AN inexperienced Port Adelaide side has been convincingly beaten by Richmond at Lavington Sports Ground on Saturday afternoon.
The 66-point loss was unsurprising given the first-choice side fielded by the Tigers, while the Power elected to blood four first-gamers and played 17 players with fewer than 50 games of experience.
Senior coach Ken Hinkley and his panel made the strategic decision to rest many first-choice players with a view towards the Power's opening round game against Fremantle in Perth.
That meant the absence of the Power's leadership group, including Travis Boak, Brad Ebert, Matthew Lobbe, Hamish Hartlett, Tom Jonas, Ollie Wines and Jackson Trengove, as well as regular 'spine' players like Alipate Carlile, Justin Westhoff and Jay Schulz.
It was left to stand-in skipper Matthew Broadbent to lead the side into battle.
He performed well, claiming 21 touches, four clearances, four tackles and a goal to cap a solid day at the office.
The likes of Jared Polec and Kane Mitchell (26 touches), Paul Stewart and Aaron Young (21) and Jack Hombsch (15) found the footy as well, with Hombsch matching up on key Tiger forward Jack Riewoldt for most of the afternoon.
Unsurprisingly, the battle-hardened Richmond controlled the game from start to finish and capitalised on Port’s young line-up.
While it took a half of football for the Power to find consistent attacking pressure, the mismatch in team strength afforded Port's acting senior coach the opportunity to mix up the Power's usual formations.
Hombsch floated forward at times, while John Butcher was used to provide support down back with several strong spoils against Richmond's regular forwards.
Emerging defender Tom Clurey was joined by the re-emerging Nathan Krakouer providing assistance down back with strong spoils and attack on the football.
Recruits Dougal Howard and Jesse Palmer and Johann Wagner also enjoyed their first touches in AFL football.
But, the feel-good story of the day, however, went to Jarrad Redden - the ruckman playing his first AFL-standard game in 651 days.
Rotating with Mitch Harvey through the day, Redden had 21 hit outs at stoppages - six shy of Richmond's Ivan Maric - and booted the Power's final goal of the day.
The team will return to Alberton this week to rejoin the club's leaders ahead of their final NAB Challenge game against the Adelaide Crows on Saturday 21 February at AAMI Stadium.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 0.0.0 0.1.1 0.2.2 0.5.7 (37)
RICHMOND 0.6.2 1.8.5 1.11.9 1.14.10 (103)
PORTADELAIDEFC.COM.AU’S BEST
Broadbent, Krakouer, Polec, Mitchell, Stewart, Hombsch
GOALS
Young 2, Clurey, Broadbent, Redden
SUBSTITUTION
Sam Russell replaced Jasper Pittard in the third quarter
CROWD
8,451 at Lavington Sports Ground
