COLLINGWOOD has dampened the celebration of Travis Boak’s 250^th AFL game and ended Port Adelaide’s two-game winning run with a 39-point victory at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.

A first-quarter onslaught from the Magpies, which saw them slam home seven goals to none, set the stage for a disappointing night for the Power.

After a lacklustre start on a big Friday night stage, the Port closed the gap to 18 points early in the third term only to see the Magpies kick away to an imposing 15.18 (108) to 10.9 (69) victory and keep up with the AFL's pacesetters.

Without the key presence of Mason Cox (ankle), Collingwood's forwards stepped up in a big way with Jaidyn Stephenson (four goals, three in the first term), Jamie Elliott (three), Brody Mihocek (two), Will Hoskin-Elliott (one), Jordan De Goey (1.3) and Ben Reid (1.4) all hitting the scoreboard.

Port Adelaide's defensive group, which has recently started to receive league-wide recognition for its efforts in the first six rounds of the season, was powerless to stop the Magpies' attacking arsenal.

The Magpies took away the two areas the Power have owned so far this season – clearance dominance and territory advantage which saw Port struggling to get anything meaningful going.

Defender Darcy Moore continued his stellar season with a sensational performance which again reaffirmed his All Australian claims, amassing a game-high 12 intercepts to go with his 21 disposals.

Magpies captain Scott Pendlebury was terrific through the midfield, winning the bulk of his 36 possessions in dangerous areas forward of centre while Adam Treloar (35 disposals and five clearances) was also prolific.

With the game almost out of his side's grasp at the first change, Power coach Ken Hinkley delivered a stinging spray to his team at the quarter-time huddle.

The message elicited the desired response with a goal to Boak in the first minute of the second term getting the Power on the board. By half-time the former skipper's team had kicked five goals to the Magpies' one for the quarter to trim the margin to 24 points at the long break and the Power were back in the contest.

With its midfield struggling in the contest, defenders Dougal Howard (eight intercepts), Dan Houston (19 disposals) and Ryan Burton (19) slowly started to turn the tide with wins in the back half.

But the Magpies continued to press and under relentless pressure, Port Adelaide could no longer stay in touch.

In his 250th game, Boak was among the Power's best with 31 disposals (16 contested), while Justin Westhoff starred in a losing side with 29 disposals, eight marks and a goal, although the veteran could have had four with his kicking in front of goal letting him down.

The Magpies re-established their control of the game after Connor Rozee cut the margin to 18 points with a wonderful snap at the second-minute mark of the third term, with goals to De Goey and Treloar providing the steadying influence Collingwood needed to coast away to an impressive win.

To add injury to insult, the Power was left one rotation down when Brad Ebert was forced out of the game in the third term after a knee to the back of the head in a marking contest.

MEDICAL ROOM

Collingwood: Taylor Adams left the field in the third quarter with what appeared to be a groin injury. Adams tried to do a fitness test on the boundary line, but was clearly not right and spent the rest of the night with ice applied to his left groin on the interchange bench.

Port Adelaide: Brad Ebert was assessed for concussion after copping a knee to the back of his head in a marking contest in the third term and did not return to the ground.

NEXT UP

The Magpies return to the MCG for a clash against arch-rival Carlton next Saturday afternoon. Port Adelaide will return home for the Showdown against Adelaide next Saturday night.


COLLINGWOOD              7.6       8.12    11.17   15.18 (108)                  

PORT ADELAIDE            0.3      5.6    6.7   10.9 (69)          

GOALS

Collingwood: Stephenson 4, Elliott 3, Mihocek 2, Beams, De Goey, Treloar, Hoskin-Elliott, Reid, Sidebottom

Port Adelaide: Lycett 2, Rozee, Ryder, Westhoff, Burton, Powell-Pepper, Marshall, Boak, Gray

BEST 

Collingwood: Pendlebury, Moore, Phillips, Stephenson, Grundy, Langdon

Port Adelaide: Howard, Westhoff, Houston, Boak, Wines, Burton

INJURIES 

Collingwood: Adams (groin)

Port Adelaide: Ebert (concussion)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Margetts, O'Gorman, Williamson

Official crowd: 37,559 at Marvel Stadium