Rising Port Adelaide star Chad Wingard celebrates a goal against Sydney. Picture: Simon Cross. Source: Sunday Mail (SA)
CHAD Wingard elevated his game to superstar status as Port Adelaide pulled off one of the upsets of the season at a waterlogged AAMI Stadium.
In stunning premier Sydney, the Power fired a warning shot to the rest of the competition that its rebuilding project under new coach Ken Hinkley is on track and that it could still make a shock push for this year's finals.
In one of the proud club's most stunning wins, Port heroicly fought back from 16 points behind in the third quarter to overrun one of this year's premiership favourites.
The brave Power trailed at every break but - inspired by the brilliant Wingard - doubled its score in the final quarter to win by 18 points.
Its victory saw Port move into the top eight with a 7-5 record and came just two weeks after the Swans smashed the Crows at the same venue by 77 points - Adelaide's biggest home loss in 19 years.
Second-year midfielder/forward Wingard was at the centrepiece of Saturday's super show.
Superb all day, the ice-cool Wingard kicked two crucial goals in the defining final term to first put the Power back in front from a set shot from 45m and then send it two goals clear with a 40m kick on the run.
The 19-year-old finished with three of Port's 10 goals and his class stood out in horrible conditions.
His standout performance saw veteran midfielder Kane Cornes label him as a "freak" and the second coming of former Power star Gavin Wanganeen.
Port Adelaide forward Robbie Gray celebrates a goal against Sydney. Picture: Simon Cross.
Hinkley, meanwhile, said Wingard's matchwinning exploits lived up to those of his hero - US basketball star LeBron James, who led the Miami Heat to a second consecutive NBA championship during the week.
"Chad's a competitor and lucky enough he watched the NBA finals and he saw his star LeBron play," Hinkley said.
"He said he loves games against Sydney because he loves to compete. And he showed it."
But while Wingard turned the game Port's way, the club had many heroes.
Stand-in skipper Brad Ebert led from the front in the absence of injured skipper Travis Boak, Cornes restricted Swans dangerman Daniel Hannebery to only 13 disposals, Robbie Gray and Matthew Broadbent returned to top form and Matthew Lobbe played a strong, lone role in the ruck.
Significantly, the Power beat the tough Swans - who paraded former Crow Kurt Tippett for the first time after he served an 11-match suspension for his role in Adelaide's draft tampering and salary cap rorting - at their own game.
The young Port side beat Sydney at its trademark, contested possessions, 176-163, and laid just four fewer tackles, 95 to 99.
In the second half, the Power had a remarkable 34 inside 50s to 12.
Port Adelaide players celebrate after the win over Sydney. Picture: Simon Cross.
Port's win snapped a club-record eight game losing streak to the Swans dating back to 2006 and was built on pressure, workrate, desire and a never-give-in spirit which has become the trademark of first-year coach Hinkley.
It came despite losing two players before the opening bounce, with Paul Stewart (back) - hurt in the pre-game warm-up - and key forward John Butcher (tonsillitis) withdrawing from the selected side.
They were replaced by Andrew Moore and Campbell Heath.
Tippett looked like singlehandedly snatching the game from the Power's grasp early.
In a dream start to his Swans career, the former Crow marked Kieren Jack's quick kick out of a pack from the opening bounce after just 11 seconds.
His first kick in the red and white sailed through from 45m and saw his new teammates rush to him in clear delight.
Tippett continued to terrorise opponent Alipate Carlile early.
After dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes goaled on the run from 50m, Tippett again outbodied Carlile, taking another strong chest mark inside 50.
With a strong wind at his back, he kicked truly from 30m to get off to a flying start with his new club.
When Jack brilliantly stormed through a pack to accept Mike Pyke's perfectly-executed hitout to run into an open goal, Sydney had broken to 17-point lead and the signs were ominous for the Power.
But the home side hit back hard early in the second term.
Wingard's class began to show and when Matthew Broadbent and Jake Neade goaled in the opening seven minutes, Port had closed to within four points.
But the Swans raised their game and, despite kicking into a gale, they camped the ball in their half of the ground for most of the quarter.
Tippett was unlucky not to have a third first-half goal when he marked in the goalsquare and was harshly penalised for a push on Carlile.
Cornes had kept the dangerous Hannebery to just five disposals at half-time but Sydney's dominance in clearances (31 to 20) and inside 50s (31 to 18) had proved decisive.
But Port turned the game on its head in the third term, winning the inside-50 count 17-5 despite kicking into the wind.
It then ran all over the hardened Swans in the final quarter, kicking to 5.6 to 2.2, to record a famous win.
PORT ADELAIDE 1.2 3.5 5.6 10.12 (72)
SYDNEY SWANS 4.1 5.2 6.4 8.6 (54)
Goals: Port Adelaide: Wingard 3, Monfries 2, Neade, Schulz, Westhoff, Broadbent, Gray. Sydney: Goodes, K. Jack, Tippett 2, Morton, Mitchell.
Best: Port Adelaide: Wingard, Brad Ebert, Broadbent, Logan, Gray, Hartlett, Cassisi. Sydney: Kennedy, Malceski, McVeigh, K. Jack, O'Keefe, Bird.
Injuries: Port Adelaide: Paul Stewart (back) replaced in selected side by Campbell Heath, John Butcher (tonsilitis) replaced in selected side by Andrew Moore. Sydney: Adam Goodes (knee).
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