IT took just shy of 11 years - or 4,003 days - but Port Adelaide has broken its SCG curse with a confident and assured wet-weather performance.

The 28-point win is the perfect start to the season for the blokes from Alberton, with many having Sydney - the 2016 grand finalists - as firm favourites.

But a gutsy second term from the visitors secured a late four-point lead at the main break and broke the Swans' narrow superiority midway through the game.

With Young-Boak and Wingard-Young goal doubles bookending the term, the Power was able to snap the momentum of an 18-point blitz from the Swans' dangermen of Franklin, Reid and Kennedy in the middle of the quarter.  

Charlie Dixon booted two in the first quarter to keep the Power within striking distance at quarter time [pic: AFL]

Franklin was ominous all day at full-forward, with Tom Clurey given a baptism of fire for his first game as the Power's newly anointed No. 1 key position defender.

As the heavens opened over the SCG, the Power adapted to the slippery ball and was creative at ground level.   

Ebert, Wines and Powell-Pepper rose to the occasion at the hands of Paddy Ryder and helped propel the Power into attack.   

A five-goal-to-two term boosted the Power to a 22-point advantage at the final change, with a stirring roost to debutant Sam Powell-Pepper keeping the Swans at arm's length.

 

Late goals to Hamish Hartlett and Chad Wingard iced the game for Port, and set up a thrilling first home game for the year against Fremantle on Sunday 2 April at 4.10pm ACST.

(And with that in mind, joining the club as a 2017 member is the best way to welcome the boys back to Adelaide). 

SCOREBOARD

PORT ADELAIDE              4.2        9.3        14.4        17.8 (110)
SYDNEY SWANS              4.3        8.5        10.6        12.10 (82)

Goals
Young 3, Dixon, Wingard, Boak, Powell-Pepper 2, Trengove, Byrne-Jones, Amon, Polec, Hartlett

portadelaidefc.com.au’s best
Wines, Polec, Powell-Pepper, Ebert, Young

Injuries
TBC

Reports
nil

Crowd
33,129 at the SCG