Late Swans surge falls short as Power revival continues

Port Adelaide make it two wins on the bounce with an impressive victory at the SCG

Port Adelaide players celebrate a goal against Sydney at the SCG in R6, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

PORT ADELAIDE has clicked into gear after a stuttering start to the season, holding on for an eight-point victory over a wayward Sydney at the SCG.

The Power, who were forced to sub Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines out of the game at the main break due to a "heart flutter", led from start to finish in their 13.7 (85) to 10.17 (77) triumph on Sunday afternoon.

SWANS v POWER Full match coverage and stats

While Wines was removed from the action as a precaution after experiencing heart palpitations, just as he did in a game in 2022 and again last year, Zak Butters led the rest of the Power's on-ball brigade to hold the Swans at arm's length despite a belated fightback.

The Power were on track to comfortably make it back-to-back wins before an inspired cameo from Swans substitute Aaron Francis gave the visitors a scare.

Francis was called into the game in the third term for his first appearance of the season with the Swans crying out for an aerial target, before the 27-year-old booted three goals from marks inside 50.

Previous Next 11:36 Full post-match, R6: Swans Watch Sydney’s press conference after round six’s match against Port Adelaide

07:32 Full post-match, R6: Power Watch Port Adelaide’s press conference after round six’s match against Sydney

08:12 Highlights: Sydney v Port Adelaide The Swans and Power clash in round six of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

00:56 Aliir's angry reaction as fan throws item over fence Port Adelaide defender Aliir Aliir chastises a fan at the SCG who threw an object over the fence

01:05 Wines recovering after being subbed out with heart flutter Port Adelaide footy boss Chris Davies provides an update on Ollie Wines after he experienced a heart flutter at the SCG

00:38 Electric Swans respond in a flash as SCG roars James Rowbottom cuts it off and snaps a beauty before setting up Will Hayward's perfect curler just seconds later

00:38 Port lands running goal NINE seconds after re-start Willem Drew drills a slick Port Adelaide major within the first nine seconds of the second half

00:55 Lightning strikes thrice as the Lizard misfires Nick Blakey frustrates the home crowd and his coach Dean Cox after missing three running attempts in the second term

00:36 Courageous SPP praised after tough contest Sam Powell-Pepper goes back with the flight and wears the contact to create a shot on goal for his side

00:41 Weaving Willie fools them all with classy goal Willie Rioli side-steps his way to a wonderful finish to give Port Adelaide an early buffer

00:37 Veteran's ferocious fend sends crowd wild Dane Rampe applies an impressively strong fend off on Darcy Byrne-Jones to save his side on the last line of defence

00:38 Magic Heeney stuns with Easter Sunday special Isaac Heeney threads a magnificent snap from the boundary to get Sydney on the board

01:48 Stopping the key mids for Swans and Power Isaac Heeney and Zak Butters will be key men on Sunday at the SCG - so how can they be stopped?

01:32 Match Previews R6: Sydney v Port Adelaide Sportsbet's Nathan Brown and Kane Cornes preview the game between the Swans and Power at the SCG

Power goalsneak Willie Rioli booted his third goal of the game to settle the nerves halfway through the final term, although the Swans were still to rue a pair of missed set shots late from Hayden McLean, who finished with 2.4.

Mitch Georgiades booted the Power's last major with his third goal, although the key forward might have finished with a bigger haul after spilling several marks throughout the game.

Butters was the dominant force around the stoppages as he gathered 27 disposals with 17 contested as well as seven clearances and eight tackles, while Jason Horne-Francis added more than just valuable support with 20 touches.

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Power captain Connor Rozee helped set up the victory while pulling the strings dashing out of defence and finished with an influential 27 disposals and 825m gained.

The Swans sent James Jordon to Rozee from the opening bounce but when their first-choice run-with player was unable to limit the damage, he was moved back into the midfield before the main break.

The Power have now won nine of their past 10 matches against the Swans, although their only defeat in that stretch crucially came in a preliminary final last year.

The Swans paid the price for failing to hit targets inside 50 and for misfiring in front of goal throughout the game, booting 5.8 in the final term.

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Matt Roberts (30 disposals) and Nick Blakey (27) added run out of defence, but the Swans found it hard to get their ball movement going.

Isaac Heeney battled hard in the midfield with 22 touches and two goals without quite adding his usual spark under pressure from Willem Drew, while James Rowbottom finished with 23 touches and a goal.

Despite the late surge, the defeat leaves last year's beaten grand finalists still to taste victory on their home deck in three attempts since coach Dean Cox took charge.

Power take no risks with Wines

Ollie Wines showed few signs of an issue as he gathered eight disposals with 228m gained and a couple of tackles while Port Adelaide opened up a healthy lead over Sydney in the first half. But the 2021 Brownlow medallist was unable to return to play after the main break due to experiencing heart palpitations, as the Power soon subbed in Rory Atkins for his club debut. Wines previously had a similar issue against Hawthorn last year and earlier in a clash with Melbourne in 2022, leaving the Power to make a quick and easy decision to remove their former co-captain from the action. The Power's football boss Chris Davies told Channel 7: "Ollie had a bit of a heart flutter, he's in the rooms now, feeling far better". Davies added that Wines will "go through whatever he needs to this week".

Learn More 01:05

Heeney sparks the Swans with sublime snap

Sydney took time to get its ball movement humming against Port Adelaide and had even fewer options in attack after a confusing free kick on the wing allowed the visitors to get numbers behind the ball. That was until gun midfielder Isaac Heeney took matters into his own hands when shaking off Willem Drew's close checking to crumb a clever knock down by Swans key forward Hayden McLean inside the forward 50. Heeney gathered the ball off a bounce, ran towards the boundary line with little concern for tightening the angle, then sent a snap off his right boot sailing through for the Swans' opener to give his side a much-needed lift.

Learn More 00:38

Georgiades digs into his bag of tricks

Mitch Georgiades made a stirring return from a ruptured ACL early in 2023 to cement his place as the Power's spearhead with a career-high 44 goals from 20 matches. The 192cm key forward looks set for even greater rewards this year as his contested marking turns into a weapon and gives him more shots at goal from within range. But the 23-year-old left himself with plenty to do when leading into the deep forward pocket and marking just inside the boundary in the opening term before settling into a classy check-side goal that showed he has more tricks in his bag than just forward craft.

Mitch Georgiades celebrates a goal for Port Adelaide against Sydney in R6, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

SYDNEY 1.2 2.7 5.9 10.17 (77)

PORT ADELAIDE 4.2 7.4 10.7 13.7 (85)

GOALS

Sydney: Francis 3, Hayward 2, Heeney 2, McLean 2, Rowbottom

Port Adelaide: Rioli 3, Georgiades 3, Powell-Pepper 2, Lord, Rozee, Cochrane, Drew, Byrne-Jones

BEST

Sydney: Rowbottom, Roberts, Blakey, Lloyd, McLean, Francis

Port Adelaide: Butters, Rozee, Horne-Francis, Farrell, Rioli, Burgoyne, Georgiades

INJURIES

Sydney: Nil

Port Adelaide: Wines (heart)

LATE CHANGES

Sydney: Nil

Port Adelaide: Joe Richards (illness) replaced by Rory Atkins

SUBSTITUTES

Sydney: Aaron Francis (replaced Tom Hanily in the third quarter)

Port Adelaide: Rory Atkins (replaced Ollie Wines at half-time)

Crowd: TBC at the SCG

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