Blog log from R22 of 2024: Melbourne vs Port Adelaide

Marshall roves near the hotspot and blazes wide under pressure. (Q1 2:30)
Ratugolea takes a link mark in the centre and feeds Rozee whose long kick from outside CHF bounces into the right post. (Q1 4:02)
Salem intercepts in the centre and passes to Neal-Bullen 45m out in front, Nibbler shanks OOTF to the left. (Q1 4:53)
Wines gives to Ratugolea who spins and shoots from 40m in the corridor… the move looked stylish but the kick is a shocker, OOTF to the right. (Q1 6:41)
Zerk-Thatcher reaches over van Rooyen in the square to touch through a Fritsch snap from half forward. (Q1 8:16)
Another turnover at half back for Port, Fritsch feeds Pickett who misses from 40m. (Q1 8:46)
After a link mark by Viney in the centre, Chandler roves a Petty contest at CHF and gives to Fritsch who steers through the first goal from 40m on a slight angle. (Q1 12:33)
Marshall marks in front of Tomlinson 50m out on a slight angle following the next bounce, his set shot falls in the square for Gawn to rush. (Q1 14:11)
Neal-Bullen sets up Langdon to snap from near CHF for the second goal of the match. (Q1 16:35)
Neal-Bullen picks up a cake of soap in the pocket 15m out but hits the post. (Q1 17:58)
Port Adelaide attacks the corridor on rebound and it becomes a downhill play, Horne-Francis is over the back of McVee to mark and goal in the square. (Q1 20:43)
Ratugolea gives to Byrne-Jones on the HFF, McDonald is chasing but DBJ tries a dribbler from fully 40m out… it rolls end over end and straight through! (Q1 23:41)
Dixon marks 40m out near the boundary but leaves his drop punt near side left as the QT siren sounds. (Qtr Time)
Chandler passes to the boundary for van Rooyen to mark in front of Zerk-Thatcher 25m out, but the set shot is a shank OOTF the other side. (Q2 9:54)
Pickett marks in front of Burgoyne 15m out for the go-ahead goal. (Q2 12:40)
Viney snaps from 40m in the corridor for a point. (Q2 17:34)
Ratugolea gives wide of a pack 20m out to the pocket for Butters who rushes a snap for a behind. (Q2 20:37)
Hore slips to allow Rioli to gather a kick to grass on the HFF, Willie measures a snap from 40m but leaves it narrow side left. (Q2 23:56)
Wines snaps very high after winning a hard footy in a pack at the hotspot, ball lands on the goal line for McDonald to claim the mark… confirmed on review, no score. (Q2 25:54)
Petty takes a link mark in the centre and kicks over Farrell to Pickett 40m out on the flank, who just avoids the near left post for his third goal. (Q3 2:37)
Ratugolea misses everything from a set shot in the pocket 25m out. (Q3 6:09)
Byrne-Jones intercepts a slow rebound kick by McDonald and passes to Dixon 40m out on a slight angle for a big goal. Margin back to a kick in a low-scoring arm wrestle. (Q3 8:07)
Rivers pokes a pass from half forward over Houston to Neal-Bullen 40m out in front, Nibbler sends that one through. (Q3 15:38)
Butters runs to CHF and shoots to an empty goalsquare, that one skids through to keep the margin under a kick. (Q3 20:57)
Rozee catches Pickett HTB at the first bounce of Q4, plays on past him and kicks long to the hotspot where Dixon clunks the mark, Port in the lead with that goal! (Q4 0:34)
Jones snaps wide left from outside a stoppage 40m out. (Q4 6:30)
Pickett runs into the open goal to restore the Demons’ lead, that his fourth. (Q4 11:23)
Zerk-Thatcher kicks to a contest from the last line, Billings can’t mark but keeps his feet to rove and snaps wide from 35m on a slight angle. (Q4 15:23)
Melksham tries a volley of a loose ball on the HFF, it works perfectly to hit Fritsch running to the HFF, Fritsch passes inside to Tholstrup 25m out on a slight angle… miss! (Q4 18:38)
Narkle goes back with the flight for a high Wines ball from the HFF and leaps ahead of Lever for a mark 20m out in the pocket. His kick is perfect, scores level with 6:40 to play! (Q4 21:29)
Butters clears from the next bounce to Horne-Francis 50m out on a slight angle, kick short, Narkle roves and centres for Rozee at the hotspot! Ah, but a review shows a point. (Q4 24:16)
Houston has a lash with a long snap from about the spot he won a match last year, this one falls in the square, Burgoyne fumbles it over for a point against two Dees! (Q4 29:15)
Clock under 2:00 but Aliir intercepts Langdon’s rebound kick on outer wing, Port plays tempo through Horne-Francis… (Q4 29:30)
Rivers soccers a loose footy on outer wing but Horne-Francis intercepts and slows it down, clock under 1:00… (Q4 30:03)
Demons aren’t manning up, Power still in possession, game being iced on a cold Melbourne night… (Q4 30:34)
Port manages to retain possession through the entire last minute to drain the clock and win! (Q4 30:50)