Port Adelaide seventh and rising
Port Adelaide is in seventh place and still talking down its aspirations, despite defeating two powerhouse clubs in the space of a week.
Richmond is sixth and talking about the final four.
Adelaide and Carlton sit outside the eight and remain quietly hopeful of turning around their seasons.
Hawthorn, meanwhile, having lost its first round match against Geelong, is surging ahead having won every game since.
Port Adelaide has been the major mover so far this season after decking another AFL heavyweight with a 35-point belting of Collingwood, following on from their shock defeat of Sydney last week.
Finals now beckon for Port, but coach Ken Hinkley is keen to hold back on any premature celebrations.
“For all the Port fans … be proud of the boys, be really pumped for what they have been able to do,” Hinkley said after Port’s 13.8 (86) to 7.9 (51) win against the Magpies.
“But understand it’s still a journey.
“I’m not trying to hose that (excitement) down in any way – other than to say this is a young team still with lots to learn.”
A week after beating reigning premiers Sydney, Port accounted for perennial powerhouse Collingwood before a rejuvenated home crowd of 31,121 spectators at AAMI Stadium.
Port are now entrenched in the top eight and on track to return to the finals after a five-year absence.
The Power have eight wins this season – the same amount they managed during their past two bleak years – and it’s not just the wider AFL community that is surprised.
“From the day we got here, I don’t think we quite realised the ability of the group to want to play tough,” said first-year coach Hinkley.
“They went through some horrible times last year.
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“We have come in and they have been in a really good space but they have been in a really demanding space of each other. And so far they have got the results they deserve.”
Port won every quarter in a performance which drew praise from Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley, who said the Power’s intensity was “finals-like”.
“It was definitely top eight pressure,” Buckley said.
“That young side will win a lot of games.”
Dom Cassisi will find out the extent of his reinjured hamstring early this week.
Tom Logan suffered a corked calf during the match and Travis Boak left the field with an ankle complaint, but both are expected to be fit for Sunday’s away game against Essendon at Etihad Stadium.
ESSENDON 4.1 6.3 10.5 15.8 (98)
WEST COAST 3.4 6.6 12.10 13.13 (91)
Goals: Essendon: J Winderlich 3 A Davey 2 J Carlisle 2 J Watson 2 B Goddard C Dempsey D Heppell J Merrett P Ryder S Crameri. West Coast: J Darling 3 M LeCras 3 B Dalziell 2 J Kennedy 2 D Cox D Kerr M Priddis.
Best: Essendon: J Watson J Carlisle J Winderlich B Stanton D Zaharakis. West Coast: M Priddis J Darling C Masten B Dalziell D Glass. Injuries: Essendon: S Crameri (ankle). West Coast: L Shuey (hamstring) replaced in selected side by W Schofield. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Chris Kamolins, Ray Chamberlain, Dean Margetts.
Official Crowd: 36,451 at Subiaco.
SYDNEY 4.6 5.9 6.11 8.17 (65)
CARLTON 0.3 1.5 4.10 5.13 (43)
Goals: Sydney: B McGlynn 2 K Tippett 2 J Bolton L Parker M Pyke T Mitchell. Carlton: B Gibbs D Armfield J Bootsma K Lucas Z Tuohy.
Best: Sydney: C Bird R O’Keefe J Kennedy L Parker T Mitchell K Tippett. Carlton: L Henderson B Gibbs C Judd K Simpson M Kreuzer. Injuries: Sydney: M Morton (quad) replaced in selected side by X Richards. Carlton: Nil. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Robert Findlay, Brett Rosebury, Shane McInerney. Official Crowd: 25,349 at SCG.
