Match

Port Adelaide vs Melbourne

Commentary / 19 May 2023

Pre Game

00:00
These are the top-two ranked teams for time in forward differential this season. Narrm is ranked No.1 at generating forward half intercepts, and Yartapuulti is ranked No.1 in points scored from forward half stoppages, making the territory battle crucial tonight.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:37
An early intercept mark for Miles Bergman after Narrm won the opening centre bounce clearance. Since Round 5, Bergman has taken 19 intercept marks which is ranked equal-third in the AFL during this period.
02:32
The Power are ranked second-last for marks taken this season but have taken 11 of the first 12 marks tonight with cautious ball movement.
03:54
The first goal of the game to the Demons was launched with an intercept in the defensive 50. Narrm averages 17.7 points per game from defensive 50 chains which is ranked second.
07:15
An opportunistic goal from Sam Powell-Pepper has converted the first forward half intercept of the game for Yartapuulti. The Power average 36.8 points per game from this source (ranked second).
09:29
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Tom McDonald)
09:47
Narrm has won the first four crumbs in the game and has an early 13-7 lead in contested possessions. The Demons have been ranked No.1 in contested possession differential in each of the last two seasons, but are ranked sixth this year.
11:10
Narrm is the No.1 ranked team in the opening ten minutes of games this season (and led tonight by one point in this period) but is also ranked No.1 in the time-on period of quarters.
13:23
The Demons now lead 15-7 in ground balls including 7-0 in crumbs. Narrm is ranked fifth for winning crumbs this season.
14:47
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Ollie Lord)
15:11
Yartapuulti has missed its first three set shots at goal tonight. The Power are ranked in the bottom-3 at converting set shots at goal this season.
18:20
The Demons are ranked No.1 at generating forward half intercepts, and lead 5-1 in this measure tonight, but have failed to score from any of these opportunities.
20:54
Power Interchange - Francis Evans off due to the blood rule.
22:03
Zak Butters has had 25 or more disposals in each of his last six games, including an equal season-high 32 disposals last week against North Melbourne. Butters had had ten disposals at 100 percent efficiency to start tonight.
24:13
These two teams have played out a number of low-scoring games in recent seasons. The last time either team scored 100 points in these games was in 2016, and tonight looks set to be another low-scoring encounter.
25:02
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jeremy Finlayson)
25:24
The second goal for the Power was again sourced from a forward half intercept. Despite trailing 4-9 in these intercepts, Yartapuulti leads 12-0 in points scored from this source.
26:49
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Jeremy Finlayson)
27:35
The Demons have conceded only 10.1 forward 50 marks per game to their opposition this season. The Power have already taken six such marks, but are yet to kick a goal from a set shot.
29:21
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jason Horne-Francis)
29:23
Yartapuulti generated the last four inside 50 entries of the first quarter and scored 2.1.13 from these opportunities after both teams had struggled to convert inside 50 entries for the majority of the quarter.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:12
In the first quarter, Willem Drew applied seven tackles and no other player on the ground applied more than two. Drew has laid 38 tackles from five games at Adelaide Oval this season, which is 13 more than any teammate.
01:03
The early goal to start the second quarter for the Power again followed a forward half intercept. Yartapuulti has won four of the first five centre bounce clearances tonight to generate forward entries and intercept opportunities.
03:32
In the last six weeks, the Power is ranked No.1 for pressure rating, and is currently well ahead in this measure tonight (211-179). This pressure is contributing to the forward half intercept opportunities.
03:44
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Dan Houston)
05:12
Yartapuulti has generated the last nine inside 50 entries of the game with Narrm struggling to move the ball. The Power now leas 20-0 in points scored from forward half intercepts.
06:20
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Riley Bonner)
08:49
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
10:24
The Power now lead 31-9 in forward 50 disposals and 8-4 in forward 50 marks and have had the ball in their forward half for 64 percent of this game.
10:55
SCORE GOAL - Power (Dan Houston)
11:47
Yartapuulti is the No.1 ranked team in points scored from forward half stoppages this season with 24.1 points per game. Tonight the Power leads 13-0 in this measure with the last goal coming from this source.
12:35
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
13:55
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jacob van Rooyen)
15:14
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Rushed)
15:38
The Power leads the contested possession count 25-16 this quarter, and since halfway through the opening term has won this count by 16.
17:12
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
17:32
All four scores to the Demons this quarter have followed a forward half intercept. Narrm has had six of the last eight inside 50 entries and generated three scores during this period.
17:48
Power Interchange - Trent McKenzie off due to the blood rule.
22:02
The set shots at goal continue to be a problem tonight for the Power who have scored 2.4 and had another three such shots fail to score.
24:29
Yartapuulti leads the clearance count 10-0 this quarter. The Power have scored eight points from these chains but also used this advantage to win time in forward half.
26:37
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
26:48
Both of the goals kicked by Bayley Fritsch this quarter have come from chains launched by Angus Brayshaw. Fritsch has taken 19 forward 50 marks this season which is a clear No.1 for the Demons, with Kysaiah Pickett second (13).
28:58
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Darcy Byrne-Jones)
29:36
The Power had the better of the first half with significant leads in clearances (18-10 including centre bounce 6-1), inside 50 entries (33-23), and forward 50 disposals (42-16), but the last two goals to the Demons have restricted the lead to just 14 points.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:42
SCORE GOAL - Power (Ollie Lord)
02:09
