Sims, Dugan face bans

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Ashton Sims ... faces the NRL judiciary after a kneeing incident. Source: Robb Cox / AAP

North Queensland forward Ashton Sims faces a three-week suspension after being charged by the NRL for kneeing Nathan Stapleton in the Cowboys' win over the Sharks on Sunday.

If he pleads guilty Sims will be ruled out for two weeks but if he contests the grade two charge and loses he will face a further week on the sideline.

If ruled out Sims will miss this weekend's clash against the Raiders, a crucial game for both teams who are sitting two points outside the eight on 16 points.

State of Origin fullback Josh Dugan will also miss a week if he pleads guilty to a shoulder charge on opposite number Matt Moylan in the Dragons' loss to the Panthers on Saturday night.

He also risks a further week on the sideline if he contests the charge and then loses.

Dugan's teammate Nathan Fien will be free to play with an early guilty plea to a dangerous contact charge following an incident with Lewis Brown.

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Hamstrung Warburton out of decider

Blow ... Lions skipper Sam Warburton will play no part in the series decider. Source: William West / AAP

Shattered Lions skipper Sam Warburton is out of the series-deciding Test against the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday night after scans confirmed a significant hamstring tear.

Flanker Warburton limped of late in the British and Irish Lions' 16-15 loss to the Wallabies in Melbourne last Saturday night but any chance for him to be part of a bounce-back has been cruelling ripped from him.

Warburton remained in Melbourne on Sunday when his squad-mates headed to Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast  for their final test camp.

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Lions team doctor Eanna Falvey was with Warburton when a full assessment revealed what the Lions camp today announced as "a significant tear in his left hamstring" which means "no further part in the tour."

Welshman Warburton played one of his finest Tests last weekend when his breakdown work earned several penalties and pilfers.

He will be sorely missed. It opens the door for Ireland's Sean O'Brien or Welsh countryman Justin Tipuric to wear the No.7 in the deciding Test.

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It also casts centre Brian O'Driscoll as captain-elect because the tourists have now lost two players who have captained the Lions...Warburton and lock Paul O'Connell (broken arm).

"It is incredibly disappointing to be ruled out of the tour through injury as we head to Sydney for the deciding match," Warburton said.

"I wish the team all the best and hope I can play some part in the build-up this week.

"I am confident the boys can finish the job off and secure the series win."

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AFL proposes an end to compensation

Changes ... AFL operations boss Mark Evans has asked clubs for feedback. Source: JULIAN SMITH / AAP

The AFL has asked clubs to comment on a suggestion they should not receive draft picks as compensation for the loss of unrestricted free agents.

AFL general manager of football operations Mark Evans said on Monday the concept was worth a look.

		P	W	D	L	%	Pts
1	Hawthorn	13	12	0	1	144.98	48
2	Geelong	13	11	0	2	128.85	44
3	Essendon	13	10	0	3	129.51	40
4	Sydney	13	9	1	3	131.15	38
5	Fremantle	13	9	1	3	124.55	38
6	Richmond	13	9	0	4	124.39	36
7	Port Adelaide	13	8	0	5	118.17	32
8	Collingwood	13	8	0	5	104.79	32
9	Carlton	13	6	0	7	113.90	24
10	West Coast	13	6	0	7	110.02	24
11	Adelaide	13	6	0	7	105.72	24
12	North Melbourne	13	5	0	8	114.25	20
13	Gold Coast	13	5	0	8	90.94	20
14	Brisbane	13	4	0	9	74.34	16
15	St Kilda	13	3	0	10	85.61	12
16	Bulldogs	13	3	0	10	75.19	12
17	Melbourne	13	2	0	11	54.01	8
18	Greater Western Sydney	13	0	0	13	50.16	0

"We've put it on the table to clubs to tell us what they think,'' Evans told the AFL website.

"I don't think we'll change anything for this year.

"But there has been a strong suggestion that you don't need to provide free-agency compensation for players who are unrestricted free agents.

