INJURY-ravaged Port Adelaide has fallen out of the SANFL top four after North Adelaide piled on a six-goal-to-one second quarter to set up a 76-point win at Prospect.
The Magpies fielded three debutants as AFL rookie-listed defender Jake Pasini, and Tim Dickson and Bailey Nicholas made their first appearances for the club.
North got the first goal on the board through Keenan Ramsey.
Port Adelaide then replied in remarkable style, as Ollie Lord’s set shot dropped short and Pete Ladhams was able to volley the ball home.
Ramsey got his second after the Roosters capitalised on a missed set shot from Ladhams to regain the lead before the Magpies landed a double whammy.
Ben Edwards snapped around his body for Port’s second before Ethan Moore received a free kick immediately following the goal and converted to give the visitors an eight-point advantage.
Both sides struggled to gain the ascendancy but North hit back with its own back-to-back run of goals, with the second coming from a 25-metre penalty.
The Roosters led by three points at the first change, but then took charge of the game in the second term.
Kaine Mercovich got them under way with a major, before Port landed its first of the quarter after Lord took a sensational pack mark to kick his first of the afternoon.
But by that point, North was firmly in control, kicking the next five of the contest.
Port struggled to break out of its defensive 50 and a number of free kicks to the hosts helped the Roosters take a 36-point lead into the half-time change.
The third quarter started in the same way the second ended, with the Roosters again in control.
Ramsey kicked the first of the term to extend the margin to 42 points as experienced midfielder Sam Mayes was withdrawn midway through the game to be the medical sub for the AFL side.
Already missing plenty of experience, Port’s woes continued as the Roosters piled on the pain, kicking a further four goals for the remainder of the quarter.
The game was predominantly played in the Roosters’ forward half as errors filtered into the inexperienced Magpies’ game.
Aaron Young and Harrison Wigg were leading the way for North with 24 and 23 disposals respectively up until three-quarter-time.
A behind to Jed McEntee was the only score for the Magpies in the third stanza as North led by 69 points at the final change.
Port came out with a bit of fire in the last term and opened the scoring, kicking its first major since the second quarter through Campbell Wildman.
Despite the scoreboard discrepancy the visitors continued to push in the final term, and Moore got his reward after a free kick for his second of the match.
North added three goals late to extend the margin back out to 76 points, with the final goal coming with a kick off the ground by Dyson Hilder on the siren.
Riley Bonner had 34 touches and Boyd Woodcock had 29 in the loss as Port left a rain-drenched Prospect Oval empty handed.
SCOREBOARD
North Adelaide 4.1 10.5 15.9 18.12 (120)
Port Adelaide 3.4 4.5 4.6 6.8 (44)
Goals: Moore 2, Edwards, Ladhams, Lord, Wildman.
Best: Bonner, Woodcock, McEntee, Corcoran, Westbrook, Ladhams.
