Australian Football

Match Report

The final game for the weekend was on the Sunday afternoon, we now head to the Alberton Oval for the encounter between the Magpies and the Bloods. Westies would like to strike last year's horrors against Port from their record, but a combined losing margin of 220 points is a hard thing to forget. If there weren't any printed reminders of those capitulations hanging around the Bloods' rooms in the lead up to this game, I don't know where they would get their motivation. Then there was their loss to Glenelg last round, and surely the Magpies were motivated enough to win after their loss to Norwood. 

But despite early goal-kicking issues, the Bloods would find themselves ahead at quarter-time, kicking 3.4 to 2.2 to lead by eight points. A far cleaner second term would reap rewards on the scoreboard, whereas the Magpies over-use of the ball found them down by 33 points at the half-time break after they coughed up 5.2 to 1.1. Even with over half a team of AFL-listed talent, at least three of them regulars for the Power, the Bloods outworked them. They had 36 more disposals, but West had 15 more entries into their attack 50. The Bloods added a further 4.1 to Port's 2.3 when play resumed, taking their lead to 43 points by the last change. The final quarter was the only period that the Magpies outscored the Bloods, but the periods of play without scoreboard impact stopped the home side from ever making a comeback. They scored 3.2 to 1.3, the Bloods avenging their heavy defeat of last year to the tune of 32 points. 

Kaine Stevens led by example and was named best for the Bloods, the Magpies named newcomer Trent McKenzie as their best on ground.