PORT ADELAIDE remains unbeaten in 2020 after a hard-fought Round 3 win in the wet over a dogged Fremantle on the Gold Coast.

In the first of its three games in the AFL’s Queensland hub, Port was looking to become the first team to notch a win since being based in the hub after four losses from the other sides, and finished 29 points clear of the Dockers.

Port Adelaide started slowly again, for the third time this season, before blowing the game open in the second quarter thanks to ruck dominance in the centre square and better ball use in the torrential rain.

The Dockers took a six-point lead into the first change after settling fastest. Travis Colyer in his 100^th game had the first goal of the contest with a snap under pressure from 25 metres out after less than 90 seconds.

Port Adelaide responded with goals through Sam Powell-Pepper and Charlie Dixon but back to back majors to Fremantle, through Matt Taberner after a free-kick 15 metres out, and a Brandon Matera set shot, had the “home” side back in front and looking the more desperate at the contest.

Vice-captain Ollie Wines, making his return to the side after dislocating his shoulder in the pre-season, helped drag the visitors back into it with seven first quarter disposals. Veteran Justin Westhoff booted a goal from 50 metres out but Taberner’s second had the Power trailing at the first change.

But Port asserted itself on the contest in the second quarter – thanks in part to the ruckwork of Scott Lycett. The Adelaide team kept its western rival scoreless while booting 5.4 itself.

In the absence of Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy, who injured himself in last weekend’s loss to Brisbane, Lycett had 22 hit-outs in the first half to have his side leading that statistic 26 to 11 while Westhoff and Dixon were proving hard to contain as each booted their second goals of the game.

With torrential rain setting in, the big men showed clean hands to take strong marks inside 50, while Robbie Gray, Todd Marshall and Brad Ebert each nailed their first.

The Dockers took until the last minute of the quarter to secure their first inside 50 of the quarter, and Port had 22 to two in that term.

A 28-point half time lead moved out to 29 points at the final change with both sides managing just one goal in the third term.

Michael Walters snapped one for the Dockers after a what appeared a lucky free kick 15 metres out for a high tackle, while Travis Boak answered after running onto a ruck tap and hooking his first major to add to his game-high 22 disposals to that point.

As the rain dried up, so too did the scoring, as Port Adelaide repelled repeated Fremantle attacks and the Dockers wasted several opportunities.

Skipper Nat Fyfe tried his best to lift his side, taking two strong marks inside 50 but only nailing one of the set shots.

When he hit the post with his second, then Ollie Wines snapped a goal after a clever tap on by Boak, the game was all but over.

Port coach Ken Hinkley would have been pleased with Wines’ return – he finished with 25 disposals and a goal in his first game since the last time these sides met in Round 23 last August.

Fremantle forward Jesse Hogan, playing his first game in almost a year (his last was against Melbourne in Round 14 on June 22 last year) was much quieter, while young Sam Sturt finished his second AFL game on the interchange after a nasty rolled ankle.

The only dampener for Port Adelaide was a hamstring injury to Xavier Duursma just after half time, which saw the teenager sit out the rest of the match.

SCOREBOARD

PORT ADELAIDE            3.1      8.5        9.7     10.10  (70)             

FREMANTLE                    4.1      4.1        5.2       6.5  (41)              

Goals

Dixon, Westhoff 2, Powell-Pepper, Gray, Marshall, Ebert, Boak, Wines

Best

Lycett, Boak, Wines, Jonas, Dixon, Ebert, Westhoff, McKenzie

Crowd

300 at Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast