PORT Adelaide is back on the SANFL winners’ list after comfortably accounting for Central District by 23 points under lights at Woodville Oval on Saturday night.

The game – played away from Alberton due to the renovations - remained in the balance up until the final term, when the Magpies, led by a busy Sam Mayes, ran over the top of the Bulldogs, winning 11.8 (74) to 7.9 (51).

The Magpies were buoyed by the return of some experienced heads, with Trent Dumont, Xavier Duursma, Jackson Mead, Brynn Teakle, Steven Motlop, Josh Sinn and Orazio Fantasia returning to action.

The two sides were stuck in a stalemate to start the game, with the Bulldogs scoring the first two behinds of the game but goals proving hard to come by.

Ollie Lord was finding plenty of it in his new role down back, taking two contested marks to prevent shots on goal for Centrals.

Dante Visentini scored the first goal of the game after converting after a terrific mark in the southern club side pocket.

The Bulldogs responded through Aiden Grace, with both sides taking their frustrations out on one another with a few spot fires.

Fantasia received a free kick in the same pocket Visentini converted from before fluffing the shot, ensuring the two sides were locked away at 1.3 apiece going into quarter-time.

The Magpies were the first to draw blood in the second stanza, after a couple of missed kicks going inside 50, when Trent Dumont snapped around the body to give his side the lead.

Mayes was finding plenty of the ball and doing damage in the midfield, but the highlight of the term belonged to Anthony Wilson. The talented small forward snapped a miraculous goal off the outside of the boot from hard up against the boundary, which will have the goal of the year judges talking.

The Magpies were running rampant and had set up a two-goal buffer, before the Dogs got one against the run of play through Grace.

However, it was all about Port from that point.

Martin Frederick found Hugh Jackson with a magnificent piercing pass across the 50 and the youngster made no mistake from the set shot.

The Magpies’ momentum continued with Motlop finding Fantasia over the top who sent a neat checkside through the big sticks to blow it out to a 19-point margin.

Nick Lange got a late one for Centrals and the Magpies’ lead was down to 12 points at the main change.

Port continued its dominance into the third term, with Sam Hayes kicking the first of the term after a towering mark and goal.

The Dogs responded through a goal from distance from Jarrod Schiller and the margin was back to 11 points.

Neither side could damage the scoreboard deep in the third, Hayes was handy around the ground with contested marks, while Nick Moore’s tackling prowess was keeping the pressure on the Bulldogs.

With both sides restricting each other, the Magpies retained an 11-point lead going into the last.

Port started the term in style with Brynn Teakle finessing a tap to Jackson Mead who went inside 50, but unfortunately it resulted in a rushed behind.

Taj Schofield also had a set shot which missed to the right, however, it wasn’t long until the Magpies were on the board.

As he did earlier, Hayes took another terrific mark inside 50 and sent it through the big sticks.

Centrals wouldn’t go away, and Ethan East was the beneficiary of a counter attack and put it home in the goal square to get his side to within 13 points.

Yet, the Hayes and Mayes tandem was continuing to create problems for the Dogs and a clearance inside 50 saw Motlop push hard, handball to Jackson who sent through a wobbler for his second.

The defensive quartet of Tom Corcoran, Lord, McKenzie and Sam Skinner was repelling any attacks the Bulldogs had, and they were eventually rewarded by the forward line.

After a terrific smother deep in the attacking 50, Dumont crumbed and snapped home for Port’s ninth and his second to send it to a 25-point deficit.

Mayes continued to dominate the midfield and sent it inside 50 to Motlop’s advantage, who took a courageous pack mark.

The veteran forward found the leading Fantasia who went back and made no mistake for his second.

It was the small forward’s night on his return, as he forced a turnover in the square for his third just moments later.

The Bulldogs scored two late, but it was all about the Magpies, who ran out victors.

SCOREBOARD

Port Adelaide     1.3         5.5         6.6         11.8       (74)

Central District   1.3         3.5         4.7         7.9         (45)

Port Adelaide

Goals: Fantasia 3, Hayes, Jackson, Dumont 2, Visentini, Wilson.

Best: Mayes, Hayes, Dumont, Mead, Duursma.