"That either means they have been on the list for eight years and they sit outside the top quartile of player payments, or they've been at that club for 10 years and they've given their service.

"So I think that's worthwhile looking at.''

An unrestricted free agent can automatically move to the club of his choice.

Hawthorn's star forward Lance Franklin, who is reportedly the subject of a massive offer from Greater Western Sydney, is a restricted free agent.

The Hawks would have the option to match any offer made by a rival club.

Under this system introduced in 2012, compensation in the form of allocated draft picks will apply to clubs with a net loss of free agents based on a formula determined by the AFL.

Former Hawthorn football manager Evans, who was appointed to his new role in March 2013, denied his early-season move to league headquarters had played a role in the average number of free kicks being lowered.

The AFL's umpiring department has been praised in recent weeks for putting the whistle away.

"No instruction. Nothing from me at all,'' he said.

However, Evans is determined to take a hands-on role in trying to clear up some of what he calls the confusion over the match review panel.

"I'm prepared to look at some things at the end of the year in our normal review of the tribunal and match review panel,'' he said.

"But for me, it might be about creating more clarity for people so they understand the impact of prior record or good record or carry-over points or trying to make those things simpler.

"I'm sure there'll be some other tweaks along the way.

"I accept that there can be confusion within that. You really have to study the impact of those points to try to work it out.

"The person listening to the outcome really looks at weeks. Is it a reprimand?

"Did it get off? Did it end up with one week, two weeks, three weeks?

"We need to try to find a way to communicate that better.''

Evans praised last summer's changes where prior records were only counted within the past two years, and only any sanctions of two matches or more were included in assessments of carry-over points.

"That has helped but it still creates confusion in the public,'' he said.

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Warriors down Broncos in nail-biter

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Shaun Johnson ... looks to pass the ball during Warriors v Broncos match. Source: WAYNE DROUGHT / AAP

A decisive late intercept by Konrad Hurrell helped the Warriors pull off an 18-16 win over Brisbane on Sunday in a nail-biter in Auckland and stretch their NRL winning streak to five matches.

3 Tries 3
Manu Vatuvei 10'	Lachlan Maranta 17'
Elijah Taylor 38'	Peter Wallace 32'
Konrad Hurrell 71'	Josh Hoffman 46'
3 Conversions 2
Shaun Johnson 12'	Scott Prince 33'
Shaun Johnson 40'	Scott Prince 48'
Shaun Johnson 73'

With nine minutes to go, Brisbane looked certain to extend their 16-12 lead.

But Hurrell intercepted a Scott Prince cut-out pass intended for unmarked winger Lachlan Maranta.

He then sprinted 90m, evading hard-chasing Brisbane skipper Sam Thaiday to dot down under the posts and give Shaun Johnson a simple conversion.

Warriors coach Matthew Elliott described Hurrell's intervention as massive, with Brisbane almost certain to score if it hadn't come off.

"It was a make-or-break play, but that's what NRL quality footballers have to do sometimes,'' he said.

"They have to come up with the big decisions."

With seconds remaining, Brisbane had the chance to send the encounter into extra time, but Corey Parker pushed a 48-metre penalty attempt wide.

It was tense finish to a physical and high-quality contest, with Brisbane completing 90 per cent of their sets (35 from 39).

The home side weren't far behind with 86 per cent (32 from 37), but they were often on the back foot.

Elliott said the Warriors looked like a team coming off a bye, but he also praised the Broncos.

"Our execution wasn't great," he said.

"But again, I think I'm being too hard of a marker because of the quality of the opposition and the amount of defence we had to do did impact upon our attack."

The Warriors' rebound from their 62-6 thrashing by Penrith just over a month ago has taken them to 10th on the ladder, while Brisbane drop to 12th.

Coach Anthony Griffin said the Broncos were 10 minutes from a great win, and it was a display his players would be proud of.

But the effort they put in also made the defeat tougher to take.

