‘Felt like we were bottom of the ladder’: Ken’s brutal honesty as Port survive Saints thriller — 3-2-1

It keeps Ken Hinkley’s side inside the eight with eight weeks to play, and the under-pressure coach showed some emotion speaking to Fox Footy post-match.

“It’s been a tough week,” he said.

“It wasn’t easy, but we got there in the end.

“We are two points from fourth – it felt like we were on the bottom of the ladder.”

Both sides were guilty of wasting chances as inaccuracy plagued the two teams at Marvel Stadium – with Port managing just 4.13 after quarter time.

Rowan Marshall tried to drag his side over the line with three goals, but it wasn’t enough for the Saints.

THE 3-2-1 (via Jack Jovanovski)

3. ‘RELIEVED’ PORT ESCAPE IN THRILLER AS ‘SPECIAL’ STAR DAZZLES

Boy, did Ken Hinkley and Port Adelaide need that win — and they were made to work hard for it.

After a hellish week for Hinkley and the playing group, the pressure will lessen somewhat after a desperately needed victory to snap a three-game losing streak.

The Power did their damage from the centre bounce, led by mercurial midfielder Zak Butters and explosive compatriot Jason Horne-Francis.

Horne-Francis notched a team-high 28 disposals, four clearances, seven inside-50s and a goal, while Butters recorded 22 disposals at 82 per cent efficiency, a team-high 10 contested possessions, five clearances, seven inside-50s and a goal.

The Power led the clearance count by nine at half-time and 10 at full-time.

“It’s a great win after the week they’ve had,” Fox Footy’s Gerard Healy said after the final siren.

Despite the triumph, efficiency will be a key improvement point for the Power — kicking 4.13 after quarter-time — as Fox Footy’s Jordan Lewis noted at half-time.

“If you’re looking for improvement at half-time from a Port Adelaide point of view, it is their kicks inside forward 50,” four-time flag-winner Lewis told the broadcast at the main change.

“Quite often they’re kicking from a long way out, they don’t have the big key marking forwards that they might’ve had in the past — we speak about Charlie Dixon.

“I think, if you’re looking at this, Ken Hinkley, at half-time, try and build the ball up a bit more through the arcs and take those shorter kicks.

“Certainly, when you get closer to being inside forward 50, maybe if you need to, go long, but try and find those shorter ones to the leading forwards.”

Inaccuracy remained the common theme for both sides in the third quarter — a combined two goals and nine behinds were kicked — before Logan Evans saluted to give the Power a seven-point advantage late in the period.

Gerard Healy sang Horne-Francis’ praises at three-quarter-time: “He wants to win this game more than anybody else at the present time … (he’s got) great work rate.”

By full-time, there was little doubt that the 21-year-old was clearly best-on-ground.

“He’s going to be a special, special player,” Port skipper Connor Rozee said of Horne-Francis after the game.

“We’re really grateful that he’s at our football club now — we love him as a teammate, especially his (selflessness), so we can’t wait to see what he evolves into.”

Rozee, who notched 25 disposals and 519 metres gained on Sunday afternoon, explained the feeling following a tough week.

“There’s certainly a bit of relief, I guess, after the last couple of weeks (with) the club being put under a little bit of pressure, (so) it’s nice to come out here and get back to what we do best,” Rozee told Fox Footy.

“We had a week (focussing) on connection and bringing the group together, so it’s really nice to come out here and get the win.”

2. SAINTS DROP WHAT WAS ‘THEIRS TO LOSE’ IN STORY OF SEASON

St Kilda fell to its fourth loss in its past six matches, all but sealing the club’s September-less fate in 2024.

The Saints, similar to their opposition, squandered gilt-edged second-half opportunities to get themselves over the top.

And, despite Rowan Marshall’s admirable performance — kicking 3.2 from 18 disposals, nine marks and four clearances — St Kilda’s inability to shut down Port Adelaide’s starring midfield triad proved costly.

The Power won the clearance battle 19-10 in the first half and finished the game +10 in the tally.

“This is the issue for St Kilda,” Lewis told Fox Footy’s coverage.

“They would’ve known this coming into the game and tried to plan and execute that plan in the first half, but they’ve just failed to do so.

“You’ve got the likes of (Connor) Rozee, (Zak) Butters and (Jason) Horne-Francis doing the work and being on the move and being so aggressive.

“But then also having Ollie Wines allowing them to do that by the blocks that he’s been (laying), creating space — that has been a key feature of their game.”

One of the Saints’ strengths on Sunday was scoring from their defensive half, lodging 4.5 (29) from that origin in the first half.

“I think if you’re St Kilda, you probably don’t want all of your scores to come from your defensive half — because it is a hard way to try and score, they would want to improve their stoppage game,” Lewis said.

“Certainly, the acid will be put on the St Kilda midfielders to lift in that part of the game to give themselves the territory that they need.”

