PORT ADELAIDE has won a thrilling battle against St Kilda to open the 2016 season at the Adelaide Oval with a barnstorming final quarter.

Trailing by 21 points in the third term, Port did just enough to hold pace with the Saints to reel the visitors in after the final change.

The 54-point turnaround was led by a gutsy effort from Brad Ebert (three goals, eight tackles) and another classy performance in attack by Robbie Gray (four, 26 disposals), the Power's response was emphatic - holding St Kilda without goal in the final quarter.

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Sam Gray enjoyed career-best ball winning with 37 disposals.

But the final scoreboard didn't tell the full story; St Kilda having enjoyed an exceptional start to the game where it punished the Power's poor field kicking and unforced turnovers with repeated goals.

A third of St Kilda's score by three-quarter time was sourced from turnovers. 

But Port's fitness base and liberal use of interchanges put it in the box seat to run over the top of  the Saints in the final term as it proceeded to kick seven final quarter goals from 11 scoring shots.

The only dampener on the Power's win was a pectoral injury to Matt White, who took no further part in the game after quarter time.

He will await the result of scans to confirm the extent of the damage.

Port Adelaide next plays away to the Adelaide Crows in Showdown XL at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday 2 April at 1.15pm (local).

 

GAME REVIEW

FIRST QUARTER

Port Adelaide drew blood early with Justin Westhoff marking strongly from Port's first bounce clearance to hand the ball to Travis Boak for the first goal, but the Saints were finding plenty of possession themselves. 

Port had the yips, though - coughing up possession with poor field kicking enabling the Saints to run the ball straight into attack.

The lack of cleanliness trying to exit their defensive third was Port's bane, with goals to St Kilda's Gresham and Riewoldt coming from turnover. 

All of St Kilda's goals came directly from Power turnovers, although the Power was equally able to produce three of its four from the same source.

Matt White was forced to leave the field late in the term.

 

Webster and Hartlett exchange pleasantries early in the game [pic: AFL Media]

SECOND QUARTER

St Kilda extended its early lead by two goals when Weller and Steven with the Power beaten in the centre.  

Port had to manufacture a response by slowing the pace of the game down, with calculated play allowing Brad Ebert to spot Robbie Gray inside attacking 50 for the first response, then Ebert slotting one himself. 

Controlled football seemed to work better for the Power, with a handball chain along the western wing enabling Gray to score his second goal.  

Gray's purple patch continued with a third goal in a one-v-three chase for the ball resulted in a perfect snap. 

Taking the lead for the first time since the start of the first term, Port's advantage came despite St Kilda's narrow dominance of the game.

Even so, the Saints were able to capitalise on the Power's turnovers and kick back into the lead.

THIRD QUARTER

Needing to stop St Kilda's free scoring, the Power kicked off the third term with some strong use of the ball.

But it wasn't able to convert is possession onto the scoreboard. 

Charlie Dixon booted his first goal as a Port Adelaide player to close the margin within four points, but minor scores to Westhoff and Hartlett only inched the Power a further two behinds closer. 

Acres and Wingard traded goals for their respective sides, but St Kilda switched the game firmly in its favour with three consecutive goals including two straight out of the centre bounce. 

Port worked its response with steadying goals to Ebert and Wines closing the gap back. 

FINAL QUARTER

Unable to play the game on its own terms for the first three quarters, the Power sought to grind the game out.

For the first seven minutes of the term, it did just that - and it set up the game.

An elite clearance from stoppage by Robbie Gray set Brendon Ah Chee on his way to levelling the scores with a steady goal.

Port dominated the play - the Saints rarely able to get inside its attacking 50 - but it peppered its scoring opportunities with three behinds its reward for its premium offensive pressure.

It was Ebert who broke the goal drought with a perfect kick from inside 50.

Goals flowed freely from then, as Westhoff scrambled a possession running into open goal to put Port 14 points ahead before Jake Neade and Chad Wingard combined to set Robbie Gray up with his fourth.

Wingard and Dixon finished off with his third to put the Power 33 points ahead.

 

SCOREBOARD

PORT ADELAIDE               4.1     9.2     13.9     20.13 (133)
ST KILDA                        4.4      9.8     14.9     15.10 (100)

PORTADELAIDEFC.COM.AU’S BEST
Ebert, R. Gray, Wingard, Pittard, S. Gray, Westhoff, Broadbent

GOALS
R. Gray 4, Ebert, Wingard, Dixon 3, Westhoff 2, Boak, Broadbent, Schulz, Wines, Ah Chee

INJURIES
White (pectoral)

CROWD
43,807 at the Adelaide Oval