It was always going to be a tough task taking on the Eagles, who have only lost one game for the season, and they asserted their dominance early by kicking the first three goals of the game.
There was a real danger of the Eagles opening up a big early lead in the damp conditions.
However, Sidney Masters brought up the Magpies’ first in the ninth minute, and goals followed to Rivva Karpany and then Anthony Prior, who was rewarded for his hard work in the forward lines with a free kick at the 15-minute mark, to level the scores.
The Eagles then benefited from a couple of forward line free kicks to kick away to a two-goal quarter time lead.
The competition leaders exteded their lead in the second quarter by making full use of the ball when heading forward, while the Magpies in contrast wasted opportunities arising from their movements forward.
Port kicked just one goal for the quarter while the Eagles, aided by a burst of three goals in six minutes, opened up a 29 point lead at the main break.
The Eagles were regularly clearing the centre with ease and this trend continued through the third quarter, when they kicked seven goals to two to burst away by ten goals at the last break.
With conditions improving, the Eagles regularly moved the ball through the midfield with ease and by the 20-minute mark were the only team to make the scoreboard attendants get off of their chairs.
It was then that Karpany found Justin Mills on the half-forward line who converted the kick to bring up the Magpies’ first score of the second half.
But the Eagles were able to respond again with free forward line options abounding.
The final quarter was a more even affair, with the Magpies kicking two final quarter goals to the Eagles’ three.
Anthony Prior kicked three goals and regularly presented for contests on his wing, while Matthew Venter used his speed to cut off a lot of Eagles forward drives and create forward movement from the backline.
Coach Jacob Surjan said after the game that it was a match played in two halves.
“We had really good composure and effort in the first half, but that really died in the second half which really showed in the stats," Surjan told portadelaidefc.com.au.
About the centre clearances, Surjan lamented that despite having set structures in place, the Magpies’ competitiveness wasn’t effective enough.
He gave praise to Ben Sawford, Danny Butcher and Justin Mills for their work around the ground, as well as to Sam Gordon for his effort in the forward line.
SCOREBOARD PORT ADELAIDE 3.0 4.4 6.4 8.6 54 WOODVILLE-WEST TORRENS 5.0 9.3 16.5 19.10 124 portadelaidefc.com.au’s best
Sawford, Mills, Butcher, Venter, Prior, Hawkins
Goals
Prior 3, Sawford, Gordon, Northeast, Masters, Karpany.
