SOME of the main talking points from Port Adelaide's 40-point win against Gold Coast in Shanghai.
Adelaide Arena at Jiangwan Stadium isn't the Adelaide Oval but it is a second home to Port Adelaide. The Power has a 100% record playing there with an average winning margin in its two games of 56 points. Much of that is down to the 72-point win there against the Suns last season. A five-year partnership agreement to keep the Power in China until 2023 was announced on Friday night and it bodes well for the future if the club can keep its unbeaten record intact.
Port Adelaide is showing it can play contested footy. After having 20 more contested possessions against Adelaide last week, the Power finished +5 on a day made difficult by the conditions in Shanghai. After losing the contested possession count for six straight weeks before that, there are signs that Port is addressing its biggest question. Sam Powell-Pepper and Tom Rockliff were again instrumental in this, having 30 contested possessions between them, while skipper Travis Boak and big forward Charlie Dixon had 13 each.
Clearances don’t always translate into results. Gold Coast edged Port Adelaide in the clearances with 53-48 but the Power had 27 scoring shots to 12 and finished with 25 more inside 50s. Port also managed nine marks inside 50 to one, which is a good result on a wet day after some of the problems the Power has had finding a target up forward this season.
Sam Powell-Pepper is back. The 20-year-old had an enforced early-season suspension but has come back better in his last two games. Against the Suns in Shanghai, he had career-highs for kicks (16), disposals (26) and goals (2) as well as season highs for tackles (10) and AFL Fantasy points (109). He also managed a contender for goal of the year, kicking over his head while lying on the ground on the goal line.
Dougal Howard doesn’t want to give up his mantle as the King of the one-percenter. Howard became the first player in the competition this season to crack 100 knock-ons, spoils, smothers and shepherds with his 10 on Saturday. Averaging 11.2 one per-centers per game, the 22-year-old has the most in the competition so far this season with 101. Brisbane’s Harris Andrews is next best with 96, while Howard’s defensive teammate Tom Jonas is equal fourth with 78. Jonas also leads the competition for marks with 80, two clear of the next best Shannon Hurn from West Coast.
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