Port Adelaide’s semifinal assembly towards Hawthorn on Friday evening will likely be simply the third finals assembly between the 2 groups.
Each groups had been extremely spectacular throughout the again finish of the house and away season, however had distinctly totally different opening finals matches.
Hawthorn and Port Adelaide have met 40 instances for the reason that Energy entered the AFL in 1997, with the present ledger sitting 23-17 Port’s method.
The one two finals conferences between the 2 sides have each resulted in thrilling three-point wins to Hawthorn.
If the earlier clashes are something to go by, we’re in for an absolute deal with this week.
2001 semifinal: Hawthorn 10.12 (72) def. Port Adelaide 10.9 (69)
Hawthorn began the 2001 season in crimson scorching kind, sitting on high of the ladder after Spherical 8 after an ideal 8-0 begin to the season, however fell away in direction of the again half of the yr to complete in sixth place.
Port, in its fifth season of existence within the AFL, loved its finest season thus far in 2001. After ending 14th the season earlier than with simply seven wins, the Energy rose as much as third on the ladder with 16 residence and away wins.
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The primary week of the finals pitted Port Adelaide towards one other shock packet, the second-placed Brisbane Lions, who had completed the house and away season having reeled off 13 consecutive victories.
Port proved no match for Brisbane within the qualifying ultimate, taking place by 32 factors on the Gabba to the eventual premiers.
Hawthorn discovered itself up towards the Sydney Swans at Docklands Stadium, and brushed its opponents apart by 51 factors in a commanding efficiency.
The semi ultimate between Port Adelaide and Hawthorn at Soccer Park was the primary residence ultimate for Port because it had entered the competitors, and the environment was palpable.
Hawthorn scored a significant upset win over Port Adelaide within the 2001 semi ultimate between the 2 groups. (Getty Photographs: Tony Lewis)
Regardless of the loss to Brisbane the week earlier than, Port had completed the house and away season with six straight wins, together with one towards the reigning premiers, Essendon.
There have been no indicators of nerves early from Port Adelaide within the first time period because the Energy kicked three targets to 1 to take a 12-point lead into quarter-time, however the Hawks steadied within the second quarter to take a one-point lead into the principle break.
Hawthorn’s gallant resistance seemed prefer it was damaged within the third quarter when Port kicked 4 targets to 1 to take a 17-point lead into the ultimate change. The Energy’s smalls ran riot in a blistering four-minute spurt which noticed a Gavin Wanganeen aim adopted by two to Che Cockatoo-Collins.
Having kicked simply 5 targets via three quarters, a comeback gave the impression to be unlikely for the Hawks till its ahead line burst to life.
Nathan Thompson, who had gone goalless to that time, kicked the primary two targets of the ultimate quarter to deliver the Hawks to inside a kick out of nowhere.
Port received itself a steadier via the unlikeliest supply, its fullback Daryl Wakelin, who kicked actually from a set shot to revive a 10-point buffer.
Port Adelaide’s first ever residence ultimate at Soccer Park led to heartbreaking circumstances. (Getty Photographs: Tony Lewis)
Thompson then discovered a number one John Barker deep in Hawthorn’s ahead pocket for a set shot. Regardless of being concussed earlier within the sport, Barker went again and calmly slotted the drop punt from what appeared like an not possible angle.
“I had some points with having the ability to see and had some blurred imaginative and prescient that began after a knock in first quarter,” Barker informed Hawthorn’s Golden Years podcast in 2020.
“I spent a while down within the changerooms being sick … I solely bear in mind bits and items, just like the outdated coach Kenny Goddard holding me up within the bathe once I was nauseous.”
Port Adelaide wasn’t going to go down with no struggle. Stuart Dew had blossomed into one of many league’s most harmful forwards in 2001, and he swung onto his left boot below immense stress to kick his forty fourth and ultimate aim of the season to as soon as once more give his facet some respiratory room with 6.53 left.
“He is finished it, unbelievable! If Barker was the one man on the bottom who may kick it from the opposite finish, Dew was the one participant there that might shrug the deal with, arch his again, and bang it residence,” Bruce McAvaney mentioned on Seven’s protection after Dew’s unimaginable end on the run.
Hawthorn didn’t take to lengthy to reply. The Hawks gained the centre clearance instantly after Dew’s aim and a superb deft contact from Richie Vandenberg allowed Daniel Harford to attract his facet to inside a kick as soon as once more, establishing a grandstand end with 6.11 remaining within the match.
Port Adelaide got here inside inches of responding immediately, with Fabian Francis (the step-father of present Port star Jason Horne-Francis) hitting the publish on the run after a superb intercept.
Finals are sometimes the world the place heroes are made, and on this evening, Mark Graham was one for Hawthorn. With lower than 4 minutes left, Graham, a defender, discovered himself in a ruck contest on the wing towards Port’s All-Australian ruckman and membership captain Matthew Primus.
Graham, who completed the match with 24 disposals and 12 marks, shoved Primus apart and grabbed the ball out of the ruck and located Angelo Lekkas unmarked in the course of the bottom. Lekkas kicked it inside 50 and located Hawthorn’s different hero of the evening — Barker.
As he had proven earlier within the quarter, Barker went again and calmly slotted the set shot from 45m out with 2.26 left within the sport, giving Hawthorn a three-point lead, one which it will not relinquish.
“That is simply an unimaginable efficiency,” Gerard Healy mentioned after Barker’s aim on Seven’s protection.
