Giants overpower Port for crucial win in finals race
GREATER Western Sydney has breathed new life into its campaign after overcoming a slow start and wayward kicking for goal to defeat Port Adelaide by 22 points at Engie Stadium.
The Giants had lost five of their past seven matches and were on the ropes early as they struggled to hit the scoreboard but gradually edged past the Power for a 9.19 (73) to 6.15 (51) triumph on Sunday.
GIANTS v POWER Full match coverage and stats
Toby Greene was one of the worst culprits in the forward half as the Giants failed to put the Power away, the skipper booting five behinds before a late goal that all but sealed the game.
Josh Kelly (27 disposals, one goal) put the finishing touches on the victory with a major in the last two minutes after a superb performance in his return from a calf injury for a first match since round nine.
The Giants' zippy forward Toby Bedford (16, one) was outstanding in a shock tagging role, clamping down on Zak Butters to limit the Power vice-captain to only 17 touches and little impact on the game.
Lachie Whitfield (28) added dash out of defence, while Tom Green (30) and Callan Ward (23) were immense around the stoppages as the Giants rediscovered their touch to climb up to fifth spot.
The Power missed the opportunity to rise as high as second on the ladder and have now dropped below the Giants to end the round in seventh amid a logjam of teams.
Dan Houston was a standout for the Power as he gathered 35 disposals while adding pace and penetration in all parts of the ground, while Kane Farrell impressed with 30 touches.
Mitch Georgiades (three goals) and Todd Marshall (one) made a bright start for the Power to combine for all three majors to the first change while leading a new-look forward line missing the out-of-form Charlie Dixon and Jeremy Finlayson.
Veterans Ollie Wines (18 disposals) and Travis Boak (18) battled hard for the Power, but skipper Connor Rozee (14) looked out of sorts in his return from a calf injury and just his second match since round eight.
The Giants took a while to get going with only their second goalless opening term under coach Adam Kingsley and were at risk of paying the price for wasteful kicking with seven behinds before Callum Brown booted their first major.
The pacey forward made it two in as many minutes as the hosts got the game on their own terms with better ball use coming out of defence to take a seven-point lead into the main break.
The Giants were on top for much of the second half without quite putting the Power away until a late flurry of goals that blew out the final margin.
Bedford puts sleeper hold on Butters
Toby Bedford was a surprise starter at the opening bounce standing alongside Power playmaker Zak Butters rather than closer to the Giants' goal. The livewire forward went on to announce himself as a tagger in his 50th match, after holding Butters to only three handballs in the first term while gathering six disposals himself. Butters edged to eight touches by the main break then finished with 17 while spending more time forward in the second half, but was well below his best and the career-high 28.1 disposals he had averaged coming into the clash. Bedford added a goal in the third term and gathered 16 disposals in an outstanding all-round display.
New Power tall forward trio show promising signs
Port Adelaide's forward half had a fresh look with out-of-sorts veterans Charlie Dixon and Jeremy Finlayson both dropped as coach Ken Hinkley backed a trio of younger talls. It was a selection statement that had an immediate impact as Mitch Georgiades backed up his equal career-high four majors against Carlton with the opening goal against GWS. Georgiades finished with three to now have 19 from 10 matches, while sharpshooter Todd Marshall was next in line with the second goal of the game. Ollie Lord will be better for the run after overcoming a serious leg injury to make his first appearance of the season, as the Power turn to a fresh combination to get their season back on track.
Greene denied classy goal by contentious call
The Giants were still goalless when Toby Greene pounced on a loose handball 15m out from goal with Power defender Darcy Byrne-Jones closing quickly. The Giants skipper hurried to get the ball down to the outside of his right boot to dribble through what appeared to be a classy goal as Byrne-Jones raised his finger to appeal that it had taken a nick. Los Del Rio's classic Macarena rang out, Greene took a break on the bench and the umpires had the ball back in the centre circle for an age, until a lengthy score review overturned the Giants' opener with a contentious call.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 0.6 4.8 7.14 9.19 (73)
PORT ADELAIDE 3.3 3.7 5.10 6.15 (51)
GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Brown 2, Thomas, Kelly, Hogan, Greene, Daniels, Cadman, Bedford
Port Adelaide: Georgiades 3, Ratugolea, Marshall, Byrne-Jones
BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Kelly, Callaghan, Green, Bedford, Whitfield, Briggs, Ward
Port Adelaide: Houston, Farrell, Georgiades, Wines, Boak
INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Nil
Port Adelaide: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Greater Western Sydney: Toby McMullin (replaced Aaron Cadman in the fourth quarter)
Port Adelaide: Quinton Narkle (replaced Ollie Lord in the third quarter)
Crowd: 8,914 at Engie Stadium