"There was an awful amount of effort and discipline and just mental toughness that went into that performance," he said.

"Sometimes, they go against you and that's when they hurt the most."

Four weeks ago, the Warriors overwhelmed an understrength Brisbane line-up 56-18.

A similar result was never likely with the Broncos welcoming back their Queensland State of Origin quartet, including Thaiday, who was one of their best.

The opening half was a seesawing one, but Brisbane controlled proceedings in the second.

Down 12-10, they hit the front in the 47th minute when winger Josh Hoffman grabbed his 13th try of the season.

They had other chances before it looked certain they had the numbers to put Maranta over, before Hurrell intervened.

Both teams had late scratchings, with Warriors prop Russell Packer (ankle) and Broncos counterpart Ben Hannant (calf) withdrawn because of injury.

The Warriors' early dominance was rewarded with a try to winger Manu Vatuvei.

Brisbane replied a Prince pinpoint grubber gave Maranta a simple touchdown.

They hit the front after the Warriors failed to defuse a bomb and halfback Peter Wallace toed ahead and scored.

But the Warriors surged ahead again just before halftime when Vatuvei batted back a Johnson cross-kick for lock Elijah Taylor to score a converted try.

Vatuvei hobbled off early in the second half after copping a whack to his right shin.

He will have a precautionary x-ray but medical staff believe he might have escaped with a bad contusion.

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Chooks want controlled agro from JWH

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JWH ... the Roosters prop returns from suspension to tackle rival Manly. Source: Renee McKay / AAP

The Sydney Roosters will be looking for controlled aggression from feisty prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves as he makes his NRL return from suspension on Monday against the Manly outfit he crossed the line against last outing.

Waerea-Hargreaves was sent off and banned for five weeks for hitting Sea Eagles prop George Rose with a high shot in the Roosters' 16-4 win at Brookvale last month.

He makes his return in a high-stakes clash at Allianz Stadium between the third and fourth-placed teams.

The Roosters will climb above Melbourne into second if they win, while a Manly victory will move the Sea Eagles to within one point of the Roosters.

		W	L	D	B	PD	Pts
1	Rabbitohs	13	2	0	1	177	28
2	Storm	10	4	1	1	95	23
3	Roosters	10	4	0	1	139	22
4	Sea Eagles	7	5	1	2	73	19
5	Titans	8	7	0	1	17	18
6	Sharks	7	6	0	2	4	18
7	Bulldogs	8	7	0	1	-23	18
8	Knights	7	8	0	1	71	16
9	Panthers	6	8	0	2	36	16
10	Warriors	7	8	0	1	-64	16
11	Raiders	7	8	0	1	-66	16
12	Broncos	6	9	0	1	-5	14
13	Tigers	6	9	0	1	-157	14
14	Cowboys	5	9	0	1	-37	12
15	Dragons	5	10	0	1	-79	12
16	Eels	3	11	0	2	-181	10

Roosters captain and fullback Anthony Minichiello said Waerea-Hargreaves was excited about playing again, but was also aware of the potential for the Kiwi international to get too pumped up.

"You've got to speak to Jared about that because he likes to play the game tough and aggressive on a weekly basis and when he's been out for five weeks that can all build up,'' Minichiello said.

"We need some controlled aggression from him tomorrow night.''

Manly coach Geoff Toovey admitted the Roosters were a more formidable proposition with Waerea-Hargreaves in their line-up.

"He's a great leader of their forwards and I think they've missed him a little bit and he'll add something to their pack,'' Toovey said.

Toovey insisted there'd be no retribution eked out by his side, saying the Eagles were more intent on breaking down the Roosters' league-best defence than seeking payback against Waerea-Hargreaves.

"To crack the opposition defence you need to come up with something special or pray on their mistakes,'' he said.

"They did that better than us last time and hopefully we can return the favour.''

"It's a very close competition in the middle of the pack so we need to start stringing a few games together, a few wins, and hopefully clear ourselves away from that pack.''

