FOOTBALL is often a game of chance and after clawing its away back into a slender lead during the third quarter on Thursday night, Port Adelaide had an opportunity to put Sydney to the sword at the SCG.
Swans defender Ted Richards had been stretchered off, the Power had won all the ball in the third quarter to that point, and was poised to take control of the game with Chad Wingard having snuck home his third goal of the night just minutes earlier.
Instead, the Swans kicked four consecutive goals to manufacture a game-high 24-point margin.
Down to just two fit men on the bench, the Swans took advantage of the momentum-sapping break in play and punished the Power with total dominance of the game to the three-quarter time siren.
It was the second multiple goal surge from Sydney that night, having kicked three at the beginning of the second term, and as it had earlier, the home side looked unmatchable.
Port, in contrast, had no aces to trump the Swans in the third, but worked hard to turn the game in the fourth.
They booted four goals to Sydney's two, but missed shots on goal from stoppage opportunities inside attacking 50 gave possession back to the Swans and chewed up precious time.
In the end, the Power needed to kick two goals in 31 seconds - a totally unrealistic scenario - to win the game.
Troubled by the uncharacteristic absence of regular ball-winners Gray, Boak and Ebert in the first half, the Power was lucky to be within two goals at half time, but had managed to stem the flow of consecutive majors to Sydney and a damaging three-goal haul to Sam Reid.
The Power's line-up was challenged even before the first bounce when Jackson Trengove was withdrawn due to a virus and replaced by Paul Stewart, but the final 22 held firm to sit level with Sydney at quarter time.
Port would’ve taken some encouragement from its ability to hang tough despite Sydney dominating most key areas in the opening quarter, with its forward structure looking to work well with Jay Schulz getting his hands on the ball at times, while Wingard and Westhoff threatened to put on a two-man show in attack.
Sydney, however, had other plans, and kicked the opening three goals of the second term to put the Power to the sword, largely thanks to Josh Kennedy who’d racked up 21 disposals and seven clearances by half time.
The top five ballwinners for the game to half time were all Swans too, while Wines, Westhoff, Hartlett and Colquhoun Port’s best, but mired deep in the pack.
Ultimately it was the contribution of too few, too infrequently, and too inconsistently, that led to Port's 10-point loss - a flattering margin considering the ailing Sydney bench.
The Power plays Collingwood at the Adelaide Oval next Thursday 9 July at 7:20pm (ACST)
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 4.1 6.6 8.7 12.12 (84)
SYDNEY SWANS 4.1 8.5 12.7 14.10 (94)
GOALS
Wingard 3, Westhoff, Krakouer 2, Ah Chee, Hartlett, R. Gray, Boak, Schulz
PORTADELAIDEFC.COM.AU’S BEST
Westhoff, Wingard, Hartlett, R. Gray, Krakouer
SUBSTITUTION
Andrew Moore replaced Alipate Carlile at three-quarter time
CROWD
28,316 at the SCG
