Port Adelaide have stored their top-two hopes alive after overcoming a clearance masterclass from Caleb Serong to publish a 16-point AFL win over Fremantle at Optus Stadium.
Serong tallied 12 clearances amongst his 27 possessions, however Port Adelaide’s weight of numbers proved an excessive amount of to beat within the Power’s 11.8 (74) to eight.10 (58) win on Sunday.
The consequence stored the Power (16-6) in third spot, with Brisbane (16-6) 11.7 proportion factors forward of them in second place.
For Port to nab second spot, they want Brisbane to lose to St Kilda on the Gabba subsequent Saturday, after which maintain business at dwelling to Richmond subsequent Sunday.
Port star Zak Butters completed with 32 disposals, three clearances and a aim to guide his workforce to victory, whereas Connor Rozee, Ollie Wines and Jason Horne-Francis had been additionally influential.
Darcy Byrne-Jones booted two targets within the last quarter to kill off Fremantle’s fightback.
The stress was red-hot in a gap time period that ended two targets apiece regardless of Fremantle profitable the within 50m depend 15-7.
Butters supplied the spotlight of the quarter with a outstanding aim over his shoulder whereas in site visitors.
Fremantle utility Bailey Banfield produced his personal second of magic within the second quarter with a mesmerising bicycle kick close to the aim line.
But in contrast to the controversial end to the Adelaide-Sydney recreation the earlier night time, Banfield’s aim was reviewed, with replays displaying it had been touched on the way in which by way of.
Port captain Tom Jonas was compelled off within the second time period with blood streaming from his brow after a nasty conflict of heads with a teammate.
Jonas returned to the sphere within the third quarter earlier than going again to the rooms for additional evaluation.
It was instantly unclear when and if Jonas had a concussion take a look at, however he was capable of return once more within the last time period to assist Port maintain on for the win.
It got here lower than three weeks after Port had been fined $100,000 for breaching the AFL’s guidelines following the membership’s failure to ship defender Aliir Aliir in for a concussion take a look at.
Fremantle misplaced Jaeger O’Meara to a calf harm throughout the match, whereas Bailey Banfield injured an AC joint.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au