"What a gun" - Fans in awe as 23-year-old helps Port Adelaide see off late Geelong comeback and snatch first win at Kardinia Park since 2007

Port Adelaide emerged victorious in a chaotic game against the Geelong Cats on Friday night, getting their first win at Kardinia Park since 2007. The Cats went into the fixture as the favorites and were expected to bounce back from their loss against the Melbourne Demons. However, it all went in the opposite direction.

Things looked bad for the Power heading into this match, but the feeling of dread soon washed away as they scored the first four goals of the game in the first nine minutes of the match.

Port Adelaide stunned the crowd, scoring eight goals in the first quarter to secure a shocking early lead against Geelong. This paved the way for their 101-95 victory.

The Cats put up an intense struggle in the second half, scoring nine goals to Power’s three. For a while, it looked as though Port Adelaide would blow their lead, but ultimately, Geelong’s efforts fell short. This is the second loss for the Cats after a seven-game win streak.

Jason Horne-Francis, Willem Drew, and most notably, Zak Butters dictated the pace of the match and turned things in Port Adelaide’s direction. They pushed the ball forward at a ridiculous pace and overwhelmed the Cat’s midfielders, helping the Power get five of their first eight goals from the stoppages.

Butters kicked the Power’s 12th goal of the first half, putting Port Adelaide up by 41 points. He made sure Geelong midfielders paid for overlooking him. Moving alongside Horne-Francis, both players proved to be an unstoppable duo, scoring two goals in the first half and a combined 32 disposals. The Geelong crowd was unusually quiet, clearly staggered by the beatdown from Port.

Many Port Adelaide fans took to X to praise Butters' performance:

"I love how happy zak butters is in his after goal celebrations, he is just infectious #AFLCatsPower @PAFC," posted @ReneeSergi.

""Bit late on this one but Zak Butters plays the game the right way. Hard attack on the footy, skillful and loves contact. #bachusmarsh," wrote @dustinfletch31.

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Zak Butters steps up to lead Port Adelaide to victory against Geelong

Port Adelaide has played at Kardinia Park nine times since 2008 and failed to win each of those games. Things changed dramatically on Friday night.

Port Adelaide entered the game with five changes, including captain Connor Rozee, who was replaced by Zak Butters. Butters stepped into his role as captain and proceeded to rain hell on Geelong’s midfield. His efforts in this match helped secure the win for his side and certainly increased his perceived value.

The acting Port Adelaide captain put on an impressive performance, scoring one goal, with nine clearances and 34 disposals. He delivered a timely goal, cutting off Geelong’s surge in the latter part of the second quarter.

Butters was recruited by Port Adelaide in the 2018 AFL draft and has since proven his worth to his team. His future looks bright, and fans are excited to see more of him.