A FAST-STARTING Port Adelaide has seen off a determined second-half Fremantle fight back to enjoy a 46-point win in the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round.
The 18.7 (115) to 9.15 (69) victory at Adelaide Oval saw Port head into the mid-year bye at 8-3.
Criticised for its slow starts, Port set up the result with a breathtaking opening quarter which had the home side leading by 40 points at the first change.
Mitch Georgiades got the ball rolling inside 65 seconds when he marked strongly and goaled from the top of the goal square.
Port had the first six inside 50s and 40 possessions to five, and made the Dockers pay with further majors to Sam Powell-Pepper and Charlie Dixon – who started in the ruck a the first centre bounce.
The visitors responded with the next four inside 50s and much more possession but could only add six behinds to the scoreboard by the first break.
Port on the other hand added the next four goals with Powell-Pepper and Dixon joining Todd Marshall and Orazio Fantasia – back in the side after a week out with injury – in contributing.
Karl Amon had 16 first-quarter disposals – a new club record but Fremantle started to fight back early in the second term with skipper Nat Fyfe finally breaking his side’s duck after marking and playing on.
Fyfe was involved as Travis Collyer slotted a clever dribbled goal to close the Dockers to within 27 points.
Port responded with three consecutive goals. Kane Farrell’s from 50 metres out on a tight angle was the pick of the bunch before Dixon slotted his third with a neat snap when everyone ran past him.
Again, the Dockers came with Liam Henry nailing a set shot from 25 metres out but Port had the answers with Powell-Pepper snapping his third on the run less than 60 seconds later.
When Fantasia pinned Adelaide boy Brennan Cox holding the ball in the pocket and hit a left-footed snap from the boundary the margin was out to 50 points.
A late flurry saw the Dockers kick the next three and go into the main break 31 points down and with some momentum.
Despite that, it was Port that started hot with Robbie Gray booting his second after marking on the lead inside the first 30 seconds of the third quarter.
Consecutive goals to the Dockers gave them some hope of a second half revival but when ruckman Pete Ladhams sidestepped an opponent and a couple of teammates before blasting a bounced effort from 50 metres out, the visitors had only cut the margin by three points at the final change.
The sides again traded blows early in the last term with Fyfe and Ladhams each booting majors, the latter after a big mark deep inside 50.
Ryan Burton was subbed out of the game with a left knee injury, bringing substitute Miles Bergman into the game, which started to fizzle out somewhat after Port’s hot start.
He bobbed up to snap home a goal in heavy traffic to stretch the margin out to 34 points and late majors to Amon and Marshall sealed a comfortable win in front of 26,759 supporters.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 7.5 12.5 14.5 18.7 (115)
FREMANTLE 0.7 6.10 8.13 9.15 (69)
Goals
Powell-Pepper, Dixon 3, Fantasia, Gray, Ladhams, Marshall, 2, Georgiades, Farrell, Bergman, Amon
Best
Wines, Amon, Ladhams, Dixon, Powell-Pepper, Boak
