Billy Frampton kicked five goals and Port Adelaide showed fight, skill and determination to overrun Woodville-West Torrens by 37 points in SANFL’s ANZAC round on Saturday.
Under a cloudless sky at Woodville’s Maughan Thiem Kia Oval, the clash at got off to a hot start with three goals in the opening five minutes.
Frampton got the scoring underway after just 30 seconds as he took a strong contested mark from a Steven Motlop centre clearance.
The Eagles responded just a minute later through livewire James Rowe, but Magpies ruckman Peter Ladhams continued his impressive start to the season with a nice goal from the scoreboard pocket.
From here the match went into a nine-minute scoreless stalemate as neither side managed to penetrate the opposition defence, as the ball wasn’t sighted deep in attack.
Karl Amon broke the 50m ark just a minute before quarter time and wobbled one home to give Port a slender three-point advantage at the first break.
Frampton proceeded to be a strong forward target throughout the match, not just in front of goal, but taking eight marks and also chipping in with 10 hitouts against the experienced Jarrad Redden.
After a scrappy opening to the second term, the Eagles began to dominate the possession and inside 50 count to get the ball going their way.
Kicking towards the clubroom end, Angus Poole kicked two identical goals within four minutes – 35m out, directly in front - as the Eagles found themselves with a 10-point lead at the 12-minute mark.
From here, Port began to get some momentum going back its own way, as Sam Mayes, Jack Trengove, Joe Atley and Amon got their hands on the ball.
Nice footwork from Amon and Cam Hewett set up Frampton’s second goal, before Sam Davidson got on the end of a centre clearance to goal and put the Magpies back in front five minutes before the main break.
Davidson was in the thick of the action and received another laser pass to goal with the final kick of the first half.
Port led with a handy nine-point break at half time and on the restart, Frampton took his fifth mark of the game at the top of the goal square to kick his third goal as Port stretched out to a 15-point lead.
When Kane Farrell and Joel Garner joined in on the goal kicking action, the Magpies lead sat at 26 points, thanks to six unanswered goals.
Rowe kicked a goal against the flow - the Eagles first in more than a quarter - but Trengove managed to find space in a crowded forward 50 to goal and restore Port’s dominance.
Frampton continued his massive game and booted his fourth goal in the final stage of the third term as the Eagles struggled to find an answer for his contested marking ability.
Port led by 25-points at three quarter time but it quickly became 31 when Trengove booted his second goal in the opening two minutes.
Frampton kicked his fifth goal with his eighth mark and the margin stretched out to 37 points, but the Eagles enjoyed a purple patch as Hayes won a race to the goal line and Rowe booted his third.
Davidson also kicked his third goal at the 16 minute mark to stop the flow and ice the victory as Motlop enjoyed two late goals in a solid Magpies performance.
Port welcomed back captain Cam Sutcliffe from a hamstring injury, as he gathered 18 disposals, while ball winning machine Trengove again led the disposal count with 31.
SCOREBOARD:
Port Adelaide: 3.1 6.3 11.4 16.6 (102)
Woodville-West Torrens: 2.4 4.6 6.9 9.11 (65)
GOAL KICKERS:
Frampton 5, Davidson 3, Motlop 2, Trengove 2, Amon, Farrell, Garner, Ladhams 1.
BEST:
Frampton, Ladhams, Amon, Trengove, Davidson, Atley.
