PORT ADELAIDE has continued its unbeaten start to the season with a comfortable win over Essendon in a twilight encounter at Adelaide Oval.

Port kicked the opening five goals of the game and were never headed by an injury-depleted Bombers outfit, running out 18.11 (119) to 9.11 (65) winners.

Much of the attention leading into the game was on Port forward Orazio Fantasia, coming up against his former side for the first time.

Perhaps the Bombers’ attention should have been on him in the opening stages because he grabbed the ball out of the middle and booted long inside 50 for Charlie Dixon to grab it over the back for the easiest of goals inside the first minute of play.

It was all Port Adelaide for the opening 17 minutes with the home side booting the first five goals, buoyed by very vocal home crowd enjoying being back at Adelaide Oval for the first time in 2021.

Mitch Georgiades, in for his first game of the season to replace Todd Marshall, who was a late withdrawal with a back injury, took his opportunity booting two first-quarter goals while ruckman Peter Ladhams’ roved snapped effort had Port leading by 31 points and the Dons looking shellshocked.

Cale Hooker pulled one back for the visitors who started to control the play, but a second goal to Dixon late after a pinpoint pass onto his chest at full flight by Dan Houston saw Port take a 27-point lead into the first break.

Trailing away from home and without captain Dyson Heppell, who was himself a late out with a back injury, Essendon needed to find a spark.

But, again Port came out strong and kicked five of the first six goals to open up a 49-point lead at one point off the back of having dominance of the clearances (22-11) and inside 50s (32-20) to half time.

Karl Amon slotted the first major on the run just inside 50, before Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti responded for the Bombers with a snap from the pocket at full speed.

From there Port enjoyed its period of dominance with Dixon slotting his third of the afternoon, Ladhams adding a second and Steven Motlop booting two – his second capping a brilliant piece of end-to-end play that finished with Travis Boak hitting him on the chest on the lead.

Zak Butters was everywhere, having 18 disposals to half time along with four clearances, three tackles, four score involvements and a goal.

Hooker and Kyle Langford got two back for Essendon but still the home side held a 41-point advantage at the main change.

There was no let up after the break with Georgiades booting his third after marking 40 metres out after a neat build up involving Aliir Aliir and Fantasia.

The former Bomber then had his moment, catching ex-teammate Andrew McGrath holding the ball inside 50 and nailing the resulting set shot, with his new teammates running to him to celebrate as if it was the first goal of his career.

The Bombers struck back with consecutive goals to Hooker and McDonald-Tipungwuti, both running into open goals, but with Jye Caldwell going off injured and substitute Tom Cutler coming on, Dixon and Georgiades each kicked their fourth goals to extend the lead to 56 points as the teams changed ends for the last time.

The Bombers’ injury toll was mounting with Sam Draper (ankle) and Dylan Shiel (knee) joining Caldwell on the sidelines with an ankle injury but it didn’t seem to bother the visitors who had two early goals through former Port player Will Snelling and youngster Nik Cox inside the opening three minutes.

Houston responded with a bullet goal from 45 metres off one step but McDonald-Tipungwuti had his third soon after as the Bombers showed spirit.

A one-handed mark inside 50 by a busy Scott Lycett allowed the big ruckman to go back and snap a neat goal around his body and stop the rot for the home side.

The game got scrappy late with the sting out of the contest and it allowed Fantasia to boot his second after some good forward pressure by Motlop and Travis Boak.

With Butters ticking over 30 possessions for the first time in his career and Ollie Wines passing 30 as well, Port coasted to the final siren

SCOREBOARD

PORT ADELAIDE            6.1      11.6        15.10     18.11   (119)             

ESSENDON                   1.4      4.7            6.8        9.11  (65)              

Goals

Dixon, Georgiades 4, Ladhams, Motlop, Fantasia 2, Butters, Amon, Lycett

Best

Butters, Wines, Lycett, Houston, Dixon, Boak, Drew, Georgiades