They couldn’t, however, as Horne-Francis and Rozee proved critical in Port’s ability to close out a hard-fought win under the roof.

The Saints will finish Round 16 in 15th position on the ladder, having scored less than 70 points for the ninth time this season.

“It was St Kilda’s to lose in many respects,” Healy said of the Saints post-game.

“They had so much territory in the last quarter and kicked 2.2. In the end, Port Adelaide made just slightly less mistakes.”

1. ‘WHAT A JOKE’: EYEBROW-RAISING UMP CALL LEAVES GREAT MIFFED

A perplexing and costly umpire decision left four-time premiership player Jordan Lewis vexed in the first quarter.

Port Adelaide ruckman Jordon Sweet was penalised for failing to give the ball directly back to the adjudicating umpire after calling for a ball-up.

Sweet, who was in the process of getting up off the ground after being swooped on by Rowan Marshall, tossed the ball to teammate Ollie Wines.

The umpire pinged the big man for delaying the continuation of the game, with Marshall gifted a set shot on goal — and he capitalised.

“He gave the ball to Wines instead of the umpire,” caller Anthony Hudson noticed upon replay.

Lewis was less than pleased with the call, which he implied wasn’t consistently made by umpires.

“If the free kick was given for that particular play, I mean, I don’t know what the game has come to,” he said. “I don’t like it.

“What a joke. Those types of decisions just get you frustrated. How many times does it happen, and they decide to pay that one?”

It’s the first time such a free kick has been paid since Collingwood’s Lachie Sullivan was penalised late in the Pies’ Round 11 draw with Fremantle for committing a similar act.

ST KILDA vs. PORT ADELAIDE — AS IT HAPPENED

There was a late change for the Saints, with Seb Ross (managed) going out of the side and Tom Campbell coming in. Sharman will be the sub. Debutant Will Lorenz is Port Adelaide’s sub.

Hunter Clark kicked the first goal of the afternoon from a set shot, but mercurial Port midfielder Zak Butters answered with a typically terrific finish.

The Butters goal sparked a run of four for the Power before the Saints fired back – albeit one goal coming through a controversial free kick.

When a tackled Jordon Sweet gave the ball to teammate Ollie Wines – instead of the umpire – Rowan Marshall took the free kick and goaled.

“What a joke!” commentator Jordan Lewis said.

“Those types of decisions just get you frustrated.”

A big Dan Butler tackle on Logan Evans resulted in a shot on goal that Mason Wood made no mistake with.

By the first change, it was Port leading by four points.

The Power had early opportunities through Jason Horne-Francis and Jeremy Finlayson – but both blew their chances, with Finlayson ignoring an open Miles Bergman.

“They’re the ones that the good sides hit,” Lewis said.

Rowan Marshall put the Saints back in front after getting out the back. And Brad Hill extended that lead with another excellent rebound from half back.

Todd Marshall brought Port Adelaide back into the contest but Kane Farrell had a moment to forget when he handed Liam Henry “a gift” in the middle of the ground.

Farrell picked out the Saint in a horror turnover that Rowan Marshall converted.

“That is a costly turnover,” Lewis said.

“He missed by a long way.”

The goal was St Kilda’s sixth from a Port turnover in the first half.

Saints coach Ross Lyon was left frustrated when Jason Horne-Francis took two bounces and nailed his running goal.

At the main break, scores were tied at 42-all.

The Power were guilty of overusing the ball in the third term as they failed to capitalise on their territory dominance.

Neither side could buy a goal in a wayward third term before a horror St Kilda turnover saw Mid-Season selection Logan Evans nail his first AFL goal.

That goal came almost 20 minutes into the third term – after five Port behinds.

“This game could be over,” Lewis lamented of Port’s inaccuracy.

Finlayson extended Port’s lead with less than a minute to play in the third as the visitors took a 59-46 lead at the final change.

Sub Cooper Sharman gave the Saints the best start to the final quarter with a big contested grab and goal.

Despite a seven inside 50 to zero count in the final term, St Kilda could only manage the one goal until Jack Higgins pounced.

Higgins’ quick snap levelled scores with just 13 minutes left on the clock.

Aliir Aliir was lucky not to be penalised when he got his arms up and above the Higgins tackle as the game intensity went up a notch.

“They’ve lost their handle on the game,” commentator Gerard Healy said with Horne-Francis left stranded on the bench with play on the other side of the ground.

Brad Hill limped off with just 10 minutes to play and went straight down to the rooms, but was able to return with minutes to play.

A couple of huge Mitch Georgiades tackles ensured the Power hung on for a thrilling win – despite managing just three behinds for the final term.

“It was St Kilda’s to lose in many respects,” Gerard Healy said of the Saints.

“They had so much territory in the last quarter and kicked 2.2.

“In the end, Port Adelaide made just slightly less mistakes.”

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