David Rodan was brought in for Daniel Stewart prior to the game with the Crows replacing Sam Shaw (hamstring soreness) and Jason Porplyzia (deltoid strain) with Andy Otten and Ricky Henderson.

First quarter

Port Adelaide won the toss and captain Dom Cassisi elected to kick to the northern end of AAMI Stadium.

Within the first three minutes, the Power had goaled through young gun Ben Jacobs playing off the wing.

It’s midfield firing, Port Adelaide then set up Justin Westhoff through some positive work in the midfield by David Rodan.

The Crows responded with a goal to Sam Jacobs with some solid run off the wing by Matthew Broadbent saw the Henley local put the Power’s fourth on the board - a neat one-two with a courageous Chad Wingard providing further momentum to the Power’s lead.

Adelaide put two more on the board through Walker and Petrenko, before John Butcher snapped an important steadier to extend a one-goal lead.

The Crows again responded, although more through errors in Port Adelaide’s defensive fifty than any of their own creation.

Adelaide’s notched one final through Shaun McKernan to all-but level the scores - Port Adelaide holding the lead by a solitary point.

The Power’s tackling intensity has been well down on Adelaide’s and it has cost them goals this quarter. Two missed set shots to Justin Westhoff also cost the Power more of a lead to quarter time.

Quarter time scoreboard
Port Adelaide 4.2 (26) trail
Adelaide 4.3 (27)

Stats
Disposals: Boak, Cornes 7, Broadbent, Rodan 6, Jacobs 5
Marks: Westhoff, 4, Broadbent, Cornes, Schulz 3
Tackles: Cassisi 3, P. Stewart, Trengove 2
Hitouts: Renouf 4

[ Related: Match Highlights ]

Second quarter 

The Crows came quickly out of the blocks - winning the clearances and booting three goals in as many minutes.

A fourth subsequent major to the Crows pushed the Power’s backs to the wall and a response was desperately needed from Port Adelaide.

The response came sure enough through Westhoff and Jay Schulz sending home two from set shots, whilst Brad Ebert took on three Crows to kick his first for the day on the run from forty metres.

The Crows kicked two late goals to open a 19 point lead at the change.

Prolific scorer Jay Schulz left the ground late in the term after Michael Doughty seemly gouged his eyes after Schulz marked.

Half time scoreboard
Port Adelaide 7.3 (45) trail
Adelaide 10.4 (64)

Stats
Disposals: Cornes, Rodan 14, Jacobs 13, Boak 12
Marks: Westhoff 8, Schulz 6, Broadbent, Cornes 5
Tackles: Cassisi 4, P. Stewart 3
Hitouts: Renouf 7

[ Related: Schulz Injury Update ]

Third quarter

Aaron Young came onto the field after the Jay Schulz eye gouging incident late in the term saw the Power’s leading goal kicker substituted out of the game for the debutant. His impact from the moment he changed onto the field was immediate - running onto the football kicking to Westhoff who in turn tapped the ball into the path of John Butcher for his second running goal. Better ball usage through the corridor saw Port’s midfield generate better forward entry. Brad Ebert’s second running goal helped boost the Power’s standing on the score tally, before two great snaps from Broadbent and Westhoff saw Port Adelaide level the goal scores. Still trailing by three points, the Power conceded another to Adelaide from a stoppage inside defensive fifty, before Westhoff kicked his third from against the flow of play - Port Adelaide hitting the lead for the first time since the opening term. Westhoff has had another standout performance and both he and Butcher will need to work hard given the absence of the injured Schulz. Cornes, Broadbent, Boak and Chaplin have all been useful with the ball and will need to up the intensity in this final term.

Three quarter time scoreboard
Port Adelaide 13. 4 (82) leads
Adelaide 12.7 (79)

[ Related: Westhoff's Brilliant Snap ]

Stats
Disposals: Cornes 22, Chaplin 19, Boak 18, Pearce, Rodan 17
Marks: Chaplin 10, Cornes, Westhoff 9
Tackles: Cassisi, Boak 4
Hitouts: Renouf 12, Trengove 3

Fourth quarter

Port Adelaide battled hard from the start of the fourth term, but the Crows managed to hold their marks inside fifty far better. 

Unable to hold some of the Crows key forwards, Port Adelaide struggled itself to find the goals when inside fifty. 

The lack of on-the-run conversion - where most of the Power’s forward entry was generated from - really hurt the away side.

Numerous behinds from good setups within scoring distance proved Port Adelaide’s downfall where the Crows’ ability to find the right marking option allowed conversion of the majority of their set shots.  

Port Adelaide eventually went down by 19 points - the same as the half time margin. 

The Power's next game is at home against Richmond next Sunday 6 May at 2.40pm.

[ Related: Primus Post-Match ]

Final scoreboard
Port Adelaide 14.7 (91) def by
Adelaide 16. 14 (110)

Final Stats
Disposals: Cornes 27, Boak 24, Chaplin 22, Pearce 19
Marks: Chaplin 11, Cornes 10, Westhoff 9
Tackles: Cassisi 6, Stewart, Rodan 5
Hitouts: Renouf 16, Trengove 4, Brad Ebert 2