DESPITE a strong start, Port Adelaide has lost to the Western Bulldogs by 36 points at Darwin's TIO Stadium on Saturday night.

PTV: Primus' 5th Quarter

In caretaker coach Matthew Primus' first game in charge, the Power led by 16 points at quarter time but kicked just two goals to the Dogs' 10 from there to lose their ninth game in a row.

The Dogs prevailed 12.11 (83) to 7.5 (47) in what was their fourth straight win over the Power, as well as their fourth consecutive at the Top End venue.

The match was played in 27-degree heat, which made the ball slippery and caused plenty of turnovers, especially after half-time.

But a breakaway third quarter by the Bulldogs saw them score 4.3 to the Power’s 1.0, and turn a four-point half-time lead into a commanding 25-point advantage by the final change.

From there the goals dried up for both sides with the Dogs managing two in the fourth while the Power were kept goalless.

Port was dealt an additional blow with Steven Salopek dislocating his right shoulder in the final term.

Defender Paul Stewart was lucky to escape injury in the second when he collided with the goal post. Dean Brogan wasn’t as fortunate and played the game out with a badly cut head that split open twice.

Caretaker coach and former captain Matthew Primus put his stamp on the side early by making a few positional changes that included Daniel Motlop starting on a wing and Kane Cornes out of the centre square.

But it was the Power’s intent that was the most notable alteration - seeing them on top around the stoppages in the first term.

Their hunger, and a solid start from Danyle Pearce and Domenic Cassisi, were the key factors in their quarter-time lead of 16 points.

The Dogs, without Barry Hall, struggled to kick goals in the opening quarter but soon benefitted from an unpredictable structure that saw plenty of forward rotations.

Rodney Eade did what he promised and used a variety of players through attack, which was indicated in the Dogs’ six individual goal-kickers by half-time.

Jarrad Grant became the side’s first multiple goal-kicker in the third when he slotted the major - an impressive running along-the-ground effort - that moved them 22 points clear.

Scoring opportunities in the final term were few and far between in the slippery conditions but the Dogs had done enough in the third to ensure the win.  

Western Bulldogs    5.1 6.6 10.9 12.11 (83)
Port Adelaide        2.3 6.2 7.2 7.5 (47)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Grant 2, Boyd 2, Everitt, Ward, Giansiracusa, Johnson, Griffen, Eagleton, Cooney, Higgins
Port Adelaide: Schulz 2, K. Cornes 2, Westhoff, Ebert, Davenport

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Boyd, Cross, Cooney, Hargrave, Lake, Murphy, Gilbee
Port Adelaide: Pearce, K. Cornes, Cassisi, Salopek, Banner

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Roughead out, replaced in selected side by Moles
Port Adelaide: Thomas (corked left leg) out, replaced in selected side by Carr, Salopek (shoulder), Brogan (cut head)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Nicholls, Armstrong, Jeffery

Official crowd: 10,108 at TIO Stadium

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs