PORT ADELAIDE has completed a dominant pre-season trial game win over South Adelaide at Noarlunga on Friday night.
New forward Dallas Hill showed positive signs with two first quarter goals while backman Trent McKenzie had three in the last quarter to seal the 40-point win at Flinders University Oval.
The only dampener for Matthew Lokan’s side was a potentially serious injury to wingman Jake Patmore before half time with the 20-year-old's left knee to be assessed over the weekend.
The Magpies dominated the early stages of the contest, spending a majority of the first term in their forward half.
Despite that, it was the home side which booted the opening goal through Jesse McKinnon.
The visitors responded with three goals of their own but wasted a few other chances.
Tobin Cox continued his good form after four goals last week to nail a precise set shot from 45 metres out to give his side the lead before Dallas Hill, playing his first game of the year after missing the win over North Adelaide with injury, nailed the next two.
The first after some composed set up play from Sam Gray and the second after trapping an opponent holding the ball 30 metres out from goal.
A 17-point quarter time lead, grew to 33-points in the second quarter.
Despite a slow start and again conceding the first goal, the Magpies took control again with Kane Farrell marking outside 50 and calmly finishing from the resulting set shot.
It would have been a goal closer had it not been for a last-ditch tackle by Jack Elsworthy with his opponent within 20 metres of an open goal.
Martin Frederick was showing his trademark run and carry off half back and Matt Appleton was finding plenty of the ball through the middle as the Magpies set themselves for a big quarter.
The game was paused, however, when Patmore had to be stretchered off with a left knee injury after landing awkwardly as he took a sharp mark on the lead just inside forward 50.
Wingman Kai Pudney took the kick for him and slotted it home before Aidyn Johnson booted his first for the match from another set shot. His kick was ugly but it floated through the middle, and suddenly the margin was out to 27-points.
Defender Matthew Broadbent showed courage running back with the flight inside defensive 50 and colliding with a teammate. He recovered quick enough to see teammate Boyd Woodcock slot another goal on the run to push the lead past five goals.
It was a much slower third quarter with both sides finding scoring hard to come by as the lights at Noarlunga took full effect.
The Panthers had the opening goal again – this time in just the second minute.
The Magpies struggled to find a target inside 50, despite spending much of the quarter camped in their forward half.
The home side, defending resolutely and congesting its defensive 50, made it hard for the visitors to find a way to goal and added one of its own through Connor Fairlie who snapped nicely on the run.
And just when it looked as though the Magpies might be held scoreless for the term, Woodcock pushed the margin back out to 26-points at the final change with a clever soccered goal through a couple of opponents from a tight angle.
With the margin back to 26-points, the Magpies shifter Trent McKenzie into the forward line and the move paid immediate dividends.
The defender blocked an opponent’s attempted handpass in the goal square and soccered home a goal inside 90 seconds.
The Panthers responded immediately at the other end with former Magpie Anthony Biemans taking a strong mark backing into a pack and slotting his set shot from 35 metres out directly in front.
McKenzie was causing all sorts of problems for the Panther defence, first launching a 55-metre bomb for his second goal and then finding himself on the end of a stab pass from Billy Frampton to record his third from a 25-metre set shot.
The Panthers booted the next goal after taking the advantage from a free kick in the goal square but the Magpies fought hard and got their reward when Lachlan Smith got on the end of a chain of handpasses and kicked truly on the run.
The Magpies remaining unbeaten in the pre-season with one game to come.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 3.5 7.5 8.5 12.9 (81)
SOUTH ADELAIDE 1.0 2.2 4.3 6.5 (41)
Goals
McKenzie 3, Hill, Woodcock 2, Cox, Farrell, Pudney, Johnson, Smith
