AFL finals series: the semi-final showdowns

The race to the Grand Final continues this weekend with two semi-final clashes. Darcy McCartin and Michael Pike preview the big games.

PORT ADELAIDE V HAWTHORN

Darcy McCartin

The Power switch was turned off in Adelaide last Thursday night.

Despite hosting a qualifying final versus Geelong at the Adelaide Oval and having a clear advantage, it was a night to forget for Port. After getting jumped early, the margin remained a containable 20 points at the half. The game soon turned into a bloodbath for the Power as the Cats feasted, with Jeremy Cameron and Tyson Stengle kicking four goals each, and first year player Shaun Mannagh starring with 23 touches and kicking three.

The result: an e 84-point defeat for the Power, with a severe lack of positives to come out of the contest.

One last chance to make a mark in September for Port, as they host the Hawks on Friday night.

The Hawks head to Adelaide after their win over the Bulldogs. Photo: Hawthorn Football Club, Facebook

A big query coming into the game surrounds arguably their most important player, Zak Butters fitness. Butters was subbed out of the Geelong clash with a rib injury, and despite being cleared of serious damage will no doubt be sore. The season’s most courageous player will sure put everything left he has on the line for his side, to avoid the dreaded ‘straight sets’ finals exit.

This is possibly one last chance for coach Ken Hinkley to prove to his club, and the AFL community, that he can win a clutch finals battle.

Port Adelaide come up against a rampant Hawthorn, who seemly seemingly cannot be stopped.

In their first Friday night game since Round 15 2022, the Hawks showed why they should be on the big stage, eliminating the Western Bulldogs in a 37-point victory.

With the majority of their squad having their first finals appearance, they were not fazed, including some huge efforts from Jai Newcombe and Massimo D’Ambrosio claiming 35 and 32 disposals respectively. New draftees, key forward Calsher Dear (3 goals) and Nick ‘The Wizard’ Watson (four goals), made their mark, with The Wizard’s fans in full force at the match, seen wearing wizard hats.

Despite already clearing expectations, these young Hawks can smell blood. An away trip to Adelaide will not frighten them. They will however be without key pillar defender Sam Frost, who was ruled out for the season with a foot stress injury. His replacement is 9 gamer Jai Serong, who will be thrown to the wolves, but if he has the heart of the rest of his side, there will be no issues. This remarkable side is capable of anything and should be backed in with good reason.

Michael Pike

Shades of Round 15 last week for the Power as Ken Hinkley’s team once again got pumped at their own home ground. Nothing went right on a horrid night for the South Australian side as Geelong dismantled them, outworking and outsmarting a tired and dysfunctional team. 

Zak Butters had no impact, only registering 8 touches in a half of football before requesting to be subbed due to some pain in his rib area. Captain Conor Rozee also proved ineffectual, with only 9 of his 16 disposals hitting a teammate.

Power fans will be desperate for their dynamic midfielders to return to their best next week, knowing their team’s season will be on the line against a tough and hardened Hawthorn engine room. Port’s intercept markers in Aliir and Zerk-Thatcher simply got overwhelmed by all the traffic coming their way from the supreme pressure and accuracy of Patrick Dangerfield, Shaun Mannagh and Max Holmes. Forward Charlie Dixon couldn’t get himself near the contest, touching the football only three times throughout the entire game. 

The bright spots from the Thursday night horror show included Jason Horne-Francis, Travis Boak and Miles Bergman, who combined for 16 inside-50s. Bergman also took 10 marks, trying his guts out on a night where it all fell apart against a lethal Geelong side. 

Hawthorn looked like the real deal in their elimination final, with their youngsters shining under the bright Friday night lights at the MCG. Eleven Hawthorn players recorded 20 or more disposals as Sam Mitchell’s team tore the Bulldogs apart, dominating the play and scoring seven goals and five behinds off turnover.  

First year players Nick Watson and Calsher Dear kicked seven goals between them, while Jai Newcombe tore one of the best midfields in the competition apart, recording 35 disposals in a best-on-ground performance.  

Lloyd Meek dominated in the ruck, recording 23 disposals and completing 46 hit outs, making 2023 All-Australian Tim English look second-rate.

