PORT ADELAIDE’s rollercoaster season has continued with a disappointing 48 point loss to Brisbane at Adelaide Oval on Sunday evening.

The Lions made a fast and accurate start with the opening seven straight goals of the contest and the Power was never able to even get close after that as the visiting side’s small forwards Charlie Cameron (four goals) and Dayne Zorko (three) did most of the damage.

The performance highlighted the massive improvement by the Queensland-based team and its real opportunity to go deep in September.

Both sides made a late change ahead of the bounce with the Power’s Sam Powell-Pepper replacing the ill Dan Houston and Hugh McLuggage succumbing to a tight hamstring and being replaced by Ben Keays for the Lions.

Cam Sutcliffe, making his Power debut after 104 games with Fremantle, was in the thick of the action early in a tagging role on the prolific Lachie Neale.

The mid-season rookie’s tight checking led to an all-in melee early in the first quarter, as the pre-game showers started to clear.

The Lions had some luck in a ferocious opening, booting the first seven goals of the game, two of them after controversial free kicks and a 50-metre penalty.

The visiting side had the first seven inside 50s and made the most of their territorial dominance as the Power was left shell shocked.

It wasn’t until the 25th minute mark of the game before the home side managed a major, when Tom Rockliff marked on 50 and dished off a handpass to Riley Bonner, who launched from outside the paint.

Sam Gray pulled another back before the first change after nailing an opponent holding the ball inside 50, but his side still trailed by five goals.

The Power had an early reprieve in the second term when Allen Christensen hit the post with a snap, but Zorko didn’t miss seconds later when he was first to react at ground level to record his second of the game.

Sam Gray again involves himself, taking a mark on a tight angle and nailing his second major but the Lions answered through Zac Bailey to retain a 44-point advantage at the main break as the game turned into a dour scrap.

The Power burst out of the blocks in the third quarter with Charlie Dixon goaling inside 30 seconds to signal its intent.

An apparent hamstring injury to defender Ryan Burton ended his night and left Port a man down.

Goals to Robbie Gray, bursting out of a pack, and Zak Butters, a goal of the day contender on the run from the pocket, had the Power within 33 points and with the momentum, but when Cam Rayner found his radar and drilled a left footed snap, the Lions had pushed the margin back to 44 points, where it was at half time.

Zorko and Cameron continued on their merry way in the last quarter with a goal each as the sting went out of the contest.

The 33,118 crowd was left disappointed as the Power was held goalless in the final term and confined to just 49 points for the match – just six points more than the Lions’ opening term score.

The 97 points scored by the Lions was their highest score at the Adelaide Oval.

SCOREBOARD

PORT ADELAIDE 2.1 3.4 6.4 6.13 (49)
BRISBANE 7.1 10.6 12.12 14.13 (97)

Goals
S. Gray 2, R. Gray, Dixon, Butters, Bonner

Best
Wines, S. Gray, Byrne-Jones, Rockliff, R. Gray

Injuries
Burton (hamstring), Houston (illness – replaced in selected side)

Crowd
33,118 at Adelaide Oval