DESPITE a competitive first half, Port Adelaide were overrun by a classy Woodville-West Torrens at Maughan Thiem Oval, eventually going down by 26-points.

Perfect conditions awaited both sides - with Port Adelaide looking for its first win of the 2024 SANFL season, and Woodville looking to remain unbeaten after two massive victories.

Cody Szust was among coach Hartlett's best with 24 touches and a goal. Image: Brandon Hancock.

Coach Hamish Hartlett was forced to make six changes to his side going into the game, but this didn’t discourage the Magpies, who fought hard to keep themselves in the contest throughout the majority of the game before the Eagles kicked away late.

“We had a completely different team pretty much from last week, we had six changes and we went into the game with a very specific way that we wanted to play and I thought for the most part I couldn’t have asked for the playing group to have executed it much better,” Hartlett said.

05:57

Highlights: Woodville-West Torrens v Port Adelaide | PTV

Port Adelaide fought hard in a tough battle at Woodville Oval, eventually going down to the hosts by 26 points.

Hartlett rued his team’s inability to convert offensive chances, having beaten the top-of-the-table Eagles in the inside 50 stats. However, Hartlett was quick to praise his team's resolve.

“We know how dangerous the Eagles are off turnover and they showed that a few times today and it seemed like whenever we didn’t quite execute what we wanted to, to the detail that we needed to, we got exposed. But all in all, I was happy with the way the guys went about it today," he said.

The magnet shuffle from the Magpies' unlucky injury run led to an impressive club debut from Reed Stevens, who made his way to Alberton at the beginning of the season by way of West Adelaide. Stevens’ inside presence amongst a young midfield group still gelling together was a highlight for Hartlett.

Captain Nick Moore was solid in the contest all day, collecting 22 disposals and seven tackles. Image: Brandon Hancock.

“I'm really happy with the way the guys competed in and around the contest. For a relatively inexperienced group, and we threw Reed Stevens in there for his first game, I thought he handled himself really well," Hartlett said.

The Magpies midfield shone in what was often a fiery contest, with Aidan Turner (21 disposals, six clearances), Nick Moore (22 disposals, seven tackles), Francis Evans (19 disposals, two goals) and Cody Szust (24 disposals, one goal) asserting themselves on the game.  

The efforts of the Port Adelaide backline didn’t go unnoticed either, as Tom Clurey (17 disposals, five rebound 50s) and Dylan Williams (23 disposals, seven rebound 50s) were tasked with protecting the corridor from a fast moving and skilful Eagles side.

Francis Evans was busy early, with two majors in the first half. Image: Brandon Hancock.

“We definitely focused on guarding the corridor as well as we possibly could have against the Eagles and even still, a couple of times, they're just so well drilled and so skilful by foot that they were able to open us up a couple of times through the corridor," Hartlett said.

"I thought all in all, the game style we played today was the right way to go about it. There were a few times where we fell away from what we needed to do and that hurt us."

Dante Visentini toiled hard in the ruck with 27 hitouts, 13 disposals and seven tackles. Image: Brandon Hancock.

Adding to Port’s injury woes was a heavy collision in the second quarter of the match, after an opponent's knee hit the back of Dylan Aldridge's head in a gutsy marking contest. Aldridge left the ground and took no further part in the game.

Port Adelaide will look to get their first win on the board when they take on the Redlegs at Alberton Oval next Saturday night under lights in their ANZAC Round clash.

SCOREBOARD
Woodville-West Torrens 2.3  5.7  8.6  12.11  (83)
Port Adelaide: 2.3  4.7  6.8  8.9  (57)

Goals: H Ferrari 3, F Evans 2, Charleson, Szust, Weidemann.
Best: F Evans, Weidemann, Moore, Szust, Visentini.