Port Melbourne’s Lewis Mildenhall runs the ball forward. 69534 Picture: DAMIAN VISENTINI
BY MICHAEL ESPOSITO
PORT Melbourne knocked St Albans out of the WRFL Division One finals race with a late
quarter surge to book a sudden death clash with Altona this Saturday.
After a to-and-fro three quarters, Port Melbourne ran a stagnant St Albans off its legs in the last quarter, kicking five goals in a row to reverse a nine-point three-quarter deficit into a 23-point lead.
As the game was slipping from St Albans’ grasp, Steven Hoare goaled to give the Saints a sniff with six minutes to go, but a quick reply from Port Melbourne’s Mitchell Bracken sealed the result.
Port Melbourne had found a way to stifle St Albans’ natural running game, altering the game to suit their aerial superiority.
Port Melbourne coach Peter Lunt said his side rediscovered its run in the last quarter to overpower the Saints.
“Our handball receives went through the roof, our run started to come back which we lacked a little bit from midway through the second quarter onto the third,” he said.
“It was a terrific last quarter. Our stats were right up in the clearances.”
For the Saints, it was a disappointing end to a promising season.
Their form had slipped since their upset victory over Spotswood in Round 13.
The injury-hit Saints won just one of their past five games before the elimination final.
Port Melbourne on the other hand had won their past six games, beginning with a tight win against North Footscray, to go from sixth spot in Round 12 to fourth spot at the end of the home-and-away season.
“Seven weeks ago at north Footscray we were looking right down the barrel.”
Lunt said Port Melbourne’s crop of players who were involved in the Colts’ golden era in the early to mid noughties, stood up in Saturday’s elimination final.
“(Steven) McAnulty, (Stacy) Massis and (Blake) Twomey in the middle were really good, and Brad Julier’s last quarter was super, so our forwards were starting to work hard, and our back six I thought were fantastic all day.”
Lunt said his side was prepared for Altona to rebound from its humiliating loss to Spotswood in the qualifying final.
Port Melbourne 16.11 (107) d St Albans 13.7 (85). Goals: Port Melbourne: C D’Altera 7, D McGregor 3. St Albans: T Jenkins 3, A Henneman 2. Best: Port Melbourne: C D’Altera, B Julier. St Albans: J. Tuppen, P. Dalinkiewicz.