Toovey received a boost on Sunday, with tryscoring ace Brett Stewart completing Manly captain's run to be in line for his first start since round eight.

The former Test fullback suffered a chipped bone in his back after copping a knee during Manly's six-point win over St George Illawarra and the Sea Eagles have won one of their past five games in his absence.

Stewart is no certainty to play, with Toovey waiting to see how he pulls up on Monday and the coach said Manly fans shouldn't expect miracles if he does start.

"If he's fit, he'll definitely add some experience.

"But he's been out for a long time. It's one of those injuries where he hasn't been able to participate in team activities.

"So it will take a little time for him to find his feet but there's still half a comp to go.''

With NSW five-eighth James Maloney injured in last week's State of Origin clash, Daniel Mortimer will retain a starting spot for the Roosters after an excellent display against the Bulldogs.

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Kangaroos stroll to victory

Comprehensive ... Drew Petrie leads Tim Mohr to the contest. Source: JOE CASTRO / AAP

Greater Western Sydney have taken a step closer to an unwanted piece of AFL history with their 86-point hammering by North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The Giants have now lost all 13 matches this season, and are closing in on being the first team in AFL/VFL history since Fitzroy in 1964 to go through a season winless.

Critical to the Giants breaking their duck this season appears next Saturday's clash with fellow strugglers Western Bulldogs in Canberra.

		P	W	D	L	%	Pts
1	Hawthorn	13	12	0	1	144.98	48
2	Geelong	13	11	0	2	128.85	44
3	Essendon	13	10	0	3	129.51	40
4	Sydney	13	9	1	3	131.15	38
5	Fremantle	13	9	1	3	124.55	38
6	Richmond	13	9	0	4	124.39	36
7	Port Adelaide	13	8	0	5	118.17	32
8	Collingwood	13	8	0	5	104.79	32
9	Carlton	13	6	0	7	113.90	24
10	West Coast	13	6	0	7	110.02	24
11	Adelaide	13	6	0	7	105.72	24
12	North Melbourne	13	5	0	8	114.25	20
13	Gold Coast	13	5	0	8	90.94	20
14	Brisbane	13	4	0	9	74.34	16
15	St Kilda	13	3	0	10	85.61	12
16	Bulldogs	13	3	0	10	75.19	12
17	Melbourne	13	2	0	11	54.01	8
18	Greater Western Sydney	13	0	0	13	50.16	0

The Bulldogs lost to another battling side in Melbourne this weekend, and have won just three of their 13 matches this campaign.

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Sheedy admitted he had not considered the prospect of the team going through their sophomore season without a win.

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But he admitted the importance of the Bulldogs game had been a topic of post-match conversation after the Giants' 19.16 (130) to 6.8 (44) defeat by a dominant North in an otherwise forgettable game.

"It's an opportunity for us to try and search for our first win, and I've been speaking about that to the players,'' Sheedy said.

"I haven't thought about that (the prospect of a winless season) to be honest.

"The task you take on when you try to build this club from the real, deep foundation ... is you suffer some losses early like the Brisbane Bears did and the Swans did.''

The Giants' hopes of an upset were extinguished by the end of the first quarter - the Kangaroos piling on an eight goals to one term to set up the victory.

Drew Petrie booted five goals and Lindsay Thomas four for the Kangaroos.

GWS moved into damage limitation mode in the second term by putting players behind the ball - a tactic which worked to a degree as the sides booted four goals apiece in the quarter.

But the Kangaroos had the better of a dire second half, restricting the Giants to just one goal as the visitors continued to play extra men behind the ball for the rest of the match.

North now have a 5-8 win-loss record, keeping alive their faint chances of making this season's finals.

Coach Brad Scott admitted he was pleased with how his team had coped with the Giants' unusual defensive tactics.

"The main thing we take away from that is the opposition threw something pretty strange at us, and we were able to respond really quickly,'' Scott said.

"I called for an organised effort from our boys, and after halftime we really got that.''

