AS Port Adelaide prepares to face Fremantle at Perth’s Optus Stadium in Round 17 of the 2018 AFL season, portadelaidefc.com.au looks back on the last time the sides met.

It was Round 1 this season and a new-look Port Adelaide was looking to kick off its season in the perfect fashion against a Fremantle side that nobody really knew what to expect from.

The Power side featured new recruits Dom Barry, Jack Watts, Steven Motlop and Tom Rockliff as well as five-gamer Riley Bonner but it showed they all had a role to play.

On a 30-degree day at Adelaide Oval, Port was forced to weather the early storm, as the Dockers went inside 50 10 times but recorded just three behinds.

It took 14 minutes for the game’s opening goal as both sides shook off some pre-season rust.

In a scrappy opening, Dockers forward Cam McCarthy and Power recruit Jack Watts each struck the post, before Watts booted his first goal for the club after recovering first in a marking contest and hooking onto his left foot.

The Port Adelaide recruiting department would have been smiling when three minutes later Port’s former Geelong flyer Steven Motlop burst into an open forward 50, showing too much pace for Docker Michael Johnson to record his first Power goal.

Despite the Dockers booting the first goal of the second term, the home side responded with four consecutive goals to open up a 38-point advantage.

The real dampener on the day came when All-Australian ruckman Paddy Ryder was forced off with an Achilles problem, but it didn’t seem to bother Port as it opened up a 46 point-lead at the final change.

The Power was never headed, finishing 50-point winners with each of its recruits being involved.

Watts finished with three goals and young forward Todd Marshall four, while the leading possession getters were Riley Bonner (31) and Jared Polec (29).

PORT ADELAIDE  4.3   8.7   14.10  16.14 (110)
FREMANTLE         1.4   5.4     7.6     9.6 (60)

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Marshall 4, Watts 3, Wingard, 2, Motlop 2, S.Gray, Ryder, Dixon, Rockliff, Boak  
Fremantle: Langdon, Sandilands, Walters, McCarthy, Matera, Taberner, B.Hill, Fyfe, Wilson 

BEST 
Port Adelaide: Westhoff, Boak, Watts, Bonner, Wines, Marshall
Fremantle:  Neale, Fyfe, Sandilands, A.Pearce                                                                          

INJURIES 
Port Adelaide: Ryder (Achilles)
Fremantle: Nil

Umpires: Hay, Williamson, McInerney

Official crowd: 38,324 at the Adelaide Oval

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