PORT ADELAIDE 17.5 (107) def ADELAIDE 15.13 (103)
IF you didn’t know who Chad Wingard was, chances are you surely would now after his five goal performance against Adelaide – including the match-winner – to get Port Adelaide across the line by four-points in the Showdown at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.
Wingard also had 24 disposals and was clearly the most valuable player on the ground in a win that has put Port Adelaide inside the top eight with a two game buffer ahead of ninth placed Carlton.
“He’s a special player, he’s had an incredible season and there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind if not before today he’s going to be in the All Australian side surely,” coach Ken Hinkley said.
“He’s had an amazing year and today was the icing on the cake for him and his year bar none has been first class at this football club.
“It just shows his character, he believes in himself, he believes in his teammates and his job was to finish off their great work.”
Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson was simply in awe of Wingard’s match-winning feats after the match.
“He’s an important player for them, he’s in the top three for most statistics through their footy club,” Sanderson said after the match.
“He wins uncontested ball, he gets inside-50s, he obviously hits the scoreboard – he’s a talented young player. That’s why he went so early in the draft.
“He’s a talented young player, he stands up in the last quarter and … he wants to be the big-game player and he certainly showed that he can do it.”
Wingard said he felt nervous kicking the match-winner.
“I wasn’t actually nervous but I did feel the pressure to put us in front,” Wingard said after the win.
“I was trying to block out every noise and go through my routine and execute.”
In what was a thrilling game right down to the last minute and without taking anything away from Wingard’s performance, we are still gob-smacked by Angus Monfries’s miracle goal in the dying minutes.
Monfries bought some time with some fancy footwork on a possession almost 50 metres out from goal but was forced to get a kick off to goal on a bad angle. The ball never looked a chance for a goal as it bounced close to the behind post and looked set for point. But that was when the ball took a sharp right hand turn bouncing some five metres towards the goal square for a much needed goal.
If you haven’t seen it already here are the final two minutes of the game:
And here are the the full match highlights:
ADELAIDE 3.2 5.6 12.10 15.13 (103)
PORT ADELAIDE 2.1 9.3 11.4 17.5 (107)
GOALS
Adelaide: Dangerfield 4, Johnston 4, Wright 2, Petrenko 2, Grigg, Brown, Henderson
Port Adelaide: Wingard 5, Hartlett 3, Gray 3, Schulz 2, Monfries 2, Butcher, Colquhoun
BEST
Adelaide: Crouch, Dangerfield, Johnston, Mackay, Grigg, Vince
Port Adelaide: Wingard, Hartlett, Gray, Boak, Cornes, Schulz
INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
Port Adelaide: Paul Stewart (broken wrist)
SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Mitch Grigg replaced Jarryd Lyons in the third quarter
Port Adelaide: Sam Colquhoun replaced Paul Stewart (wrist) in the first quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stewart, Ryan, Jeffery
Official crowd: 43,368 at AAMI Stadium