Australian Football

Match Report

We now head to the outer north-western suburbs and into the Alberton Oval for the Battle of the Birds between the Magpies and the Eagles. The last outing between these two sides resulted in a 37-point win to the Magpies at Woodville, the Eagles having kept within a couple of goals up to half-time before the Magpies kicked 10 goals to five in the second half. Port recovered from their loss to the Tigers with a 28-point win over South, while the Eagles practically had their heads in the guillotine after consecutive losses against Centrals and Sturt. Well... the rope was about to be pulled. 

The Magpies' first term was rather wayward, but the Eagles couldn't even find the big sticks and by quarter-time it was Port with 4.5 on the board to a lowly two behinds, a deficit of 27 points. The Eagles kicked the first goal of the second term, but by the long break the Magpies would be out to a 47-point lead after scoring a further 4.3 to 2.1. Three of those Port goals were kicked in as many minutes. From here it was all Port and season 2019 was all but done and dusted for the Eagles. When play resumed in the third term, the Magpies put even more distance between themselves and the visitors, bagging 5.4 to 3.3 to stretch their lead out to 10 goals by three quarter-time. The Eagles could have made the final gap a little less humiliating if they had kicked a bit straighter in the last quarter, the home side running out 63-point winners after scoring 4.2 to 3.5 to finish off the afternoon. 

Willem Drew was voted best for Port, the Eagles named Nick Hayes as their best on ground.