Port Adelaide’s succession plan made a disastrous start with a horror outing against Collingwood on Saturday night.
Collingwood’s return from Opening Round defeat was sparked by recruits Dan Houston and Tim Membrey before a third-quarter onslaught tore the game open.
Membrey kicked Collingwood’s first three goals of the game and Houston found the footy with ease as the Pies secured a resounding 21.10 (136) to 6.9 (45) victory.
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The 91-point margin is Ken Hinkley’s heaviest defeat as coach of Port Adelaide.
While Membrey and Houston started Hinkley’s headache, his side’s incapacity to threaten inside 50 would have certainly accelerated it.
The hole left by retired spearhead Charlie Dixon was glaring as new combination Jack Lukosius and Mitch Georgiades delivered just one goal.
It was a stark contrast to the Magpies’ triple-pronged key stocks at the other end who combined for 10 goals.
The 3-2-1 (what we learned via Ben Cotton)…
3. ‘TOO OLD AND SLOW?’ PIES FIND ‘MOJO’ IN EMPHATIC RESPONSE
A week is a long time in football.
Collingwood went from being ‘too old and slow’ in a flat 52-point loss to GWS, to looking like a premiership threat again in a 91-point win over Port Adelaide.
Craig McRae’s side took a little time to get into Saturday night’s game, but when the Pies found their rhythm, were a serious force.
It included a run of 10-straight goals in the third term as the Collingwood chant sounded around the MCG, with their recruits in the thick of it (but more on that later) and key forwards firing. And really, they were firing across the board in a stark contrast to last week.
You know things are going well when Brayden Maynard is kicking goals, let alone two in a row, bringing his career tally to 22.
“What a fantastic start. It’s off the back of the conversation last week: ‘Are they too old and too slow?’,” Saints great Nick Dal Santo said on Fox Footy.
“Maybe they were better for the run last week, maybe that loss stung something inside them to make sure they rolled up today with great pressure.”
Setting up their red-hot offensive game was intense pressure and complete defensive buy in, with 68 tackles – including 38 in the first half alone – after just 39 last week.
“Craig McRae was big on that last week, he spoke about the fact they didn’t bring a Collingwood type of pressure,” Tigers champ Jack Riewoldt said on Fox Footy.
“It was on from the first bounce led by some of their stars.
“Their pressure rating is 1.89 for the first half, Dan Houston comes into the side and has had five tackles so far … you can see Houston has come in and wanted to have an impact.
“This is the Collingwood of old and the Collingwood Craig McRae has loved to see. It’s forced turnovers and put Port Adelaide under an immense amount of pressure.”
Hawks legend Jason Dunstall noted during the fourth quarter it “looked like a training drill” with how easy the Pies were able to transition the ball, adding it’s “super impressive” how they responded to their Opening Round loss to the Giants.
“The Pies have gone from lollies last week to chocolates this week. It’s party time. They’re starting to enjoy themselves again and have their mojo back,“ Dunstall said during the game.
“They are just bullying Port Adelaide.”
It came part of a tough run of three games in 13 days for Collingwood to start the season, with the club opting to manage Scott Pendlebury in the sub role, before replacing him with fellow veteran Jeremy Howe during the MCG onslaught.
2. COLLINGWOOD RECRUITS STAR
There was plenty of focus on Dan Houston in his first game for the Pies against his old side. Fair to say he and fellow recruit Tim Membey delivered in spades.
Membrey was particularly hot early to help set up the win, kicking Collingwood’s first three goals of the match in the opening term and finishing with a game-high four majors.
“This is a savvy, specific trade for a known entity and goalkicker … something he’s never had an issue with is the goal kicking,” Saints great Nick Dal Santo said of Membrey on Fox Footy.
“It was a fantastic start by not only him, but the Pies.”
Membrey crossed to Collingwood as a delisted free agent after 179 games for the Saints. Along with the additions of Houston and Harry Perryman, who was quiet against Port after a promising debut against GWS, the Pies have boldly gone all in on 2025.
The evidence on Saturday night suggested it was justified if they can consistently play at that level – or something close to.
Key forward trio Membrey (four goals), Dan McStay and Brody Mihocek (both three goals) all stood tall as part of a new-look Pies forward line that put up 136 total points — their biggest ever score under Craig McRae.
“He’s an absolute star. Last week week he didn’t have the best of games, but he came out like a house on fire,” Indigenous legend Eddie Betts added of Membrey.
“It was his movement and getting up, he laid a tackle on the wing and raced back. He’s having a great game.”
Houston was also among the Pies’ best, finishing with 27 disposals and five tackles. If he did have any nerves playing his former side, you wouldn’t have noticed!
The dual All-Australian was strong in the contest and cleanly hit targets around the ground with the type of composure Collingwood was solely lacking last week.
“I’ll tell you who’s been on fire tonight – Dan Houston – he has been sensational,” Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson told Fox Footy.
“What I’ve liked is when you look at his heat map, it’s all through the corridor. He straightens Collingwood up in being able to go forward and go forward with effect.”
Betts added: “He’s an absolute superstar. You always look at when you’re going to play your old side. It’s Round 1 and he’s having a great game.”
1. ‘BRUTAL REVIEW’ LOOMS FOR PORT AFTER HEAVIEST LOSS UNDER KEN
A tough night for Port Adelaide … and tough start to the Ken Hinkley-Josh Carr succession plan.
The 91-point defeat is Hinkley’s heaviest ever defeat as coach as pressure is sure to come over the Port mentor over the next week.
“There’s going to be a brutal review for the Blues after a loss to the Tigers, I suspect it’s going to be just as brutal for Port Adelaide after this one,” Hawks legend Jason Dunstall noted.
The Power never really looked in Saturday night’s contest, overawed by Collingwood’s pressure including Port conceding 10-straight goals in the third quarter.
“Just looked a bit jittery, particularly down back, they’ve made some absolute clangers down there. It’s given Collingwood — full of momentum and full of beans — soft opportunities for goals,” dual premiership Kangaroo David King noted.
“Little lapses and loss of concentration have proven very costly.”
Not only did Port Adelaide lose the disposal count (388-364) but also tackles (68-43) and most major key indicators as Hinkley’s side lowered its colours.
They’ll hope to bounce back against Richmond at Adelaide Oval next Saturday.
“There’s pressure and there’s referred pressure. At the moment there’s a trend in the AFL with sides who come under pressure, panic and handball the ball backwards and fumble,” Tigers champion Jack Riewoldt added.
“It’s certainly been costly for Port Adelaide tonight.”
Re-live our coverage of the Round 1 clash between Collingwood and Port Adelaide below! Can’t see the blog? Click here.
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