ADELAIDE 1.4 8.7 11.10 16.15 (111)
GOLD COAST SUNS 3.5 5.11 9.14 11.17 (83) Goals: Adelaide: M Wright 4 J Jenkins 2 J Porplyzia 2 T Lynch 2 A Riley B Smith B Vince N van Berlo P Dangerfield R Douglas. Gold Coast Suns: C Brown 2 D Gorringe 2 D Prestia 2 G Ablett 2 S May 2 A Hall. Best: Adelaide: P Dangerfield M Wright J Porplyzia J Jenkins B Crouch S Jacobs. Gold Coast Suns: D Prestia G Ablett J O’Meara J Harbrow D Stanley. Injuries: Adelaide: B Reilly (shoulder). Gold Coast Suns: Nil. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Justin Schmitt, Troy Pannell, Stephen McBurney. Venue: Gold Coast Stadium.
PORT ADELAIDE 4.2 7.3 8.6 13.8 (86)
COLLINGWOOD 2.3 4.5 5.6 7.9 (51)
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Goals: Port Adelaide: J Schulz 3 J Westhoff 3 A Monfries 2 C Wingard 2 Brad Ebert O Wines T Boak. Collingwood: S Dwyer 2 T Cloke 2 B Kennedy J Elliott N Maxwell.
Best: Port Adelaide: Brad Ebert M Broadbent T Boak J Westhoff M Lobbe A Monfries C Wingard. Collingwood: P Seedsman N Maxwell H O’Brien S Pendlebury L Ball. Injuries: Port Adelaide: D Cassisi (hamstring) M Lobbe (calf). Collingwood: Nil. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Chris Donlon, Matt Stevic, Jordan Bannister. Official Crowd: 31,121 at AAMI Stadium.
GEELONG 3.4 5.7 7.16 11.19 (85)
FREMANTLE 0.2 4.2 4.2 7.2 (44)
Goals: Geelong: J Corey 2 S Motlop 2 T Hawkins 2 D Simpson J Bartel J Murdoch J Podsiadly T Hunt. Fremantle: M Walters 3 C Mayne M Taberner T Mzungu T Sheridan.
Best: Geelong: A Christensen H Taylor J Bartel J Kelly M Duncan A Mackie. Fremantle: D Pearce R Crowley N Fyfe L McPharlin C Pearce M Walters. Injuries: Geelong: J Hunt (illness). Fremantle: M Johnson (knee) P Duffield (calf) L Spurr (illness) replaced in side by V Michie. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Simon Meredith, Shane Stewart, Mathew Nicholls. Venue: Skilled Stadium.
MELBOURNE 3.5 8.8 12.12 15.13 (103)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 2.2 4.6 6.9 15.10 (100)
Goals: Melbourne: J Watts 4 C Dawes 3 J Fitzpatrick 2 J Howe 2 D Rodan M Gawn N Jones S Blease. Western Bulldogs: A Cooney 3 D Giansiracusa 3 R Griffen 3 A Cordy 2 J Macrae L Dahlhaus T Dickson W Minson.
Best: Melbourne: D Terlich T McDonald J Watts M Jones D Nicholson J Frawley D Rodan C Dawes. Western Bulldogs: T Liberatore W Minson R Griffen D Giansiracusa M Boyd. Injuries: Melbourne: S Blease (ankle). Western Bulldogs: Nil. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Ben Ryan, Jacob Mollison, Heath Ryan. Official Crowd: 21,217 at MCG.
HAWTHORN 3.8 8.9 15.15 21.17 (143)
BRISBANE 1.2 5.5 7.7 12.13 (85)
Goals: Hawthorn: J Roughead 4 L Franklin 4 L Breust 3 S Savage 3 B Hill D Hale I Smith J Gunston J Lewis J Simpkin L Shiels. Brisbane: J Brown 4 M Golby 2 D Rich E Yeo J Lisle P Hanley S Black T Rockliff.
Best: Hawthorn: S Mitchell I Smith L Breust L Franklin S Savage B Sewell. Brisbane: B Moloney M Leuenberger J Brown P Hanley D Rich. Injuries: Hawthorn: L Shiels (ankle) X Ellis (calf). Brisbane: Nil. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Scott Jeffery, Jason Armstrong, Leigh Fisher. Official Crowd: 15,796 at Aurora Stadium.
