Australian Football

Match Report

As expected Port Adelaide was able to send off its retiring ex-skipper, Dom Cassisi, with a win against Melbourne on Sunday afternoon but it was not before the Power was given  a huge scare by the desperate Demons. After a competitive effort from Melbourne saw the Demons leading by a goal at the 18-minute mark of the first term, a run of six straight goals - three either side of the quarter time break - saw Port jump out to a 30-point lead half way through the second term and it looked like Cassisi's last match would be a celebration cakewalk.

But just as the Power had kicked six straight majors, the Demons then turned the match on its head and did exactly the same. Goals to Bernie Vince, Cam Pedersen and James Frawley saw the margin back to 13 points at the long break, as it had been at the first change, and then Sam Blease, Jay Kennedy-Harris and Jack Watts kicked the first three of the third quarter to see Melbourne ahead by a goal at the 16-minute mark. From that moment on, things tightened up and it became anyone's match.

A goal to Chad Wingard just before three-quarter time saw the Power grab a two-point lead at the last change, before the last quarter began with a string of behinds, three to Port and two to Melbourne, before Aaron Young broke the deadlock with a goal at the 16-minute mark that put Port ahead by nine points. Four minutes later a wonderful snap from the pocket by Rohan Bail saw the Demons back within three points and then two minutes after that Dom Tyson put Melbourne in front with another snap and it looked like Cassisi's last game would end in tears.

However, Port's sharpshooter Jay Schulz took a mark in the forward pocket at the 26-minute mark and converted his kick to give his team a three-point lead and the Power held on for the last three minutes to record a thrilling victory.

Ollie Wines (nine tackles, 26 disposals) and Justin Westhoff (21 possessions, two goals) were magnificent for the victors, while Dom Tyson (32 touches and seven tackles) was inspiring for the Demons.

The win sees Port only 0.8 percentage points behind fourth-placed Fremantle, after the Dockers' shock loss to St Kilda on Saturday. The Power will push for a top-four spot when they take on Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday week. The Demons, beaten but by no means disgraced, will look for their fifth win of the season against Brisbane at Docklands on the same day.

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Westhoff, Stewart, Schulz 2; Pittard, Boak, Wingard, Young
Melbourne: Tyson 2; Tapscott, Vince, Pedersen, Frawley, Blease, Kennedy-Harris, Watts, Bail

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Wines, Gray, Ebert, Westhoff, Lobbe, Cornes
Melbourne: Tyson, Jones, Frawley, Jamar, Bail, Viney

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Westhoff, Gray, Wines, Cornes, O'Shea, Schulz, Ebert
Melbourne: Tyson, Jamar, N. Jones, Watts, Frawley

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Melbourne: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Matt White replaced by Ben Newton at three-quarter time
Melbourne: Aidan Riley replaced by Dean Kent at three-quarter time

UMPIRES: Margetts, Dalgleish, Harris

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Brad Johnson, Alastair Lynch, Brad Johnson