David King, a former Kangaroo with two premierships under his belt, believes that Port Adelaide’s young midfielders have the capability to outplay Collingwood and potentially cause an upset at the MCG on Saturday.
Despite Collingwood’s recent resurgence with two consecutive wins after a slow start to their season, King views them as vulnerable, particularly in the midfield where they have struggled in recent games.
Port Adelaide, on the other hand, has been in impressive form this season, boasting a 4-1 record and demonstrating dominance in their recent matches. With a track record of success at the MCG, the Power enters the clash with confidence.
King expressed his admiration for Port Adelaide’s style of play and highlighted their youth-driven midfield as a potential game-changer against Collingwood.
The match kicks off at 1:45pm at the MCG and will be broadcast live on Fox Footy (channel 504), with streaming available on Kayo and Hubbl from 1pm.
There were no last-minute changes for either team, with Reef McInnes for Collingwood and Jed McEntee for Port Adelaide named as the starting substitutes.
Port Adelaide took an early lead in the game with goals from Zak Butters and Sam Powell-Pepper, establishing a 12-point advantage after an initial period of evenly contested play.
Just a minute after Will Hoskin-Elliott scored Collingwood’s first goal, Miles Bergman executed a remarkable running checkside goal, followed by goals from Ryan Burton and Mitch Georgiades, extending Port Adelaide’s lead to 25 points.
Melbourne champion Garry Lyon, commenting on Fox Footy, expressed concern over the number of free Port Adelaide players on the field, highlighting Collingwood’s struggle to contest loose balls.
Lyon described Collingwood’s performance as “un-Collingwood-like” in the first 20 minutes, noting their loose checking and the pressure they faced from Port Adelaide.
Port Adelaide’s dominance continued as Jackson Mead scored a classy goal, increasing the margin to beyond five goals.
Triple premiership Tiger Jack Riewoldt pointed out the inferred pressure on Collingwood, emphasizing that simple errors, like missed marks, can compound when a team is trailing by a significant margin.
However, Collingwood fought back in the latter part of the first quarter, capitalizing on quick ball movement to score goals through Beau McCreery and Bobby Hill, reducing the deficit to 17 points at the end of the first quarter.
Port Adelaide responded early in the second quarter, with Todd Marshall converting a set-shot goal from a difficult angle. Then, emerging midfielder Jason Horne-Francis displayed an impressive burst of speed, breaking away from a congested stoppage to kick a brilliant running goal.
“That is incredibly impressive,” Lyon remarked on Horne-Francis’ effort.
Collingwood retaliated once more, with Will Hoskin-Elliott taking a spectacular mark leading to a set-shot goal, followed by Brody Mihocek scoring from long range to narrow Port’s lead to just 14 points. Mason Cox then added another goal for Collingwood.
“They’ll gain confidence from this, Collingwood. They’ve managed to stem the tide and now they’re launching a counterattack,” Lyon commented. “This is highly impressive. It’s a remarkable comeback.”
Fox Footy commentator Dwayne Russell chimed in, saying, “The Comeback Kings had Port Adelaide right where they wanted them.”
Mihocek scored his second goal before Patrick Lipinski crumbed the ball to snap two exceptional goals, putting Collingwood ahead at halftime.
“The belief seems to be palpable, coursing through their veins right now,” Lyon remarked.
Russell chimed in, saying, “They are unstoppable.”
Collingwood’s dominance persisted in the second quarter, with Jamie Elliott scoring his first goal followed by Cox’s second from a long-range set-shot.
“You just want to see players tough it out. Right now… they’re too easy to play against. Just put some pressure on!” Riewoldt commented on the Power’s defense.
Lyon described Collingwood’s performance as an “avalanche” against Port.
The Power managed to halt an eight-goal streak from Collingwood when Georgiades took a towering contested mark and converted his set-shot. However, Lipinski quickly responded with his third goal.
When Lachie Schultz added two goals to the tally, the Pies surged ahead by 40 points.
“This could be one of the standout performances of the year, considering the quality of the opposition and the circumstances,” Lyon remarked.
Riewoldt echoed the sentiment, saying, “It’s unimaginable.”
A late goal from Sam Powell-Pepper in the third quarter narrowed the Power’s deficit to 35 points heading into the final quarter.