NORTH MELBOURNE KANGAROOS 8.3 12.6 15.10 19.16 (130)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY GIANTS 1.3 5.3 6.6 6.8 (44)
Goals: North Melbourne Kangaroos: D Petrie 5 L Thomas 4 B Harvey 3 A Mullett J MacMillan J Ziebell L Adams R Bastinac R Tarrant T Goldstein. Greater Western Sydney Giants: S O’hAilpin 2 A Corr L Sumner S Reid W Hoskin-Elliott.
Best: North Melbourne Kangaroos: S Thompson D Petrie R Bastinac B Harvey S Gibson L Thomas L Hansen. Greater Western Sydney Giants: D Shiel S O’hAilpin T Scully W Hoskin-Elliott A Treloar. Injuries: North Melbourne Kangaroos: Nil. Greater Western Sydney Giants: J Cameron (ill) replaced in selected side by S O’hAilpin. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Sam Hay, Luke Farmer, Matthew Leppard. Official Crowd: 15,438 at Etihad Stadium.
RICHMOND 4.4 10.9 15.13 17.17 (119)
ST KILDA 3.2 4.4 7.5 8.7 (55)
Goals: Richmond: D Jackson 3 J Riewoldt 3 B Deledio 2 N Foley 2 S Grigg 2 A Edwards B Ellis J King R Conca T Vickery. St Kilda: T Dennis-Lane 2 B Murdoch C Jones J Steven L Montagna N Dal Santo N Riewoldt.
Best: Richmond: T Vickery T Cotchin N Foley D Jackson A Edwards B Deledio R Conca. St Kilda: D Armitage J Steven. Injuries: Richmond: N Vlastuin (shin) replaced in selected side by M Arnot. St Kilda: D Roberton (ankle) S Dempster (leg). Reports: Nil. Umpires: Stuart Wenn, Jeff Dalgleish, Nicholas Foot. Official Crowd: 52,184 at MCG.
Ladder after round 14
P W L D For Agst PC Pts
Hawthorn 13 12 1 – 1573 1085 145.0 48
Geelong 13 11 2 – 1474 1144 128.8 44
Essendon 13 10 3 – 1365 1054 129.5 40
Sydney 13 9 3 1 1263 963 131.2 38
Fremantle 13 9 3 1 1101 884 124.6 38
Richmond 13 9 4 – 1321 1062 124.4 36
Port Adelaide 13 8 5 – 1229 1040 118.2 32
Collingwood 13 8 5 – 1203 1148 104.8 32
Carlton 13 6 7 – 1254 1101 113.9 24
West Coast 13 6 7 – 1329 1208 110.0 24
Adelaide 13 6 7 – 1219 1153 105.7 24
North Melb 13 5 8 – 1307 1144 114.2 20
Gold Coast 13 5 8 – 1114 1225 90.9 20
Brisbane 13 4 9 – 1017 1368 74.3 16
St Kilda 13 3 10 – 1059 1237 85.6 12
Wstn Bulldogs 13 3 10 – 1015 1350 75.2 12
Melbourne 13 2 11 – 896 1659 54.0 8
GWS Giants 13 – 13 – 920 1834 50.2 –
LEADING GOALKICKERS 41: J Kennedy (West Coast) 2 40: J Roughead (Hawthorn) 4, J Riewoldt (Richmond) 3 39: L Thomas (Kangaroos) 4 37: L Franklin (Hawthorn) 4 36: T Cloke (C’wood) 2 34: T Hawkins (Geelong) 2, N Riewoldt (St Kilda) 1 33: J Cameron (GWS Giants ) 0 30: J Darling (West Coast) 3, D Petrie (Kangaroos) 5
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