Houghton Heroics as Port Complete Massive Comeback
Injuries and a Giants team playing out of its skin wasn’t enough to stop the Power as they beat GWS by one point to secure a home final against the Tigers.
With 53 seconds left in the game, Kirsty Lamb was able to deliver a ball to Gemma Houghton. Even with three Giants defenders trying, and failing, to stop her, Houghton was able to take the most vital of marks.
In front of ‘The Precinct’ and with over 4000 Port fans crammed into Alberton, Houghton was able to shape the ball right to left to kick the most important goal of her season to help Yartapuulti defeat a valiant GWS.
The noise was deafening and when the final siren went, the relief in the stadium was written onto the faces of players, coaches and fans alike.
The Giants were led by experience; Rebecca Beeson had a game-high 25 disposals and nine clearances. She had backup through fellow midfielder Alice Parker (22 disposal and five clearances), and Eilish O’Dowd (20 disposals and one goal), while Zarlie Goldsworthy (16 disposals and one goal) was nearly the difference up forward.
For Port, Maria Moloney (17 disposals and 14 tackles) was flying the Power’s flag when GWS were dominating, while Piper Window and Olivia Levicki (14 disposals each) had a massive impact on the outcome.
The Giants were on fire early, and were able to gain repeat inside 50s. It would take less than three-and-a-half minutes for O’Dowd to collect the football 30 from home and send it over the goal umpire’s head.
As the first quarter progressed, end-to-end football was quickly becoming the order the day.
Both teams had times throughout quarter when they were able to lock the football inside their forward 50. However, on many an occasion, the ball would end up in the hands of the opposition without any scoreboard damage.
One of these occasions allowed Port to kick its first goal of the game. Piper Window grabbed the ball at half-back before sending the footy into the hands of Jasmin Steward. From there Ash Saint was waiting at half-forward before Justin Mules-Robinson was able to finish of the hard work.
After conceding a goal either side of the quarter-time break, Mules-Robinson’s clever roving allowed Caitlin Wendland to kick a goal nine minutes into the second, as the Power found a much-needed settler.
The Giants would start the third quarter in a similar fashion to how they began the first. GWS were able to lock the football inside their 50, before O’Dowd delivered the ball to Tarni Evans.
Evans was able to mark in front of both Molly Brooksby and Olivia Levicki. Brooksby and Levicki would end up colliding into each other, in a picture that summed up the day to that point rather well for Yartapuulti.
When Goldsworthy snapped her first goal, the Power were in real trouble. Port had again been pressured into conceding repeat inside 50s and they couldn’t get a clean disposal out of defence.
In the fourth, with the Alberton crowd singing and chanting, it was Port who kicked three goals to one to wrestle back the moment.
Shineah Goody was having a solid game to three-quarter-time; it was her kick inside 50 that set up Kirsty Lamb’s snap-on goal.
When the game was there to be won, Rebecca Beeson was able to steady the ship for the Giants in front of the sticks, as they kept their noses just in front.
With five minutes to go, GWS were trying to play keeps off. However, Port weren’t done yet. Syme was able to incept on the wing before Houghton grabbed the ball inside 50 and Saint walked into the open goal.
From there Houghton would go on to goal, and Port would record an incredible victory, 6.6.42 played 7.1.43.
Injuries
After Matilda Scholz was withdrawn on Friday night, the Power had more devastating news on gameday. Star midfielder Abbey Dowrick was replaced in the squad by Ange Foley, the club citing general soreness as the reason.
As time ticked on the final stanza, Beeson was taken high by Levicki. Beeson is one of GWS’s most important players, so when she didn’t immediately jump to her feet there was concern for the visitors.
Compounding this was Beeson’s history of concussion, however she did recover to take her free kick.
Despite what it looked like today, GWS finished the minor rounds in 16th, so the season ends here for them. Port Adelaide will get at least one more week, with its last home game for 2024 being an elimination final against the Tigers.