Australian Football

Match Report

Greater Western Sydney was unable to repeat its feat of round 19, 2012 at the Sydney Showground last Sunday as Port Adelaide arrested a five-game losing streak to defeat the Giants by 75 points. In the corresponding fixture last year the Giants stunned the hapless Port Adelaide, jumping the Power in the first quarter and eventually defeating them by 34 points.

This time there were no such heroics. The 2013 version of the Power did as the Giants has done to them in 2012, jumping them with a six-goal-to-one first quarter. The Power's 34-point quarter-time lead was doubled at half time and they took that out to 90 points early in the last quarter before eventually winning easing down by 75 points. The big loss would have been a disappointment to Giants coach Kevin Sheedy after his team had pushed Geelong to the limit for three quarters a week earlier.

Travis Boak, who has grown magnificently into the captain's role this season, was magnificent for the Power, picking up 29 touches and kicking three goals. He was ably supported by Kane Cornes (34 diposals, one goal), playing a record-breaking 255th game for Port, and Chad Wingard (31 possessions and a goal). For the Giants, co-captain Tom Scully (30 disposals) was excellent, while emerging star key forward kicked another two goals to take his season tally to 33, two behind league leader Lindsay Thomas of North Melbourne.

The Power, who will host Sydney in their round 13 match this Saturday, have had an interesting win-loss pattern so far in 2013. They won their first five match, lost the next five and have now returned to the winners list, leaving them behind eighth-placed Carlton only by percentage, with a game in hand. GWS, who have failed to record a win in their first 12 matches of 2013, will have a bye this week before travelling to Dockland to take on North Melbourne in round 14.

GOALS
GWS: Cameron 2; Hoskin-Elliott, Whitfield, Adams, Williams
Port Adelaide: Boak, Monfries, Schulz 3; Butcher, Logan, O'Shea 2; Westhoff, Cornes, Wingard, Hartlett

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
GWS: Scully, Tomlinson, Treloar, Giles
Port Adelaide: Boak, Wingard, Brad Ebert, Cornes, Hartlett, Monfries, O'Shea, Schulz

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
GWS: Scully, Greene, Treloar
Port Adelaide: Boak, Cornes, Wingard, Monfries

COACHES' COMMENTS
Kevin Sheedy (GWS): We're obviously disappointed [although] it was probably the youngest team that I've ever coached, and the least experienced team. Our start was disappointing in the first quarter. We just mishandled the ball. There was no sureness in our play like there was the week before.

Ken Hinkley (Port): We talked today about what we needed to do, not the scoreboard, and to the boys credit they were able to do that really well. I'm really proud of the boys today, the way they stood up.

INJURIES
GWS: Palmer (infected foot) replaced in selected side by Hoskin-Elliott
Port Adelaide: Hitchcock (ankle); Boak (finger)

SUBSTITUTES
GWS: Zac Williams replaced Lachie Plowman in the third quarter
Port Adelaide: Robbie Gray replaced Cameron Hitchcock (ankle) in the third quarter

UMPIRES: Rosebury, Hay, Fisher