“I assumed they had been shot, thought they had been gone, thought they may lose by eight targets, actually.
“I assumed it was going to be an avalanche, and it has been. The Hawks, after some spirited phrases from their coaches at three-quarter time, have discovered one other gear, they’ve discovered some extra vitality.”
A ultimate push ahead from Warren Tredrea was overwhelmed by the siren because the Hawks teaching field erupts.
“Hawthorn have gained it! It is one of many best victories within the historical past of a membership that had such a run within the Eighties,” McAvaney mentioned on the ultimate siren.
The Hawks turned simply the second Victorian staff to win a ultimate interstate, becoming a member of their Adelaide counterparts from 1991 who beat West Coast in a qualifying ultimate at Subiaco Oval.
Hawthorn confronted Essendon within the preliminary ultimate every week later on the MCG and proved gallant as soon as once more as they gave the reigning premiers an almighty scare earlier than taking place by 9 factors in one other thriller.
Port’s finals troubles continued over the subsequent two seasons earlier than the membership ultimately broke via for its first and solely AFL premiership in 2004.
2014 preliminary ultimate: Hawthorn 15.7 (97) def. Port Adelaide 13.16 (94)
The 2 groups needed to wait 13 years to satisfy once more within the finals and in that point the script had flipped fully.
Hawthorn had gone from the scrappy underdog to the being the defending champion, whereas nearly all of Port’s 2004 premiership facet had filtered out, making method for a hungry, younger crop of stars.
The Hawks backed up their premiership with one other robust residence and away season, profitable 17 video games to complete second to Sydney on proportion. Port too loved a strong season, ending fifth after profitable 14 video games.
Hawthorn got here into the match having loved every week off courtesy of a cushty 36-point win over Geelong within the qualifying ultimate, whereas Port knocked off Richmond in Adelaide after which upset Fremantle in Perth to succeed in the prelim.
4 gamers who lined up on this match will line up on Friday evening: Jack Gunston and Luke Breust for Hawthorn and Ollie Wines and Travis Boak for Port Adelaide. The 2014 season was present Port coach Ken Hinkley’s second season in cost. Hawthorn’s coach, Sam Mitchell, additionally performed within the match.
Jarryd Roughead was amongst Hawthorn’s finest within the 2014 preliminary ultimate towards Port Adelaide, kicking six targets within the win. (Getty Photographs: Quinn Rooney)
Regardless of being the underdog coming into the competition, the Energy began the sport positively in entrance of just about 75,000 on the MCG and missed some gilt-edged possibilities within the first quarter as they took a 12-point lead into the primary change after kicking 3.9 for the quarter.
A younger Port Adelaide facet was made to pay for its inaccuracy over the subsequent two quarters because the Hawks burst to life and slammed on 11.3 to take a 23-point lead into the ultimate change.
Jarryd Roughead manhandled Port’s defence, kicking three of his six targets within the third quarter because the Hawks put Port Adelaide to the sword.
Hawthorn prolonged its lead out to as a lot as 29 factors halfway via the ultimate quarter after Jack Gunston and Isaac Smith hit the scoreboard and led by 28 with simply over eight minutes to go when Angus Monfries acquired a free kick 25m out on a slight angle.
Monfries kicked actually to attract Port to inside 22 factors, however on the time the aim appeared extra like a comfort prize.
Nevertheless, it sparked a livid rally to finish the match.
Chad Wingard, who was extensively thought to be probably the most thrilling younger gamers on the time, drilled a left-footed banana to present Port actual hope with 6.36 left on the clock, reducing Hawthorn’s result in 16 factors.
Port Adelaide had all of the operating and when Jared Polec launched a 55m bomb from a set shot to attract the margin to simply 10 factors with 4.09 remaining, Hawthorn followers within the crowd had been extraordinarily nervous.
“The place has gone berserk!” Brian Taylor mentioned on commentary for Seven.
“That is unbelievable,” added Matthew Richardson alongside him.
Monfries nailed his fourth aim of the match to attract Port to inside a kick with 2.40 left on the clock with Hawthorn mastercoach Alastair Clarkson nervously taking a sip of water after the aim went via. The champs had been in deep, deep bother, and he knew it.
“That is uncontrolled, this preliminary ultimate,” Luke Darcy mentioned on Seven’s protection.
“They’ve stopped lifeless, Hawthorn, and now they’ve to seek out away. All of the run is with Port Adelaide, all of the physique language is Port Adelaide, all of the fan assist is Port Adelaide. They can not go into their shell, they have to kick the subsequent aim.”
Port had yet one more likelihood to go forward with 1.18 to go. In scenes eerily much like Barker’s set shot from the pocket at Soccer Park, Andrew Moore additionally had a set shot from the identical space of the MCG, albeit additional out, however wasn’t in a position to convert because the Hawks punched it via for a behind.
One final push ahead for the Energy ended on the half ahead line as Brian Lake pounced on the ball after a marking contest with Monfries on the 50m arc.
Hawthorn went on to win the premiership the next week, the second in a three-peat, by thrashing Sydney within the grand ultimate. The Hawks’ 2015 grand ultimate win over the Dockers was extremely the proud membership’s final till final week’s elimination ultimate win over the Western Bulldogs.
Instantly after the ultimate siren the digital camera panned to Port president David Koch, who had a proud look on his face. He’d have figured this might be the a quick stumble in Port’s eventual run in direction of a premiership.
Extremely, this match is the closest the Energy has come to reaching a grand ultimate below Hinkley.
