PORT ADELAIDE’s see-sawing season has continued with a disappointing loss to the Western Bulldogs in horrible conditions at Adelaide Oval.

The 25-point loss continued a pattern for the Power of following a win with a loss since Round 9.

The hungry Bulldogs outfit recorded 109 tackles in the match compared to 76 as they out-pressured and out-hunted the Power across the four quarters, restricting the home side to just five majors.

It was just nine degrees in the pouring rain at the first bounce and it took both sides some time to warm up.

The Power had the first goal when Charlie Dixon showed strength at the back of a pack to run into goal, managing a toe to the ball over the line in the goal square just out of the reach of lunging former teammate Jackson Trengove.

A controversial free kick to Bulldog Josh Dunkley gave him a chance to fire straight back but he wasn’t able to convert, though in no time the visitors got on top at the clearances.

Having won double the number of inside 50s by half way through the first term, including five in a row, the Bulldogs eventually capitalised through set shot goals to Matthew Suckling and Josh Schache, the latter after a dropped mark by the Power’s Zak Butters led to a turnover at half back.

By quarter time the visitors enjoyed a two-goal lead and had taken five marks inside 50 – a huge number considering that was the total number the Power conceded last week against Geelong.

With the rain persisting, scoring was hard to come by so a strong mark and goal by Robbie Gray early in the second quarter had the Power back in it.

The ball seemed dry to Schache who marked overhead in the forward pocket for the Dogs and converted around the body to restore the two-goal margin.

A clever snap in traffic by Roarke Smith stretched the advantage to three goals at the main break, the youngster celebrating his first AFL goal in the torrential rain.

The conditions improved in the second half and the Power pressed forward in search of the opening score.

Camped in their forward half, and having recorded 18 of the first 19 forward entries, the home side finally got some reward when second gamer Peter Ladhams took a chest mark in a pack and converted from 30 metres out.

When Connor Rozee was held without the ball just 20 metres out, the teenager slotted the resulting free kick and brought the Power within two points, bringing the 25,623 crowd who had braved the conditions into the contest.

Ruckman Scott Lycett, off the back of the best performance of his career, lifted in the middle but another turnover on half back, this time by Tom Clurey, resulted in another goal to the Bulldogs, this time through Jack Macrae.

The Power had managed 20 more inside 50s than their opponent but when Patrick Lipinski nailed a 35 -metre set shot, followed by yet another mark inside 50 and goal to Schache, the Power’s hard work had been undone.

A late major to Dixon, his second for the match, brought the margin back to 13 points at the final change, leaving the Power plenty of work to do in the final stanza.

Only once before under Ken Hinkley had the Power come back from a three-quarter time deficit and the home side withstood some early pressure and started to press forward in search of a score.

But when they did get it deep inside 50, Steven Motlop managed just a behind from a tight angle after marking on the line.

Despite the rain staying away, the game developed into a scoreless scrap with 15 minutes passing before Lipinski booted an opportunistic soccered goal from 20 metres out.

When Tory Dickson slotted his second from a long set shot, the game was all but over.

The Power eventually falling by 25 points as the rain again came down.

SCOREBOARD

PORT ADELAIDE 1.2 2.5 5.8 5.11 (41)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.2 5.2 8.3 10.6 (66)

Goals
Dixon 2, Rozee, Ladhams, R. Gray

Best
Hartlett, Byrne-Jones, Boak, Lycett, Clurey

Crowd
25,623 at Adelaide Oval