Port Adelaide’s thrilling eight-point win over St Kilda has been marred by a goal umpire controversy in a “massive” momentum swing.
The Saints managed just one more goal after the controversy erupted late in the third term with Indy Tahau’s snap ended up hitting the goal umpire who was straddling the goalpost.
At the time, the Saints had an 11 point lead, but when the ball took a wicked bounce on the behind line, Port’s Gemma Houghton tried to shepherd the ball through.
Watch every match of the 2023 Toyota AFL Finals Series before the Grand Final Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo Sports. Join now and start streaming instantly >
After a quick chat with field umpire Ray Chamberlain, Tahau was sensationally awarded the goal to cut the deficit to just five points.
“The question is was it going to hit the post or the umpire?” commentator Jason Bennett asked.
There is no goal review system available for the AFLW, so the umpire’s call stood.
It wasn’t the only goal controversy after St Kilda’s Darcy Guttridge ran onto the loose ball in the goalsquare in the first term but took a long time to get boot to ball.
Despite appearing to get the kick away just over the goal line, she too was given the benefit of the doubt.
The 8.8 (56) to 7.6 (48) result leaves St Kilda’s AFLW finals hopes are hanging by a thread after they gave up a 20-point lead in the third quarter at Moorabbin on Sunday.
The result ensures the Saints are winless after three games this season, meaning they will probably have to win six of their last seven matches to finish in the top eight for the first time since entering the competition in 2020.
The pressure is rising on Saints coach Nick Dal Santo who has now overseen just five wins from 23 matches since taking over the reins in late 2021. His third season in charge looks destined to finish without finals footy again after the Power managed only their second win from 13 attempts since joining the league.
After kicking four consecutive behinds either side of halftime, St Kilda finally got reward for effort with back-to-back majors from Jaimee Lambert and Jesse Wardlaw stretching their advantage to a game-high 20 points.
However, just as the Saints looked like they were home, Port Adelaide roared into life, kicking the next five goals to lead by 14 points late in the final quarter, after racking up 12 inside 50s in a row at one stage.
Their lead should have been greater, because of their 10 consecutive shots on goal, one hit the post, two others were minor scores, and another four failed to score, including three set shots – two from the boot of Ashleigh Saint.
But it mattered little in the wash-up and when champion Erin Phillips finally kicked her first goal for Port Adelaide, after managing just seven behinds since joining the expansion club last year, the result was sealed. It capped off a memorable day for the AFLW superstar who became just the 14th player to register 1000 career disposals.
BIG HEAD CLASH
The nailbiting match was marred by a huge head clash between St Kilda’s J‘Noemi Anderson and Port Adelaide’s Janelle Cuthbertson, who were contesting a loose ball on the wing late in the third quarter.
Both players came from the ground to receive medical attention, and while Cuthbertson was ultimately cleared to return to the game, Anderson wasn’t as fortunate, and failed to take any further part.
Anderson will likely have entered the 12-day concussion protocols as a result.
EWINGS’ DOUBLE DAZZLER
The two biggest highlights of Port Adelaide‘s five-goal blitz either side of three-quarter time belonged to Hannah Ewings.
Ewings kickstarted the Power’s resurgence when she kicked the first of those goals after going for a run and unloading a magnificent attempt from 48m out which bounced home to get the Power within 12 points.
And then shortly after three-quarter time, Ewings gave her team the lead with the goal of the day as she executed a sensational snap shot from the impossible angle on the boundary which somehow sailed straight through the big sticks.
Discussion about this post