STURT were too strong on ANZAC Day, running out 25-point winners in front of a packed crowd at Peter Motley Oval on Wednesday afternoon.
The Double Blues were more composed moving the football inside forward 50, leading at every change to win the grand final rematch.
It was tough in the clinches early in the first term, with Sam Powell-Pepper and Jack Trengove finding a bit of the footy early.
But Port weren’t able to convert their early dominance on the scoreboard, registering just one goal in that period - a classy finish by Power-listed youngster Kane Farrell.
Sturt went on to dominate the rest of the first term, kicking four unanswered goals to lead the contest by 21 points at the first change.
The Magpies had plenty of the football in the second quarter, but it was the Double Blues who impacted the scoreboard early in the term.
When Sam Colquhoun kicked his second, the Double Blues led by 27 points and looked like running away with it.
Trengove and skipper Steven Summerton kept racking up possessions, while Tom Rockliff, Powell-Pepper and Jarrod Lienert were becoming influential.
Farrell kicked his second for the match - a strong tackle that resulted in a 25m penalty - to reduce the margin to 22 points at the main break.
The reigning premiers started the second half where they left off the first, opening up a 39-point lead halfway through the term, before a late fightback by the Magpies led by Trengove.
He and Rockliff had 28 and 26 possessions respectively early in the last term, with Trengove also kicking two final-quarter goals.
Emmanuel Irra took the game on from the half back line, finishing the game with 20 touches and eight marks.
Trengove finished with 36 disposals and two goals, to be the Magpies’ best player, while Rockliff worked hard all day for his 29 touches.
Powell-Pepper finished with 24 disposals, to go with four marks, four tackles and a goal.
The loss on Wednesday afternoon sees the Magpies make it 2-1-1 from the first four rounds of the SANFL season.
SCOREBOARD
Port Adelaide 1.1 2.6 4.7 8.10 (58)
Sturt 4.4 5.10 9.11 12.11 (83)
GOALS
Farrell 3, Trengove 2, Lienert, Powell-Pepper, Mead
BEST
Trengove, Rockliff, Irra, Lienert, Farrell, Powell-Pepper
