PORT ADELAIDE has completed its preparations for the 2021 SANFL season with a comeback trial game win over Adelaide at Alberton Oval on Friday night.

The Magpies looked to have been overrun when the Crows piled on six straight goals in the second half, but booted five of the last six goals to claim the win 13.11 (89) to 11.8 (74).

After being very inaccurate during the previous pre-season matches, it looked like Port would continue along that path with two behinds to open the scoring.

The Crows got the first major of the game through a Ben Davis set shot from 40 metres out before Jake Weidemann responded for the home side from a near identical spot at the other end.

Having just been named an AFL emergency for Port’s game against Essendon on Saturday, Boyd Woodcock showed his class with a neat snap around the body from 25 metres out before ruckman Sam Hayes marked strongly outside 50 to start a play that ended with Dylan Williams nailing a set shot to extend the lead to 14 points.

A late goal to Crows top-up player Jay Boyle had the margin at seven at the first change.

Port came out firing in the second term and had two goals inside the first seven minutes including a long-range effort from Jake Westbrook on the run.

With the margin out to 19 points, Bailey Marshman booted consecutive goals for the Crows to ease the margin back to just over a kick before Campbell Wildman got on the end of a chain of handballs to run into an open goal for Port and stem the tide.

Young forward Ollie Lord booted his first as the seconds ticked away and Luke Surman, playing his first game in Port colours after off-season knee surgery, had a chance after the half time siren to get his first goal for the club from a tight angle but missed, leaving the margin at 21 points at the main break.

It was a different Crows outfit that emerged from the rooms after half time. They booted the only five goals of the third term and repelled numerous attacks by the home side to take the lead and momentum into the final quarter.

With the sun setting over Alberton the Magpies were starting to make some basic errors and Darcy Fogarty’s 50-metre effort just before the three-quarter time siren had the Crows in front by seven points as the sides changed ends for the last time.

Port coach Matthew Lokan had some stern words for his tiring side at the break and they responded after conceding another goal early on.

From that point they kicked five of the next six majors to retake the lead. Trent Burgoyne got the ball rolling with a classy snap through traffic and then Williams, Ethan Moore and Weidemann each booted their second goals of the evening, the latter rolling it through from the pocket after strong forward pressure.

When Surman marked strongly inside 50 and nailed the set shot from 25 metres, Port led by ten points with the game ticking into time on.

Davis missed two late chances to narrow the margin and Martin Frederick unselfishly dished off to Williams for a late goal as Port held on to win by 15-points.

The Magpies will get the SANFL season underway with a clash against traditional rival Norwood at the Parade on Thursday 1 April.

SCOREBOARD

PORT ADELAIDE            3.3      7.7        7.10     13.11 (89)             

ADELAIDE                        2.2      4.4         9.5       11.8  (74)              

Goals

Williams 3, Weidemann, Moore 2, Woodcock, Westbrook, Wildman, Lord, Burgoyne, Surman