North's only concern to come out of the match centres on Thomas, who faces match review panel scrutiny after what appeared a possible headbutt on Giants youngster Jacob Townsend.

The Giants lost leading goal kicker Jeremy Cameron before kick-off to illness, with Sheedy confident he will return to play the Bulldogs.

Click here to see all of the stats and scores in the FOX FOOTY Match Centre.

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Inglis fumes over Merrin 'dog shot'

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Fuming ... Greg Inglis is unimpressed with Trent Merrin. Source: Adam Head / News Limited

Greg Inglis has slammed NSW forward Trent Merrin for a "dog shot" on Brent Tate in Wednesday night's spiteful Origin clash.

Merrin was sent to the sin bin for his punches on Tate as the match erupted in an all-in brawl mid-way through the second half.

Merrin on Thursday morning pleaded guilty to a striking charge and will miss St George-Illawarra's clash against the Panthers at Centrebet Stadium on Saturday night.

Tate, Greg Bird and Justin Hodges were also binned over the fracas, leaving both sides with just 11 players.

Only Merrin and Hodges were cited by the match review committee, although Hodges won't miss any matches despite taking the early guilty plea to a contrary conduct charge today.

"It's pretty bad when you're looking down trying to pick the ball up and all of a sudden you're hit by a fist when you're not looking at the opponent," Inglis said today.

"So I think, in the end, he has every right to call it a dog shot."

Tate was baffled when he faced reporters today.

"I am still not sure what I got sent off for," Tate said.

"If we are sending people off for that, there won't be too many players left on the field.

"But at the end of the day, we have to worry about the image of the game and the message we are sending to the young kids."

Tate said he did not see Merrin's punch coming.

"I was going to get the ball out of dummy-half," he said.

"I was as surprised as anyone when I wore one.

"But it's an Origin match. Those things happen, they boil over.

"I am glad Hodgo had my back."

Maroons prop Matt Scott said Tate's binning was "a bit harsh".

"He was looking down at the ruck (when hit)," he said.

"People push people off tackles in the play-the-ball all the time. There was no reason to throw a punch.

"But there were two passionate teams and that stuff is bound to happen."

Queensland coach Mal Meninga said it was "fair enough" sin-binning a player for punching but hoped what happened to Tate prompted a re-think of the NRL strict new fighting rules.

"What happened was not conducive to four players being sent to the sin bin," he said.

"Then you have a ridiculous scenario of 11 on 11 playing Origin footy when it is so quick.

"We need to look at it again and come up with some reasonable outcomes.

"Both sides have put in a tremendous effort and the headlines are going to be about what happened with four blokes."

- with AAP 

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Webber quits F1 to join Porsche

Mark Webber ... will quit F1 and Red Bull Racing to join Porsche. Source: James Moy / AAP

Aussie ace Mark Webber will quit F1 racing at the end of this year and drive for Porsche in the LeMans 24 Hour race and sports car series from next year.

A statement from Porsche issued tonight said Webber has signed "a multi-year contract" with the German car maker.

"It's an honour for me to join Porsche at its return to the top category in Le Mans and in the sports car World Endurance Championship and be part of the team," Webber said in a Porsche statement.

"Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding technology and performance at the highest level.

"I'm very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula 1. Porsche will undoubtedly set itself very high goals. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world."

Webber, 36, has already raced at Le Mans twice but his campaign was overshadowed by a dramatic crash in 1999 that saw his Mercedes-Benz do a backflip at 270km/h.

Since he began his Formula One career in 2002, Webber has achieved 36 podium places, nine race victories and has started from pole position 11 times.

He finished third in the 2010 and 2011 F1 championships and is current ranked fifth in this year's F1 championship. His teammate Sebastian Vettel of Germany has won the F1 championship for the past three years and is leading this year's series.

Speculation that Webber would quit F1 this year intensified after the infamous Malaysian Grand Prix in March, when he publicly clashed with teammate Vettel after the German's win.

