Port Adelaide had an old-fashioned hiding as they succumbed to the Brisbane Lions by 28 points on Saturday night. The Gabba Test had been a humiliation for the side, losing by ten wickets. To compound things, they’ve just lost their past week’s worth of practice planning to a potential nightmare triple injury blow that could color the course of their season for ages.
The Power came into the contest looking to boost their 4-3 home record at the Gabba after a mid-season bye round. Those hopes were dealt a heavy blow when Dante Visentini suffered an ankle injury on their very first possession, just minutes into the first quarter. This disappointment was doubled soon after, when Esava Ratugolea took to the sidelines with a pained expression, clutching a damaged hamstring. Port Adelaide took a heavy blow when Sam Powell-Pepper was lost for the season with a knee injury. This ultimately left the team with serious holes in their lineup.
Just as the first quarter began to wind down, Brisbane Lions took advantage of Port Adelaide’s tragic fault. Aside from a bit of a slow start, the Lions settled into their groove in a hurry. They rattled off seven unanswered goals, establishing a 32-point lead by the end of the opener. With Visentini and Ratugolea out of COVID, Sweet was able to clang his way through the ruck battles to do his part on slow-dying ruck cover. At the same time, Miles Bergman moved back to the backline to compensate for Ratugolea’s absence.
In-between, Port Adelaide showed plenty of fight and fullness. Jack Lukosius, returning from a long-term knee injury, was able to stop the Lions’ scoring streak. Zac Bailey was the all-star performer for Brisbane. He not only scored five goals, but almost single-handedly propelled his team to championship glory.
Port Adelaide’s loss sets up a brutal turning point in their run. They came into the game with aspirations for growth, following their late bye two weeks ago. The economic reality that the team’s ownership and management must deal with is shrouded in doubt. They are hopeful for more positive reports on the damage done to Visentini, Ratugolea, and Powell-Pepper. It raises alarms as he missed a game earlier this season due to hamstring tightness. This begs the question of how fit he will be as the season wears on.
