Port Adelaide have advanced the next week's preliminary final with an iconic semi-final win as under dogs at home against Hawthorn.

Ken Hinkley and the Power held on for a three-point win in probably the best game of 2024 so far.

The stories were everywhere in this game; controversial calls, game-changing moments, big-time goals and a post-match player/coach incident.

See how it all unfolded...

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 2024-09-13T09:40:00Z 
 
 
 
Adelaide Oval
PORT   
75
FT
72
   HAW
    #AFLPowerHawks
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   

4th Quarter:

11. 9. 75
11. 6. 72

FULL TIME: Game of the season... so far. Finals do not get more thrilling than that! The Power have held on against all the odds and produced an iconic victory for coach Ken Hinkley.

James Sicily had the chance to win it with a minute remaining and has some choice words for the Port Adelaide coach as the team chair off 300-gamer Luke Breust, who appeared to have some words in response also!

Vision has revealed Hinkley to be the instigator in the feud, gesturing toward the Hawthorn playing group and James Sicily.

Hinkley confirmed post-match the words were in response to Jack Ginnivan's instagram comment after the Swans vs Giants qualifier.

"Jack (Ginnivan) said what he said through the week, and I just told him after the game he wasn't going anywhere," the Power coach said in the rooms afterward.

"You know what, I don't know social media, I just do what I do. I probably shouldn't have done it, I should apologise to the boys, I shouldn't have probably done."

0:00: Huge intercept mark from Esava Ratugolea and a number of heart-stopping moments before the final siren sounds on one of the best semi-finals you will ever see.

1:03: James Sicily takes the most inspirational contested mark of his career. His set shot hits the post!

3:35: The Hawks are back in business! Finn Maginness wins the footy on the spreading handball inside 50 and snaps the biggest goal of his career. Four point game!

4:03: Jai Newcombe creative inside 50, finds it at a stoppage and hits up Dylan Moore for a snap. Moore misses a crucial chance.

8:04: A patient Port Adelaide build-up to an inside 50 kick somehow lands in the waiting arms of Mitch Georgiades near the behind-line. The key forward snaps another and the Power lead grows again.

10:26: A costly Francis Evans turnover sets up Hawthorn on the rebound. Jack Ginnivan gets on the end of it and snaps a clutch goal. Back to five points!

11:28: Sicily's move forward is worrying the Port Adelaide defence. The skipper nearly scraped through another.

13:21: James Sicily roams forward for a stoppage inside 50 and immediately impacts with an inspirational snapping goal. Hawks are back in it again! (A score review appeared to show a smallest of touches from Travis Boak off the boot but the goal stands.)

15:27: HORNE-FRANCIS! The generational talent sharks it at a stoppage inside 50 and snaps a thrilling high-arking goal. Three in a row for Port!

16:08 Jase Burgoyne finds the footy again, this time inside 50 for a shot on goal. The youngster snaps it for two goals in two minutes!

17:01: Georgiades again gets a chance to respond after another clinical inside 50 entry from Willie Rioli. Georgiades kicks a huge set shot and the Power hit the lead!

18:02: The Wizard swoops on a crumb and bursts away inside 50, finishing off a huge goal on the run! We are tied!

SUB: Todd Marshall has been subbed out of the match. Will Lorenz comes in for his second career game

18:36: Willem Drew wins a holding-the-ball free kick and sends it boundary side inside 50 to a loading Mitch Georgiades. The key forward wastes the chance.

3rd Quarter:

Port Adelaide: 7. 8. 50
Hawthorn: 7. 3. 45

THREE-QUARTER-TIME: We are set for a wild finish in Adelaide! Luke Breust's goal on the fringes of the fourth will give the young Hawks a huge boost heading into the last but the Power have stood up to each challenge so far.

Newcombers still leads all-comers with 24 disposals to Jase Burgoyne and Jack Scrimshaw's 19 each. Can't help but think massive final quarters are coming from Jason Horne-Francis and Zak Butters, the two Power mids facing the biggest quarter of their young careers so far.

Key defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher is playing the best game of his Power tenure by far.

0:28: Dylan Moore wins a free kick at a forward flank stoppage and finds Luke Bruest on the lead. The veteran sub slots a big time set shot to cut it back under a kick late in the term.

4:01: Blake Hardwick takes a big intercept mark and then plays on quickly, kicking into the scone of his opponent and setting up a goal out of nowhere for Darcy Byrne-Jones. He's got his second and the Power lead by 11.

6:29: The Hawks concede a couple of behinds as the Power push dangerously.

8:32: A sensational kick from Jason Horne-Francis after providing an outlet kick finds Willie Rioli lace out inside 50. Rioli slots an easy set-shot and Port are back in front. Thrilling game building up here!

SUB: Luke Breust has entered the match for Jack Gunston. Sam Mitchell tactic from last week's elimination final.

15:00: Willie Rioli finds time and space inside 50 again and spots up Quinton Narkle for a set-shot. Narkle misses.

