3 minute read

Darcy Byrne-Jones has kicked a goal with two seconds remaining to give Port Adelaide a comeback one-point win over Hawthorn.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley feels sorry for Hawthorn after his club's great escape: an implausible, record-equalling, one-point win.

Darcy Byrne-Jones soccered the match-winning goal with two seconds remaining in Sunday's Adelaide Oval fixture.

It was the only time the Power led in the entire game in a heartbreaker for the Hawks and coach Sam Mitchell.

"The rational part of my mind thinks, sure, there's some positives in the game somewhere," Mitchell said.

"But my emotional part of me is just not feeling any of them just at the minute."

The Power, after losing Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines to a heart scare, trailed by 41 points some 23 minutes into the third quarter.

Port then kicked the last six goals, including 4.7 to 0.1 in the last term, to steal a 11.14 (80) to 12.7 (79) victory.

The result equals Port's biggest comeback triumph - they were also 41 points behind West Coast in the third quarter of a 2013 game before winning.

"In some ways you feel a bit sorry for them," Hinkley said of Hawthorn.

"But in this sport, you have to take the win."

Wines was substituted when suffering heart palpitations in the first quarter. He suffered a similar episode in a 2022 game and was diagnosed with a heart rhythm irregularity.

On Sunday, the 2021 Brownlow winner stopped and sank to his haunches when nearing a passage of play late in the opening term.

By post-game, Wines had recovered and he is expected to play next weekend.

"Ollie is actually well," Hinkley said.

"It's not something that he can't handle ... he's really calm about it.

"You can imagine when something like that is going on, it can be a little bit rattling.

"But he's experienced it now, he knows exactly what happens."

Byrne-Jones' game-winner came after the unfancied Hawthorn dominated the initial three quarters.

Hawk Blake Hardwick booted five goals - four in the first term when the visitors created a 31-point quarter-time advantage, 6.2 to 1.1.

The Hawks led by 22 points at halftime and a Cam Mackenzie goal in the 23rd minute of the third term put them 41 points up.

Port scored two late majors to reduce their deficit to 28 points at three-quarter time - never before had the Power won when behind by that much at the last change.

But driven by acting captain Zak Butters who had 16 of his 31 disposals in the final quarter, they launched an incredible comeback.

Port logged 23 inside 50s to four in the last term yet still trailed by 11 points with 22 seconds left: Willie Rioli then slotted his third goal, followed by Byrne-Jones' game-breaker.

"We play a lot of soccer at training," Hinkley said.

"Sometimes people might think we play too much but, gee, we got a return today in a really, really important second."