, the insult was a hollow considering that interstate matches often resulted in the SANFL team emerging triumphant; thus giving gave credence to the argument that a SANFL title was more worthy than a VFL title. Even if South Australian football was of a higher standard, in the 1970s the VFL's superior financial backing had them poaching the best footballers Australia wide. Consequently, it was becoming increasing apparent that whatever dubious standard it may have been in the past, the VFL was becoming the best. After the VFL expanded into the AFL in the 80s, there was no doubt that the AFL was the future. If Port's claims to national supremacy were to have any legitimacy, then it would have to prove itself in the toughest league in the land. Not ones to shy away from a challenge, the club put its reputation on the line and defected from the SANFL by making an application to join the AFL in 1990. The move was totally unexpected and precipitated South Australian football into a period of unprecedented turmoil, controversy and confusion. Port Adelaide, already far and away the most loathed SANFL club, became even more hated in South Australia. Although the AFL was pleased that a South Australian team would be in the AFL, they were concerned that Port's entry would alienate the majority of South Australian football supporters who hated Port. Consequently, they gave SANFL the option of fielding a composite team and if they declined, Port would be free to join. Knowing that Port wanted them to reject the offer, the SANFL accepted and the Crows were born. Port Adelaide was forced to wait in the wings as the Crows attained the success that they had hoped for. In 1996 Port Adelaide was named as the next expansion team but only if another AFL team folded. Fortunately for them, Fitzroy's financial problems led to that very option and Port entered the AFL in 1997. As their Magpie symbol was already claimed by Collingwood, Port changed to "Port Power" with a hand holding a lightning bolt and added silver and teal to their famous black and white. Ironically, it was Collingwood that had been inspired by their traditions and so copied Port's colours and moniker almost a century earlier. Once gaining admittance, Port set about regaining ground on the established Adelaide Crows. This task was made much more difficult as the recruiting concessions handed to other expansion clubs were denied from Port. Perhaps this is because if Port tasted early success, then their would be legitimacy to their earlier claims that they were Australia's greatest club. Despite the obstacles, Port Adelaide won their first "showdown" with the Crows and the current ledger between the clubs is relatively even - quite an impressive achievement considering their late entry. After some early hiccups, the club set a course for the future and in 2001 the club won the night premiership and backed it up with a subsequent win in 2002. Also in 2002, the club finished the home and away season as the minor premiers. With a young, tough and highly skilled side, there is optimism that 2003 may be the stage for Port to confirm what it has always maintained. Although the club has achieved tremendously in five short years, for the fans, success has not come soon enough. After 127 years as a big fish, they are not accustomed to the tag of second best and have responded by deserting the Power and returning to watch the Magpies in the SANFL. Club icon Fos Williams once said " Any club worth its salt will clean out its no hopers, from the doorman to the head trainer to the captain. " On the field, such a culture has no doubt contributed to the successes being attained so quickly. Unfortunately, most of the Power's no-hopers are the fans and such is the commercial nature of football theses days, they can not be cleaned out so easily. |
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