AFL Finals 2024: Minor premiers Sydney take on Port Adelaide for first spot in grand final decider
There are no more second chances tonight as minor premiers Sydney host Port Adelaide for a spot in the grand final.
Port have won their last eight against Sydney including a remarkable 112-point belting in round 21 which was the last time the Swans tasted defeat.
Will they make it nine-straight to finally make it to a grand final or will the Swans use their home deck and crowd to get back into another decider?
Relive all the action live!
FIRST QUARTER Sydney 4.0 (24) Port Adelaide 2.3 (15)
The Power had a couple chances late but couldn’t make the most of them and that Papley goal will hurt. It also got him fired up which is how he likes to play.
Errol Gulden the early stat leader with eight touches while Jordan Sweet has been dominating the ruck battle over Grundy.
The Swans just hold a slight edge in the all the stats and that’s been the real difference so far. Just a little bit cleaner a litte bit smarter and that’s enough to be up by nine-points early.
Tom Papley on the siren
The Power take on a risky kick and Quinton Narkle is caught holding the ball. But the Power fall asleep as Heeney runs through and picks up the advantage to hit Tom Papley uncontested in the pocket. He nails it around the corner and then makes a b-line for Willie Rioli and lets the Port star know about. There’s plenty of push and shove as the siren sounds.
Burton the unlikely man
Ollie Wines saves Port down back and it helps the Power surge up the wing. A downfield free-kick is paid for a high/late hit on Zak Butters from Rampe. It goes to a contest and boucnes out by Ryan Burton has pushed up and he takes his chance to get Port back in touch.
Logan’s on the board!
Sydney are really beginning to move. They stream through the middle with numbers but it looks liks Port will be let off after flooding numbers back. But despite the outnumber around the ball the Power don’t clean it up and Logan McDonald swoops to convert.
Swans have two
Another costly turnover in the corridor for Port this time from Ryan Burton. It allows Joel Amartey to get a head start on Aliir Aliir and take the mark inside 50. He converts and that could be big given how much their tall forwards have struggled in the abck half of this season.
Swans on the board
Travis Boak turns it over at half-back and Jake Lloyd takes uncontested mark about 45m out on the 45. He nails the shot and for the first time this season the Swans have scored against the Power in the first quarter.
Another controversial free
There’s a ball in in the Swans’ forward 50 but Port win a free after Jason Horne-Francis smacks a Swan into Logan Evans who goes down and is somehow awarded the free. Home crowd not happy and rightly so
First blood port
They get a free kick from the centre boucne which the Swans look to repel but then about 20m off the ball JAse Burgoyne receives a free for a block. It’s a very soft call but he converts to get Port on the board.
Who will be the game changers
Isaac Heeney sparked teh Swans to life agaisnt the Giants but it was Chad Warner who made sure they got over the line with an almighty final quarter racking up seven clearances. For Port Willie Rioli was massive last weekend snagging a couple goals but also getting eight score involvements.
They are likely to have another big say on the outcome of this match.
No love lost
It’s been quite the week for Ken Hinkley.