Originally from Queanbeyan near Canberra, Webber started racing karts at the age of 14.

He won the New South Wales state championship in 1993, and moved into the Australian Formula Ford Championship after his father bought him an ex-Craig Lowndes car. Webber finished 14th in his debut season.

In 1995, Webber scored several victories, including a win in the support race for the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide and finished the season in fourth place.

He moved to England at the end of that year to race in Formula Fords there. During the 1996 British Formula Ford Championship, Webber took four victories on his way to second place overall.

In 1997 he was approached by Mercedes-Benz to race sports car for the German car maker, and drove for them in the 1998 and 1999 LeMans races and sports car series.

He got his break in F1 in a two-day test in December 1999 driving for the small Arrows F1 team.

His chance in the F1 championship came via Minardi in 2002 before switching to Jaguar in 2003 and 2004.

He raced for Williams F1 in 2005 and 2006 before switching to Red Bull Racing in 2007, where he has been ever since.

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Patience wearing thin with JOC, KB

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Partners in crime ... O'Connor (L) and Beale are repeat offenders. Source:AAP

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has castigated serial offenders Kurtley Beale and James O'Connor while frustrated senior players want to put the troublesome pair on a tighter leash.

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Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has castigated serial offenders Kurtley Beale and James O'Connor while frustrated senior players want to put the troublesome pair The two amigos blotted their copybooks again by staying out until 4am just four days before the biggest home Test match since the 2003 World Cup final.

Both were still selected to fill key backline positions in Saturday night's second Test against the British and Irish Lions but largely because sending a much-needed message by dumping them would have jeopardised Australia's chances of keeping the three-Test series alive.

The patience and forgiveness Wallabies players and coaches had for Beale and O'Connor has worn thin and disciplinary issues will be more properly addressed after next week's Sydney Test.

Deans revealed he gave the Melbourne Rebels teammates a bollocking after it was discovered they were at a Melbourne fast-food restaurant on Wednesday morning.

Australian Rugby Union boss Bill Pulver said he was satisfied the pair didn't break any team rules.

"But I'm quite happy to say I'm very unhappy they were out until 3.50am," Pulver said on Thursday. "That's not what I would describe as an acceptable preparation for a Test match."

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Watch the second Test between the Wallabies and Lions LIVE and in HD from 7pm (EST) Saturday on Fox Sports 2HD!

---

It comes after Deans had pushed hard to have Beale available for the important series after serving two suspensions for alcohol issues.

As well as their own individual misdemeanours in the past, including O'Connor failing to attend the 2011 World Cup announcement after drinking all night, the pair were involved in a hushed-up scuffle with Quade Cooper in Paris at the end of 2010.

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Deans indicated senior players would drive to lift discipline and behaviour from the wayward duo.

"We've had a conversation for sure," he said. "It's not the best practice in terms of sleeping habits.

"They understand it was too late for them to get to bed.

"Suffice to say it was not a comfortable conversation."

Deans denied he considered dropping them, while veteran back Adam Ashley-Cooper stressed the message would be rammed home post-series.

"It's not ideal but we're too far into our preparations to let that be a distraction for us," the 78-Test centre said.

With playmaking inside centre Christian Lealiifano overcoming a head knock, Deans backed O'Connor to make a better fist of five-eighth than in the 23-21 Brisbane loss and has kept him in the attacking hot seat.

"It was a very tough circumstance with the disruption and while the performance wasn't perfect ... he'll be much better for an extra week's work and also having a specialist (No.12) alongside him," the coach said.

With his future hinging on the result, Deans also made the hard call to overlook 110-Test flanker George Smith due his five-week sideline stint, and stuck with Liam Gill on the bench.

Beale has replaced fullback Berrick Barnes and Joe Tomane is in for winger Digby Ioane in injury-forced changes while Rob Horne and uncapped Brumbies fullback Jesse Mogg have been added to the bench.

