Round 22
	V
Port Adelaide 13.12 (90)		Brisbane 13.6 (84)

If Brisbane is to win back-to-back premierships they will have to do it the hard way after Port Adelaide blew the AFL premiership wide open on Saturday afternoon with their most important win since joining the competition in 1997.

A Roger James goal with just under two minutes remaining sent a record Port Adelaide home crowd - outside of the annual showdown against Adelaide – of 46,439 into a frenzy and sealed a memorable 13.12 (90) to 13.6 (84) in the top of the table showdown at AAMI Stadium.

James’ memorable right foot snap goal off the pack – after the Lions had looked to have pinched the game after trailing by 28 points at the last change – was clearly the most important goal kicked by any AFL player this season.

The Power’s six point win means it will be Port Adelaide and not the previously all-conquering Lions that will have the benefit of two home finals in the lead-up to the grand final – provided they don’t slip up in the first week of the finals next week.

And it was achieved in the most character-building, memorable and heart-stopping fashion imaginable after the Lions had stunned the huge home crowd by hitting the front, following five unanswered goals in the final term, with just under five minutes remaining.

But Port showed unbelievable character to fight back and win the game to finish the season on top, with 18 wins and only four losses, and in the process taking a giant stride towards their first grand final.

Port’s reward for their win is two-fold following Collingwood’s capitulation in Saturday’s other game against the Bulldogs at the MCG.

Not only have Port secured the all-important top spot for the first time, in only their sixth season in the competition, but their first-up home qualifying final will be against the faltering Magpies – who will travel to Adelaide for their first finals game in eight years on the back of four losses in their past six games.

A win there and Port, who have now won their past 11 home matches, will again have home advantage at the daunting AAMI Stadium in a bid to qualify for their first grand final in preliminary final week.

In stark contrast the Lions, who came into this game as warm favourites, will now not only have to meet its recent bogy side in Adelaide in the first week of the finals but will then sacrifice home advantage for the all-important preliminary final, even if they win next week, due to the AFL’s controversial agreement with the MCC which guarantees at least one preliminary final at the MCG regardless of which teams have earned the right to host the match.

And while the Lions’ qualifying final against Adelaide will be played at the Gabba, where the Lions are unbeaten in seven finals games – it’s worth remembering that not only did Adelaide beat Brisbane at AAMI Stadium earlier this year but were also the only side to beat them at the Gabba last year.

With so much at stake, the first half of this match was played at an intensity befitting a grand final as the AFL’s two best teams went head-to-head at a ferocious pace.

Such was the pressure on all players that only two goals (one each) were scored in absorbing first term, which featured plenty of simple skill errors from both sides who almost appeared overwhelmed by the huge occasion.

But in the second term the Lions appeared to have seized control with Simon Black dominating and Jason Akermanis’s skill and composure in front of goal proving vital.

However in the third quarter the reigning premiers were made to look second rate as Port’s midfielders swamped them with James, both Shaun and Peter Burgoyne and Nick Stevens’ inspirational.

At that stage, particularly with the huge crowd behind them, Port looked unstoppable but the sheer persistence of Black hauled the Lions back into the game in the final term as the home side panicked under the weight of expectation.

But thanks to best-afield James it found some inspiration just when it needed to most with their gutsy effort best summed up by the dominant performances of its two key defenders in Stephen Paxman and Chad Cornes, who thrashed the Lions’ two big guns in attack in Alistair Lynch and Jonathan Brown respectively.

FOOTY REPORT ARCHIVE

Click here to read in depth, sometimes controversial, but always thought provoking previous round reports...