Power shock for Dockers

Port Adelaide have stormed into a preliminary final against Hawthorn at the MCG next weekend with a 22-point win over Fremantle at Patersons Stadium tonight.

The Power came from more than 30 points behind in the second quarter to win 15.15 (105) to 11.17 (83).

The result broke the hearts of the majority of the crowd of 42,338 as they saw the Dockers crash out of premiership contention in straight sets.

Despite Port's third-quarter recovery, Fremantle again got 10 points clear early in the last.

But they were unable to hold on against the hard-running and youthful Power, who now face the Hawks at the MCG next Saturday afternoon. Sydney take on North Melbourne in the other preliminary final at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.

Dockers coach Ross Lyon said his side's first-half wobbles in front of goal weren't the only reason they went down.

"I think that's a bit simplistic. I think that's unfair," Lyon said.

"When the game was up for grabs at three-quarter time, I thought Port Adelaide were outstanding at the contest and the clearance work."

Robbie Gray got Port back in it with four third-quarter goals, while young star Chad Wingard was at his sharpshooting best with four of his own, including the last-quarter sealer.

Hamish Hartlett was prominent with 33 disposals and eight clearances, while Ollie Wines was brilliant with 26 possessions and three goals.

Lachie Neale (32 disposals, seven clearances) was good for Fremantle, while Nat Fyfe (28 possessions, two goals) tried hard and Stephen Hill got away from Kane Cornes for 28 possessions of his own.

Michael Walters and Hayden Crozier were the main threats up forward with five goals, three behinds between them, while tagger Ryan Crowley restricted Port captain Travis Boak to just 16 disposals.

To add to their woes, Garrick Ibbotson again injured his troublesome right shoulder and Zac Dawson was reported for striking.

The Dockers were already down to one genuine tall defender when Alex Silvagni withdrew prior to the match with hamstring soreness.

That provided a reprieve for tough nut Matt de Boer to play as the substitute.

The visitors drew first blood when David Mundy gave away a free for chopping Angus Monfries arms and then sent the handball back well wide of the small forward, allowing him the easiest of goals from point blank range with the resulting 50m penalty.

The Dockers were dominating possession and the inside 50s, but couldn’t manage a major with three consecutive behinds, before AFL MVP Nat Fyfe snapped their first almost 16 minutes in.

Port players were continually under severe pressure as Fremantle added another two goals through Michael Barlow and Fyfe, with talls Matt Taberner and Zac Clarke both missing gettable opportunities on the run.

But when Chad Wingard stole a handball from a forward stoppage with about 40 seconds remaining in the quarter the young star slotted the snap to make it just a nine point margin at the first break.

Fremantle continued their dominance early in the second term, with Aaron Sandilands converting a set shot from about 45m out just over a minute in.

But from there the Dockers did everything but put the ball through the big sticks.

Michael Walters was looking dangerous both in the air and at ground level, but was the chief offender with three straight behinds.

It wasn’t until the 13-minute mark that Barlow finally found the opening from a forward stoppage to take the lead out to 25 points.

It was another 10 minutes before young forward Hayden Crozier intercepted a Port handball, ran inside 50m and booted another to make it 31 points.

The Power started to get their hands on the ball from there but also struggled in front of the sticks, until the mercurial Wingard once again stepped up with about seconds left to snap another and make it a four-goal difference at the long break.

Reliable defender Tom Jonas was substituted out of the game before the third term after copping a heavy hit in a marking contest and appearing to struggle with a hip problem.

Port needed a good start to the third and they got, dominating the contest and booting the first two goals, both through Robbie Gray to get the margin under two goals.

Defender Zac Dawson was reported for striking while giving the free kick away to Gray which led to his second goal, prompting injured forward Hayden Ballantyne to tweet: “There is no such thing as a easy kick in Zacs back line...”

A sore Taberner was then handed the red vest as de Boer came into the game about 11 minutes in.

Ollie Wines and Walters traded goals before a shocking turnover from Danyle Pearce allowed Wingard to boot his third.

It was Gray again who gave his side the lead at the 25-minute mark when he converted a free kick.

Walters wrested it back soon after but Gray again stepped up, catching Tendai Mzungu deep in defence holding the ball to give his side a two point lead going into the final term.

The Dockers showed they weren’t going to give up without a fight early in the last with goals to Walters and Crozier inside the opening four minutes to steal back the momentum.

But Garrick Ibbotson was forced off when his troublesome right shoulder popped out things started to turn the Power’s way.

Wines bobbed up at a forward stoppage to snap an incredible goal, while a strong Justin Westhoff mark allowed the strong-bodied midfielder to wander in for his third shortly after to give the back the lead.

A free-wheeling Matt White then extended the lead as Ibbotson bravely returned to the field.

Both teams were giving everything with the game in the balance but both missed opportunities, before Pearce snapped to bring the crowd back into it.

However Wingard’s fourth and Schulz’s first ended the contest for the gallant Dockers.

"We could have quite easily rolled over away from home against a great side. They were putting amazing pressure on us," Power coach Ken Hinkley said.

"I said to them at half time, 'That's not the way we're going to go down. If we're going to go down, let's go down the Port Adelaide way, and that's having a crack'.

"It was a very brave performance."

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