IT was a big occasion at X Convenience Oval as Central District farewelled its seven-time premiership coach Roy Laird, but Port Adelaide crashed the party with a 90-point win in the final minor round game of the season.
The Magpies were sensational and were led by forwards Billy Frampton and Tobin Cox who combined for 12 goals in the 22.17-149 to 8.11-59 win.
Frampton played a huge role; he commanded the ball to be kicked at him and concluded the game with seven goals from 11 scoring shots, nine marks (five contested) and 18 disposals, while Cox returned from injury with five goals and nine marks.
It wasn’t the forward line alone that dominated, but a complete performance from across the board which helped Port to the imposing win leading into next week’s qualifying final against Adelaide.
While not much else went right for the Bulldogs, they dominated proceedings in the opening six minutes where they were harder over the ball and managed to lock it in their attacking 50.
Port finally broke free of its defence and found Frampton on the lead who kicked the first goal of the match at the eight-minute mark.
Centrals were very inaccurate with 2.7 at the first break but Jydon Neagle was lively for Centrals in the first term, kicking two goals, including his sides first in the 10th minute.
From this point it went all the Magpies’ way as Peter Ladhams, Kane Farrell (two goals) and Tobin Cox kicked four goals in seven minutes to give Port a 12-point advantage at the first break.
The second term started brightly for Port as Frampton received a free kick 25m out from goal to slot his second major before Magpies debutant Zak Butters ran into an open goal for his first in the prison bars.
Jack Trengove found plenty of the football with 15 disposals to half time, while Joe Atley and Sam Mayes enjoyed the tough and hard midfield battle with Bulldogs star Travis Schiller.
Schiller was causing all sorts of problems with his 20 first half disposals and three clearances as the large home crowd demanded a lift from the rest of his teammates.
The margin ballooned out to 25 points before Jarrod Schiller made something out of nothing with an impressive soccer style goal for the Bulldogs.
Frampton was proving to be too strong for Bulldogs defender Wyatt Patterson, taking seven marks for the half, but his wayward kicking (3.3 before half time) was letting Patterson and the Bulldogs off the hook.
Frampton’s inaccuracies began to reflect on the scoreboard as the Magpies kicked four consecutive behinds before they readjusted their aim with three late goals close to half time.
The margin was 42 points at the major break and Port controlled the inside 50s battle 25 – 15, contested marks 13 – 2, disposals 144 – 131 and contested possessions 60 – 52, but Schiller was keeping his side in the hunt as the Bulldogs led the clearances 17 – 14.
Port kicked the first goal of the third quarter in the opening two minutes through Cox, but Centrals controlled the remainder of the term and kicked the next three goals as the home side and its fans started to believe.
As the margin was reduced to 30 points, the Magpies rallied late in the term with two more goals from the small forward, Cox, making it three for the quarter and four for the match as Port again extended its lead to 43 points.
The final term was an avalanche to the scoreboard end as the Magpies ran home with nine goals to two.
Port’s midfielders were more than happy to repeatedly hammer the ball inside 50 with full faith that its forwards would either mark it or create a goal in some other fashion.
Frampton kicked three last quarter goals, while Sam Mayes, Trengove and Cam Sutcliffe – who were dominant through the midfield all afternoon – cashed in with late goals.
Mayes finished with 34 disposals and eight clearances, while Trengove also had 34 and Sutcliffe, 25.
The only concern coming from the highly physical game was from Peter Ladhames who received a heavy knock during the second quarter and played no further part in the game with concussion.
Port will call Adelaide Oval home for the remainder of the season as it begins its finals campaign with a qualifying final against the Crows next Saturday night.
SCORE:
Port Adelaide: 5.1 10.8 13.12 22.17 (149)
Central District: 2.7 3.8 6.11 8.11 (59)
DISPOSALS: Mayes 34, Trengove 34, Butters 27
GOALS: Frampton 7, Cox 5, Farrell 2, Butters, Hayes, Howard, Johnson, Ladhams, Mayes, Sutcliffe, Trengove
BEST: Frampton, Mayes, Trengove, Farrell, Cox, Butters