James Sicily put in a real captain’s performance, setting up the play wonderfully with 20 kicks out of the back half while taking out offensive surges with 10 marks and nine intercepts. 

Ken Hinkley will need to light a fire under his match-winners to overcome the efficient and free-flowing Hawks, and the Power will hope to recall the same spirit that they showed in round 10 this year in which they came from five goals down to win by a point in the dying seconds. 

GWS V BRISBANE LIONS

Darcy McCartin

The Sydney derby qualifying final was seen as one of the games of the season.

‘The worm’ graph was not a pretty picture for the Giants, leading for almost the entire game before letting it slip late. The Giants started to run out of legs late, as the established Sydney Swans took over, finishing with the last 3 goals of the contest to clinch a famous victory by merely one goal. Swans superstar Isaac Heeney had one of the best finals performances of the modern era, with three clutch goals, 30 disposals, and one of the best marks seen in recent memory.

The Giants can take hope out of this, going toe for toe with one of the powerhouses in the competition. With another chance to prove themselves, they now host the Lions in Canberra.

Brisbane held Carlton to an incredible 60-0 scoreline late in the second quarter. In spite of a second half resurgence from the Blues, the fast start for Brisbane deemed too little too late for the Blues, with a 28-point victory for the Lions. All Australian defender Dayne Zorko had a day out with 29 touches, whilst midfield duo Lachie Neale and Hugh McCluggage’s presence was felt. All three, including the entire side, will have to perform at the top of their game to overcome the Giants force.

It's a difficult task away from the Gabba. The Lions will have to fix their goal kicking woes, with yet another 15 behinds in the elimination final, which will not cut the mustard in this cutthroat final.

GWS tagger Toby Bedford returns to the side this week, and his tussle with Lachie Neale is perhaps the most crucial of all. Brisbane’s most important player cannot be kept quiet if the Lions are any chance. Fellow Lions co-captain Harris Andrews duel with Coleman Medallist Jesse Hogan is another make or break matchup. An even contest on paper that will seemingly come down to the wire.

With Brisbane’s goal accuracy worries and the Giants electric brand of footy, the Giants just edge ahead.

Michael Pike

After a perfect three quarters keeping Sydney’s best (save for Isaac Heeney) at bay, the Swans exploded in the last quarter and snatched victory in the last minute and a half through a Joel Amartey dribbler, sending GWS to a semi-final playoff against the Lions. 

There are plenty of positives that can be taken by Adam Kingsley’s men from their performance at the SCG Saturday evening. James Peatling had an outstanding contribution, the midfielder being able to lay 12 tackles and involve himself in 7 scores.  

James Buckley shut down Amartey effectively the entire game, keeping him to only 4 touches before he sealed the match-winner. Tom Green played a vital role, keeping the ball away from Sydney’s danger men in the contest with 32 disposals, 19 contested and 10 clearances. Cadman and Hogan kicked 3 goals each, proving to be the only effective key forward performances throughout the finals series thus far.  

However, the Giants couldn’t keep up their intense efforts for the entire game, succumbing to Sydney’s danger men as Heeney brought the Swans back into it in the third quarter, recording 12 touches and a goal. Chad Warner then came alive in the last, completing all seven of his clearances in the final 30 minutes.  

When Brisbane were up 60 points to a scoreless Carlton with five minutes left before half-time, everyone would’ve thought they’d leave the Gabba as a distinct flag favourite.

However, that is not the case as the Lions were outscored from that point onwards, letting the lead slip to just 27 points by the end of the game as a Carlton team with 6 players returning from injury layoffs almost got themselves back into the game. 

Even with their jitters, Brisbane’s major names were enormous, and Chris Fagan’s Lions looked like the most dangerous team in the series at various points throughout the Saturday night fixture. Hugh McCluggage completed 8 tackles to go along with 24 disposals, Lachie Neale had 27 touches and 9 clearances while Will Ashcroft registered 9 score involvements for 20 disposals at 95% efficiency, demonstrating maximum impact whenever he was involved.  

This is sure to be an intense encounter as the Lions and Giants will both be desperate to play at their best for the entire 120 minutes at Engie Stadium on Saturday night, knowing that might be all they need to get into a preliminary final against the Cats at GMHBA Stadium.