AN inexperienced Port Adelaide has suffered its worst loss of the season, going down to ladder-leading North Adelaide by 126 points at Prospect Oval on Saturday afternoon.

The game was set up with a dominant opening half by the hosts, booting 11 unanswered goals to lead by 66 points at the main break.

Roosters junior Hugh Jackson booted Port Adelaide’s only goal for the match with the final score finishing 20.16 (136) to 1.4 (10).

It was a new look set up for the Magpies early on, with Ollie Lord turning key defender in the absence of Sam Skinner and Jake Pasini among others, while Dylan Williams found a role at half-back to utilise his smarts.

Injuries, health and safety protocols and extra players kept out for Sunday’s AFL game in Perth robbed Matthew Lokan’s side of a lot of talent but in the SANFL’s Indigenous Round, North looked switched on from the opening bounce as Keenan Ramsey received a free kick and converted within 45 seconds.

However, the Magpies locked the Roosters down and restricted their opportunities, but were unable to get it down the other end of the ground to apply any scoreboard pressure.

Port’s first inside 50 came 12 minutes into the first term, which was converted into a behind courtesy of Ethan Moore.

The floodgates soon opened for North, with Sam McInerney allowed to convert off a step.

He backed it up moments later with a set shot from the same spot, and the Magpies were on the ropes.

Will Combe, Harrison Elbrow and Frank Szekely added majors in the final five minutes of the quarter and the Roosters had a 36-point lead at the first change.

The second term started just as the first had finished, with another North goal, on the run from Nigel Lockyer.

A second goal for Ramsey saw the margin out to 48 points, before Nick Moore provided a small highlight in an otherwise frustrating opening half with a sensational mark on the wing.

Both Jake Weidemann and Martin Frederick missed set shots at goal, leaving Port stranded at three behinds as the Roosters added three more goals to take a 66-point advantage into the main change.

Dylan Aldridge battled hard on a difficult day at Prospect Oval. Image: Michael Sullivan (PAFC)

For the third straight quarter, North booted the first goal within the opening minute, before the Magpies finally got on the board, courtesy of a crumb and finish from former Rooster Jackson.

However, it couldn’t spark Port into life as the Roosters responded through Lockyer and again through Ramsey.

Andrew Moore and Lachlan Grabb added on two more for North as it led by 95 points at the final change.

The margin crept into the triple digits under a minute into the final term, with Aaron Young converting a set shot to make it 101 points the difference while his fellow former Port Adelaide teammate Andrew Moore was racking up possessions, finishing with 36 and two goals.

Lee Minervini added to the scoreboard from the goal square and Lockyer piled on another following a collection of missed opportunities for the Roosters.

Missed kicks and unforced errors hampered the inexperienced Magpies as the Roosters capitalised on the opportunities provided.

For Port, Cam Sutcliffe amassed 27 touches and five marks while keeping the prolific Young relatively quiet, Sam Mayes had 26 disposals, six clearances and eight tackles and Dylan Williams had 25 touches and eight rebound 50s.

 

SCOREBOARD

Port Adelaide                   0.1         0.3         1.4         1.4         (10)

North Adelaide                6.2         11.3       16.9       20.16     (136)

Port Adelaide

Goals: Jackson

Best: Sutcliffe, Mayes, N. Moore, Visentini, Weidemann.