SAM Dwyer delivered yet another reminder of his immense talent as Port Melbourne shrugged aside a pesky South Adelaide to advance to the semi-finals of the Foxtel Cup.
Dwyer, a club best and fairest winner, premiership player and VFL representative, showcased why he’s one of the most respected players in the VFL.
The 25-year-old collected a match-high 28 possessions, including two telling goals, as the Borough registered a 22-point win 12.6.78 to 8.8.56 at the MCG last Saturday.
Port Melbourne’s second win in the Foxtel Cup moves them into a semi-final showdown with WAFL club Claremont, coached by former Sandringham player Marc Webb, on July 14.
Werribee plays AFL Queensland club Morningside at the Gabba on July 7. The semi-final winners advance to the Foxtel Cup on August 4 – a venue still has to be decided.
Dwyer showed all his skill as South Adelaide took up the challenge to Port Melbourne, which was without captain John Baird, leading goal kicker Dean Galea, dual best and fairest winner Sam Pleming, ruckman Wayde Skipper, classy forward/forward Chris Cain and exciting rookie Mitch Woffindin.
What the absences allowed Borough coach Gary Ayres to do was provide opportunity and experience for a slew of players who have been playing good football in the Development League.
With South Adelaide forward Peter Rolfe proving a handful, Port Melbourne found itself trailing by seven points late in the second quarter.
Borough big man Adrian Bonaddio converted from a free kick just on the half time siren to send the teams to the main break locked on 4.5.
When Rolfe kicked his third goal early in the third quarter, South Adelaide again held a slender lead, but this was the cue for Dwyer, Toby Pinwill, Shane Valenti, Hugh Sandilands and Billy Burstin to up the ante.
Pinwill relished the competitive nature of the contest to amass 25 possessions while Valenti provided the class that accompanies a dual Liston Trophy winner.
Sandilands, who took a match-high seven marks, and Burstin, as usual, made the most of all his disposals.
Goals to Bonaddio, Dwyer and Tom Langford saw Port press ahead to an 11-point lead at three-quarter time.
While South Adelaide kicked the first goal of the final quarter, Port Melbourne rallied with two goals within a minute to Sandilands, who found himself alternating from defence, ruck and forward, and Dwyer.
To its credit South Adelaide refused to yield and Rolfe’s fourth goal reduced the Borough’s advantage again to 11-points. It would be as close as the visitors would come.
Burstin and Langford added the final two goals to allow Port Melbourne to run out 22-points winners from a gritty South Adelaide.
PORT MELBOURNE 1.4 4.5 8.6 12.6 (78)
SOUTH ADELAIDE 1.2 4.5 6.7 8.8 (56)
GOALS
Port Melbourne: Bonaddio 2, Burstin 2, Dwyer 2, Langford 2, Scipione 2, O'Sullivan, Sandilands
South Adelaide: Rolfe 4, O’Shea, Pfeiffer, Stribling, Taylor
BEST
Port Melbourne: Dwyer, Bonaddio, Pinwill, Burstin, Valenti, Sandilands
South Adelaide: Rolfe, Stribling, Cross, Murphy, Gotch, Dowdell
Last Modified on 25/06/2012 08:58