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Power crash Tippet's party

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Crash landing ... Port Adelaide spoil Kurt Tippett's Sydney debut. Source: BEN MACMAHON / AAP

Emerging star Chad Wingard inspired Port Adelaide to the upset of the AFL season, a slogging 18-point comeback victory against Sydney on Saturday.

The Power trailed at three-quarter time but Wingard triggered a late surge as Port won 10.12 (72) to 8.6 (54) at a sodden AAMI Stadium.

1.2 (8)	Q1	4.1 (25)
3.5 (23)	Q2	5.2 (32)
5.6 (36)	Q3	6.4 (40)
10.12 (72)	Q4	8.6 (54)

Chad Wingard 3	Adam Goodes 2
Angus Monfries 2	Kieren Jack 2
Matthew Broadbent 1	Kurt Tippett 2
Robert Gray 1	Tom Mitchell 1
Jake Neade 1	Mitch Morton 1
Jay Schulz 1
Justin Westhoff 1

Port ruined the comeback game of Sydney's prized recruit Kurt Tippett, who kicked a goal in the first minute and finished with two in an ominous debut for the Swans.

		P	W	D	L	%	Pts
1	Hawthorn	12	11	0	1	143.00	44
2	Geelong	11	10	0	1	129.49	40
3	Essendon	12	9	0	3	131.57	36
4	Sydney	12	8	1	3	130.22	34
5	Fremantle	11	8	1	2	128.57	34
6	Collingwood	12	8	0	4	108.47	32
7	Port Adelaide	12	7	0	5	115.57	28
8	Richmond	11	7	0	4	114.27	28
9	Carlton	12	6	0	6	116.89	24
10	West Coast	12	6	0	6	111.53	24
11	Adelaide	12	5	0	7	103.55	20
12	Gold Coast	12	5	0	7	92.55	20
13	North Melbourne	11	4	0	7	111.13	16
14	St Kilda	12	3	0	9	89.80	12
15	Bulldogs	11	3	0	8	75.84	12
16	Brisbane	11	3	0	8	73.56	12
17	Melbourne	12	1	0	11	50.87	4
18	Greater Western Sydney	12	0	0	12	51.41	0

But in wet and windy conditions, Port kicked five goals to two in the last term to stun the Swans and climb into the top eight.

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Wingard booted three goals, including two in the tense final stanza, while Port's acting captain Brad Ebert, Matthew Broadbent and veteran hard-nuts Dom Cassisi and Tom Logan revelled in the heavy going.

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After years of neglect, coach Ken Hinkley says Port Adelaide are relevant again

But Hinkley says the resurgent Power remain "miles away" from their ultimate ambition.

"We are becoming a little bit more relevant, there is no doubt about that,'' Hinkley said.

But the rookie coach said Port remained far from producing the consistent excellence of clubs like Sydney.

"We are miles away from there ... (but) we have taken some ground,'' he said.

"We have beaten a genuine top-four side today ... it's a great confidence builder. We know how to do it, now we have got to be able to do it week-in, week-out.''

The Swans were superbly served by midfielders Josh Kennedy and Jarrad McVeigh and backman Nick Malceski was prominent.

But the flag fancies lost ex-skipper Adam Goodes, who was substituted at three-quarter time with an injured right knee.

The dual Brownlow medallist watched a final term in which the lead changed five times before Wingard helped to seal Sydney's fate.

The 19-year-old was instrumental in delivering first-year coach Ken Hinkley his greatest win after the Power slipped behind early as Tippett took centre stage.

Tippett took a mark just 11 seconds into his playing career at Sydney, and then converted, in an impressive comeback after an 11-match suspension for his illegal 2009 contract with his former club, Adelaide.

Tippett potted another some 17 minutes later as Sydney crafted a 4.1 to 1.2 advantage by quarter-time.

But the Port, in two quarters of water-logged work, snuck within four points at the last break.

The home side, inspired by Wingard, then overwhelmed the reigning premiers to bank their seventh win from 12 games this season.

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