THE Port Melbourne players thought it was one of the best, one that would lodge in the memory.
They weren't talking about their thrilling three-point victory over Box Hill Hawks at North Port Oval on Saturday, but coach Gary Ayres' withering blast at three-quarter-time.
Not often has the former Hawthorn champion had cause to give his Boroughs an old-fashioned bake.
But after watching Port fiddle and diddle and surrender their lead in the third quarter, he quickly rounded up his men at the last change and gave them a sustained burst.
They'd played "cheap" and "dumb" football and had come to a crossroad at their season, he said.
The time for talk was over. He even let slip an F-word. Rest assured it wasn't fantastic.
"And what happened down there!" he said, turning on champion rover Shane Valenti, who'd given away a free kick at the top of the goalsquare, gifting Amos Frank a goal.
Port responded with a run of four goals in a gritty last quarter , kicked by Dean Galea, Josh Purcell, captain John Baird and Mitch Woffindin.
Click HERE for the full match report from Leader Newspapers Paul Amy.
Last Modified on 15/08/2012 12:26