With a fortnight’s break,Port will handle their skilful but fragile forward with absolute tenderness.
In the opening stanza,the Power were kept in the game by Aliir Aliir,who was awarded with hismaiden All-Australian jacket earlier in the week.
Amid some hurried and untidy Cat entries,Aliir floated expertly to the hot spots in defence where he nabbed four first-quarter intercept marks,three of them resulting in Power goals as the home side weathered an early storm before turning on the afterburners.
Port’s speed through the corridor with the ball in hand and pressure without it saw them slam four unanswered majors and take a commanding 29-point lead into the sheds at half-time.
As was the case with their off-kilter radar in attack,the Cats were also their own worst enemy in defence.
Lachie Henderson grassed a mark to gift Steven Motlop his second major before committing another defensive misjudgement to allow Todd Marshall to goal out the back.
Then Jake Kolodjashnij slipped at the worst possible time to concede a late one to Zak Butters.
Fantasia nailed the only goal of the third term,launching a bomb from beyond 50 metres from a shrewd Robbie Gray assist,before jagging his fourth - thanks to another blue from the uncharacteristically disorderly Henderson - to extend Port’s cushion to 41 points.
Fantasia’s exit paved the way for Sam Powell-Pepper to have a couple of licks of some sweet tasting ice cream,with two late goals leaving the Cats reeling.
Duncan doing Duncan things
Probably Geelong’s best player in their run to the grand final last season,Duncan was everywhere in his first game since hurting his posterior cruciate ligament in round 14.
His composure behind the ball and smart marking gave the Cats the faintest of pulses before they were ultimately snowed down by the Port avalanche.
With Stewart out,Duncan looms as a key figure if Geelong are to remain in the hunt.
New sherriff in town
Aside from his customary four-quarter industriousness,a split-second moment early in the second term embodied why Wines is among the top fancies for this year’s Brownlow Medal.
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He outmarked Dangerfield in a crucial one-on-one in the middle of the park,resulting in another Port forward foray,and generally had his more senior rival’s measure,especially in the first half.
Dangerfield spent the off-season licking his wounds after he was well below his best in last year’s grand final loss to Richmond and had only intermittent impact against Port after battling a stomach bug in last week’s meltdown against Melbourne.
A simple marking opportunity slipped through Dangerfield’s fingers in the third quarter,which resulted in Fantasia’s goal.
The 2016 Brownlow Medallist will need to lift in next week’s semi-final,while Wines enters the preliminary final in the form of his life.
Best:Port Adelaide: Boak,Wines,Jonas,Duursma,Fantasia,Burton,Amon,Drew.Geelong: Duncan,Parfitt,Dangerfield,Menegola,Smith.
Votes:
Boak - 8
Wines - 8
Duncan - 8
Jonas - 7
Duursma - 7