16:01: The Wizard again! Watson marks inside 50 for a shot on goal 40 out on the boundary. The drop punt never deviates, sailing through for his second in a minute! The Hawks lead!

17:04: "That was out-of-bounds!" BT's iconic call surfaces again as Nick Watson wins a free kick on the end of what looked like a blatant out-of-bounds ball. The Wizard snaps a big goal from deep on the boundary!

NOTE: Todd Marshall has been cleared of any concussion concerns and has returned to the field.

2nd Quarter:

Port Adelaide: 5. 6. 36
Hawthorn: 4. 3. 27

HALF-TIME: This could go down to the wire. Big plays and controversial moments happening everywhere. Hinkley will be frustrated not taking a bigger lead into the half, wasting a number of chances to extend their lead earlier in the match, and now the Hawks are back in it.

NOTE: Power key forward Todd Marshall left the ground and did not enter for the back half of the second quarter. Updates awaiting.

Again, Jai Newcombe has found more footy than anyone with 17, though Port Adelaide's midfield are dominating stoppages, winning contested ball +18 and clearances +6. Rozee is stepping up to the plate and Zak Butters is attacking it a rabid dog with crook ribs.

Cannot wait to see what Sam Mitchell and Ken Hinkley have in-store for the second half.

0:00: Unreal! Hawthorn take it on through the middle of the ground with seconds remaining, turning the footy over in the centre square. Lachie Jones bursts and sends it deep inside 50 where Willie Rioli finishes a chance on the siren. Power take a nine-point lead into the half

2:41: The mosquito fleet pounce on a chaotic bal inside 50 and the ringleader Jack Ginnivan slots a snap from the boundary. Back to a three-point game.

5:54: Port Adelaide respond with a cool finish outside 50 from Darcy Byrne-Jones to steady the ship for Port Adelaide!

6:54: Another dangerous tackle given away by Port Adelaide... and a 50m penalty! Jase Burgoyne's tackle will be another one looked at closely but the Hawks are back in it with another goal.

9:06: Lachie Jones gives away a highly contentious dangerous tackle free-kick for a desperate tackle on Mabior Chol, who slots another for the Hawks as the crowd erupt with rage. Could be one of the stories of the week.

10:29: Aliir Aliir puts arms around Calsher Dear to clear space for Miles Bergman, disrupting his run and giving away a free kick. Dear sneaks through a major from 40 out and the Hawks finally have their first.

17:55: Port Adelaide win it at the coalface again and a well-placed kick finds Willie Rioli for a set-shot 45 out straight in front. Rioli misses but the Power are putting the foot to the throttle.

18:44: Jason Horne-Francis kicks a nice ball into the whole inside 50 for Mitch Georgiades to lead and clunk it. The Power forward slots the set shot for three straight.

1st Quarter:

Port Adelaide: 2.3. 15
Hawthorn: 0. 2. 2

QUARTER-TIME: A red-hot start to week two of September, Port Adelaide jumping to a 13-point lead at the opening break. Both sides wasted some chances, though Port Adelaide needed better execution going inside 50

2:51: Jason Horne-Francis wastes another shot at goal and retaliates to a Jarman Impey wind-up, giving away an ill-disciplined free-kick.

3:47: Willie Rioli gets the ball and space inside 50, finding Todd Marshall on his own 25 out on a slight angle. The key forward slots it and the Power have the first two.

5:23: Zak Butters inspirational charging tackle on Conor Nash. He has visually lifted under the scrutiny of the week.

6:20: A beautiful kick inside 50 finds Mitch Georgiades with a pocket of space 45 out on the boundary. His kick doesn't turn back right enough and misses.

10:45: Port Adelaide just cannot finish their work entering the forward 50. Multiple chances being wasted and going begging.

16:27: Zak Butters has finally entered the arena! We have a fierce contest at the Adelaide Oval!

17:40: Connor Rozee catches James Worpel holding the footy inside 50. The skipper snaps the opening goal of the match.

19:03: Hawthorn win the opening clearance and Nick Watson finds the footy on a charge inside 50, drawing a high tackle from Brandon Zerk-Thatcher. Watson misses the set-shot from outside 50.

20:00 (mins remaining): We are underway at the Adelaide Oval!

NOTE: Zak Butters starting on the bench

Pre-Match

Blog coverage will commence from 7:20pm (AEST).

This match marks the first September meeting between Port Adelaide and Hawthorn since the heart-stopping 2014 Preliminary Final at the MCG, where Ken Hinkley and a wasteful Power side came agonisingly short of a grand final berth, riding a late fourth quarter surge all the way to a three-point margin, before Luke Hodge heroics saved the day for Hawthorn.

Fast-forward a decade and the clubs meet in vastly different circumstances, Ken Hinkley's men facing all the pressure to continue their 2024 campaign with a home semi-final win, while Sam Mitchell's crop of young punks look to send the Power packing, being favoured by many to do so.

CONFIRMED: Veteran Power forward Charlie Dixon will be a late out. The 36-year-old underwent a pre-game fitness test but has been ruled out due to illness.

Second-gamer Will Lorenz steps in to replace him.