Replays of the incident showed he did leave the ground and his hip made contact with Wines, who went to ground with his concerned opponent standing over him.
Luckily for Stewart, the Port Adelaide midfielder stood up and played the rest of the game, meaning he will only be liable for a fine, if anything, as the impact was low.
Dasher Max Holmes was best afield.Credit: Getty Images
Port Adelaide are limping to the end of the season, particularly Jase Burgoyne, who left the ground in the third quarter with an ankle injury.
They were already without Connor Rozee who was a late withdrawal due to illness, although he is also carrying a hand injury, and Jason Horne-Francis with a foot fracture.
It made life difficult, particularly with Oisin Mullin’s blanket job restricting Zak Butters to just 10 disposals, and denying him his usual spread and influence.
The Irishman was outstanding, persisting at his job until the end, not yielding to the temptation to kick the first goal of his career when the chance arose in the final quarter. Instead, he chipped the ball to Tyson Stengle, who was clear in the goal square.
Unfortunately for Port Adelaide, Willem Drew was unable to curb Geelong’s Max Holmes in the same fashion. The Cats’ speedster took him apart to be the best player on the ground. His running goal to start the game was pure Holmes, and set the tone for his afternoon.
Cameron finished with six goals, leaving him with 25 goals required to reach the ton from three home-and-away matches and potentially two or more finals, as the Cats’ crushed Port Adelaide, scoring more than 100 points for the 11th time this season.
Saints win another thriller
Marc McGowan
St Kilda have backed up last week’s Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera-inspired historic comeback over Melbourne with another come-from-behind win against the Kangaroos.
Saints Hugo Garcia, Rowan Marshall, Max Heath and Mason Wood celebrate a goal.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Wanganeen-Milera was prominent again – albeit not as efficient as usual – as the Saints rallied from a 19-point deficit early in the second term to beat North Melbourne by nine points at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
However, St Kilda’s latest thriller came in contrasting circumstances to the previous week, with the Kangaroos kicking the first three goals of the final term to storm within three points.
North threatened to pinch the victory when Harry Sheezel drove them inside 50 in the final minute, but a Wanganeen-Milera gather and handball helped the Saints escape trouble before Max Hall kicked a goal from a 50-metre penalty after the siren.
Wanganeen-Milera, who remains unsigned beyond this season as Adelaide and Port Adelaide try to woo him home, reached 30 disposals before three-quarter-time, and finished with 36, to go with nine clearances, seven inside-50s and 10 turnovers.
St Kilda midfielder Jack Steele, who managed only 13 disposals against the Demons, became just the fourth AFL captain to start as the substitute, behind Melbourne’s Brad Green and Giants Stephen Coniglio and Luke Power.
Jack Steele leads the Saints out for Sunday’s game before starting as his team’s substitute.Credit: AFL Photos
Steele entered the contest 14 minutes into the third term, with the Saints trailing by three points, after Mitch Owens limped off with a hamstring injury.
St Kilda subsequently piled on four goals before the final break – the last of them off former Kangaroo Mason Wood’s boot – to establish a 23-point lead.
The Roos largely dominated the opening quarter with their keepings-off style, taking 27 of the first 31 marks for the afternoon and going to quarter-time with a 14-point edge that increased to 19 when star spearhead Nick Larkey slotted his second consecutive goal.
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Sheezel – who went head-to-head with Wanganeen-Milera at times – Colby McKercher and Luke Davies-Uniacke were critical in North Melbourne’s strong start.
In between the Larkey majors, fellow forward Paul Curtis was reported for a left-handed, off-the-ball strike on Saint Angus Hastie.
But with Rowan Marshall giving Brynn Teakle a ruck lesson in Tristan Xerri’s continued absence, and North’s uncontested marks drying up, St Kilda went to half-time a point up.
After the Saints struck first in the third quarter, the Kangaroos snatched the momentum with three of the next four goals, including an on-the-run finish from McKercher, to briefly edge back in front before St Kilda surged again.
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