PORT ADELAIDE has overcome a four-day turnaround and a plucky Western Bulldogs outfit to register its eighth win of the season in its first taste of Monday night football at Adelaide Oval.
The Power trailed all of the key statistics in the opening half before setting up the 13-point win with a four-goals to none third quarter.
Tom Rockliff was brilliant for the home side, finishing with 23 disposals, 14 tackles and four clearances as Port won 8.7 (55) to 5.12 (42).
It was a spritely opening by the home side with Darcy Byrne-Jones and Charlie Dixon taking important contested marks in the opening minutes before a free kick for a high tackle and a 50-metre penalty gave young Bulldog Cody Weightman the first goal of the game from the goal square.
Sam Powell-Pepper responded for Port after a strong intercept mark by captain Tom Jonas inside defensive 50 and quick transition up the wing saw the midfield bull mark 40 metres out.
Trent McKenzie, back in the side after missing two games with a back injury, slipped over and caused a turnover, gifting Bulldog Mitch Wallis an easy goal.
A minute later Port thought it had responded through debutant Boyd Woodcock who danced around an opponent and cleverly bounced the ball through, until a score review determined there was a nick off the goalpost.
It robbed the 20-year-old a goal with his first kick in AFL football, and it seemed nothing was going Port’s way.
The Bulldogs were dominating clearances 12-6 and had 15 inside 50s to 7 in the first quarter thanks to their high handball game and could have been further in front than the nine-point advantage they held at the first change.
And while they continued to dominate most of those statistics, including having 25 inside 50s to 12 by half time, Port started to make inroads in the clearances with Ollie Wines lifting his team with five himself by the main break.
He was front and centre in the second quarter as well, finishing a goal on the run inside the opening three minutes to bring Port back to within three points.
Toby McLean’s goal for the Dogs restored the quarter time margin before Robbie Gray dribbled home a goal after a clever offensive turnover by Zak Butters and pass inside 50 by Woodcock.
Xavier Duursma put his body on the line for a strong defensive mark, crashing into skipper Tom Jonas and Bulldog Josh Bruce and leaving them floored, and the margin was just three points at the main change.
Port Adelaide could have been forgiven for tiring after playing four days earlier in Brisbane but from that point it took charge of the territory and inside 50s, and then on the scoreboard as well.
Zak Butters was instrumental as Port booted four goals in the third term, making it five in a row and a 23-point margin at the final break.
Gray booted his second to open the scoring, running into an open goal after some frantic pressure from the Port forwards forced a turnover in the forward half.
Charlie Dixon then had a purple patch, winning a free kick 20 metres out and plucking an incredible mark out of the air a similar distance out and finishing with consecutive goals within three minutes.
When ruckman Peter Ladhams marked 45 metres out on a slight angle, after Tom Rockliff caught Bulldogs big man Tim English holding the ball, and nailed the goal Port had the crowd on its feet and all of the momentum heading into the final term.
The Dogs gave a fight in the last term with goals to McLean and Sam Lloyd but Butters’ desperation to keep the ball in play led to a goal off the ground to Kane Farrell, and for all of their puff, the visitors were well repelled by the Port backline.
The final margin was 13 points as the Power enjoyed their first win on home soil since the Round 2 Showdown.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 1.2 3.2 7.5 8.7 (55)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 2.5 3.5 3.6 5.12 (42)
Goals
Gray, Dixon 2, Powell-Pepper, Wines, Ladhams, Farrell
Best
Butters, Jonas, Rockliff, Dixon, Ladhams, Hartlett, Wines
Crowd
14,159 at Adelaide Oval.