The first goal of the third quarter to the Power has again come from a forward 50 stoppage. Yartapuulti has scored 3.1.19 from five forward 50 clearances. Narrm is yet to score from a forward 50 stoppage.
03:19
The answering goal to the Demons has come from just their second centre bounce clearance of the game. These two teams are ranked equal-fourth in scoring differential from this source.
07:33
Yartapuulti has launched a score from only 6.7 percent of its defensive 50 chains this season (ranked last). Tonight the Power has just one score from 24 such chains, making time in forward half even more critical.
08:57
Max Gawn has recorded a hitout-to-advantage percentage of only 14.5 percent this season, which is his lowest percentage since 2014. Gawn has recorded three hit outs to advantage tonight (Grundy has four) with the Power able to negate the hit out supremacy of the Demons.
10:00
SCORE GOAL - Power (Zak Butters)
10:19
Zak Butters now leads all players for disposals (29), score involvements (8), contested possessions (11), and forward 50 disposals (8) in a dominant midfield performance.
11:54
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Ryan Burton)
12:56
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)
13:09
The goal to Christian Petracca followed a forward half intercept by the Demons. Yartapuulti leads forward half intercepts 20-18 and points scored from this source 21-16 on the back of 63 percent time in forward half.
13:12
Power Interchange - Travis Boak off due to an injury.
14:56
Demons Interchange - Jake Bowey off due to an injury.
15:56
This quarter the Demons hold an edge in contested possessions (25-18), inside 50 entries (10-6) and forward half intercepts (5-1). All three of these were included in the last goal to Jacob van Rooyen.
18:02
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)
19:36
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
19:45
Kysaiah Pickett has now kicked at least one goal in each of his last 20 matches, last finishing goalless in Round 12, 2022.
20:57
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Charlie Spargo)
21:10
Four goals in a row to the Demons who have won centre bounce clearances 4-2 this quarter and kicked two of their goals from this source. Clayton Oliver has been involved in four scores this quarter and recorded 211 metres gained in this period alone.
25:46
The Power has generated 42.2 percent of their score this season from clearance chains, which is the third-highest percentage of any team. Tonight they have scored 27 of their 50 points from clearances including both goals this period.
27:10
A brilliant snap from Lachie Hunter makes it five goals in a row for Narrm. The contested possession count is 42-26 this quarter in favour of the Demons leading to a 16-9 inside 50 count.
30:54
The Demons have kicked 7.2 from set shots at goal tonight, while the Power have returned 4.6 with a number of other shots that have failed to score.
33:50
A powerful third quarter from the Demons who won contested possessions (48-31), forward half intercepts (7-2), centre bounce clearances (6-2), and kicked seven goals in the rain. A pair of long-range goals from Zak Butters has kept Yartapuulti within 11 points.
34:18
SCORE GOAL - Power (Zak Butters)
34:22
The siren has sounded to end Q3.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
02:01
The Demons have won every final quarter this season by an average of 18 points and are the No.1 ranked team in this period.
04:06
There have been only three stoppages in the forward 50 of Narrm tonight, while there have been 20 stoppages in the forward 50 of Yartapuulti who has scored five goals from this source.
04:36
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Willem Drew)
05:30
The early stages of the final quarter have benn played entirely in the forward half of the Power who have won five of the first six clearances and had the first six inside 50 entries of the quarter.
06:24
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jeremy Finlayson)
06:46
Yartapuulti has had five forward half intercepts this quarter and it was the last of these that led to the goal for Jeremy Finlayson. The Power have not scored a goal tonight from a chain starting in the defensive half.
07:44
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Sam Powell-Pepper)
09:59
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Jeremy Finlayson)
11:03
The first ten inside 50 entries of the final quarter have all gone the way of the Power. Yartapuulti also leads the tackle count 12-6 this term with the high pressure preventing the Demons from clearing the ball from their defensive half.
11:28
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Jed McEntee)
13:06
Yartapuulti now leads 17-10 in forward 50 marks. This is the most marks conceded by the Demons this season in its defensive 50.
13:30
SCORE GOAL - Power (Ollie Lord)
14:16
Zak Butters was again involved in the last goal for the Power. Butters has recorded a career-high 39 disposals tonight which includes a game-high 11 score involvements and 11 disposals in the forward 50.
16:43
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
18:02
A brilliant intercept and assist from Christian Petracca provided the last goal to Tom McDonald. The Demons have had at least 10 individual goal-kickers in each of their last four matches and have had nine different players kick a goal tonight.
19:10
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kade Chandler)
19:55
Since Round 6, Narrm has lost only 21.1 percent of its defensive one-on-one contests (ranked No.1). Tonight the Demons have lost only two of 22 such contests.
21:37
Narrm is averaging 41.1 points per game in the time-on period of quarters this season (ranked No.1). Tonight the Demons have outscored the Power 24-21 during time-on.
22:06
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Zak Butters)
23:03
All three goals to Yartapuulti this term have followed a forward half intercept. The Power leads 32-24 in such intercepts and 42-29 in points scored from these chains.
24:44
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
25:32
Zak Butters has tonight become the first-ever player for the Power to have at least 40 disposals and kick multiple goals in the same game.
25:52
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Sam Powell-Pepper)
31:10
The Power have been involved in three games this season before tonight that have been decided by less than ten points and won all three.
31:24
Another tight win for the Power who won the territory battle (inside 50 entries 61-48) and kicked all 11 goals tonight from forward half chains. Zak Butters finished with career-highs for disposals (41), contested possessions (18), clearances (10), and an equal career-high for score involvements (12).