Blog log from R14 of 2024: Western Sydney vs Port Adelaide

Georgiades marks a Houston pass on a hard lead in front of Buckley 45m out on a slight angle after the opening bounce for the first goal. (Q1 0:30)
Briggs misses a free kick from ruck from 45m on the flank. (Q1 2:43)
Kelly passes to the lead of Hogan in front of Ratugolea 45m out on the flank. Hogan hits the square but it’s off hands for a point. (Q1 5:45)
Hogan takes a pack mark 40m out on the flank but misses. (Q1 12:18)
Mead roves deep in defence but Thomas’ pressure forces a cough up handball, Greene sharks it and dribbles through a goal from 15m. (Q1 13:35)
A late review confirms Byrne-Jones’ instant claim of getting a toe to the ball on the way through, ruled a point for Greene. (Q1 13:19)
Marshall marks on the boundary 45m out in front of Taylor, his drop punt is a peach from the tight angle. (Q1 16:01)
After a stoppage inside 50 for GWS, Kelly baulks away from Bergman on the HFF and pokes a pass to Greene on the boundary 30m out who misses near side left. (Q1 24:35)
Briggs claims first touch on a juggled mark to Soldo 40m out on the boundary but the ump is unmoved. The ex-Tiger chips it narrow to the left. (Q1 26:18)
Burgoyne baulks past Whitfield in the centre to start an attack up the guts, Georgiades jinks away from Buckley to snap the goal from 35m. (Q1 27:46)
Ward is pinged for holding the man after Byrne-Jones fumbles 40m out on a slight angle, the kick swerves to the left. (Q2 1:26)
Brown has Cadman over the back on a fast break but his kick is poor to the pocket, Cadman ends up rushing the snap and missing from 15m. (Q2 2:31)
Ratugolea kicks across the back line but straight to Brown who converts from 20m in front. (Q2 6:46)
Angwin sends a long speculator from the HFF to the top of the square, crumb falls nicely for Brown who puts a left-foot step on Rozee and goals again! (Q2 8:31)
Himmelberg passes to Hogan just inside CHF, he tries a pass to the pocket that doesn’t work. (Q2 10:46)
Greene misses a snap from half forward. (Q2 13:17)
Cadman is over the back of Aliir to mark an O’Halloran pass and stroll into the open goal on the back of a quick rebound, with Greene providing the key link mark. (Q2 17:12)
Rozee gives behind a ball up at the hotspot to Marshall whose high snap wobbles wide right. (Q2 21:58)
Soldo down to Butters at another ball up at the Port hotspot, his snap clears Taylor in the square but bounces into the left post. (Q2 23:46)
Zerk-Thatcher intercepts on the HBF but plays on inside and gets caught HTB by Thomas 45m out on a slight angle. Thomas kicks the goal with seconds to HT. (Q2 26:44)
It’s a fairly turgid game this one, both sides applying a lot of pressure including midfield tags. Perhaps we will see things open up after half time. (Half Time)
McEntee gives forward to Byrne-Jones who runs to 45m and slots the first goal of Q3 inside the first twenty seconds! (Q3 0:43)
Houston intercepts on outer wing and goes to Byrne-Jones who takes a strong contested grab despite a challenge by Haynes on the boundary 45m out. DBJ’s kick falls to be rushed. (Q3 3:53)
O’Halloran marks a short Green pass in the centre, turns and passes to Riccardi 40m out on the flank who misses across the face to the left. (Q3 5:58)
Butters passes to Georgiades near the boundary 40m out who leaves his set shot narrow to the right. (Q3 7:12)
Haynes whacks a loose ball OOB and gets pinged for insufficient intent, Rozee takes the free 30m out but shoots OOTF. (Q3 8:28)
Daniels zips through a throw-in to rove Soldo to snap across the body off the right from 25m… and threads it! (Q3 12:13)
Callaghan sends a searing long ball from half back to Ward on the wing to start a tsunami play, O’Halloran passes to Greene 40m out in front who hooks it left. (Q3 13:59)
HImmelberg stumbles in possession at half back and turns the ball over with a handball, Horne-Francis runs across the HFF and shoots from 40m but swerves it into the left post. (Q3 15:12)
Callaghan kicks long from outer wing to the hotspot for Hogan to leap in front of Ratugolea to clunk the mark… but he kicks to the right. (Q3 17:44)
Greene sails through his fifth behind from a checkside from the pocket. (Q3 18:29)
Wines turns the ball over with a short kick to a contest in the centre, Giants swarm and eventually Greene passes to Riccardi in the pocket 20m out who… shanks for no score. (Q3 22:29)
Finally one of the players remembers who to kick straight, it’s Bedford matched up on Butters who hits the crumb from a throw-in and curls in the goal from the hotspot. (Q3 24:14)
Georgiades marks a Horne-Francis centre clearance kick on the lead in the pocket 25m out and kicks straight as well. (Q3 25:44)
Hogan marks at the hotspot, tiptoes in as the 3QT siren sounds and kicks straight. GWS now building a match-winning lead in a low-scoring game. (Q3 31:14)
Kelly sharks a pressured cough up handball by Aliir on the HFF and shoots off a step… ball falls on the line for Zerk-Thatcher to touch through. (Q4 1:36)
Kelly feeds Angwin for a running shot from 45m on the flank that flies narrow to the left. (Q4 4:46)
Honre-Francis tugs a relatively easy set shot 40m out in the corridor to the left. (Q4 7:04)
Buckley speeds around outer wing and sets up McMullin for a flying snap from 45m on the flank… that one goes narrow to the left. (Q4 9:16)
Buckley is pinged for high contact on Marshall in a marking contest 40m out on a slight angle. Marshall misses across the face to the right. Can anyone kick straight? (Q4 11:21)
Greene gets a free on Narkle at the hotspot for an unrealistic leap trying to intercept a Daniels centring ball, he adds a goal to his five behinds! (Q4 12:32)
Narkle owes Port one and gets his chance from 45m in front… but hits the right goalpost. (Q4 14:24)
Taylor fumbles a crumb 20m out from Port’s goals after an Evans inside 50 kick, Horne-Francis tries a volley but it spins on its end for Haynes to rush. (Q4 18:36)
Ratugolea shows the forwards how it’s done with a lovely drop punt from 45m on the flank for his first goal, after marking a short Houston pass. (Q4 21:06)
Marshall marks on the lead 45m out on a slight angle but his set shot stays to the right. (Q4 22:36)
4:17 to go, still three kicks in it. That may have been the last chance. (Q4 22:51)
Daniels feeds Bedford at a stoppage in the pocket, he tries a checkside grubber from 20m that rolls limply for a behind. (Q4 24:52)
Byrne-Jones it outnumbered at half forward and can’t set up a scoring opportunity, Port out of ideas and out of time. (Q4 25:20)
Daniels gives inside to Kelly who curls through the official sealer off the left from 40m on a slight angle. (Q4 26:47)
Daniels roves a Ratugolea spoil and spins on the HFF to go inboard for Hogan 35m out on a slight angle, who misses near side left. (Q4 29:22)