Australian Football

Match Report

Saturday night's match between Port Adelaide and Sydney at the Adelaide Oval pitted two of last year's top four sides against each other and was expected to be a titanic struggle. The Power came within a whisker of being Sydney's opponents in last year's Grand Final and the prevailing view has been that they will feature heavy in calculations come September 2015. But on Saturday night they fell a long way short of Sydney, slipping to 15th on the ladder with a 0-2 record, while the Swans moved into second place on the back of a convincing 48-point win.

The game was very much a high-pressure, defensive affair for the first 15 minutes, yielding no more than a behind to each team before Lewis Jetta broke the goal drought to put the Swans six points at the 17-minute mark. Jay Schulz squared up the match with a major four minutes later but two further goals to Dean Towers and Jetta saw Sydney lead by an even two goals at the first break.

Former Don Paddy Ryder took the Power to within seven points with his first goal for his new club at the nine-minute mark but Lance Franklin responded with a major three minutes later to give the Swans a 13-point advantage. Chad Wingard brought the margin back to seven with a goal for Port but Sydney again responded, a major to Kurt Tippett restoring the 13-point buffer. After a Jake Neade behind, Justin Westhoff made the difference an even goal with a major at the 25-minute mark, but Sydney closed out the half with late goals to Dan Hannebery and Gary Rohan and took a 20-point lead into the long break.

An early third-term goal was vital for Port's chances but it was the Swans who started the second half with all the momentum, goals to Kieran Jack, Jake Lloyd and Hannebery stretching their lead to 37 points. The Power did manage two of the last three goals of the term, to Ryder and Angus Monfries but Sydney held sway by 31 points at the last change of ends.
There was to be no taking the foot off the pedal by the Swans in the last quarter. Their renowned defence allowed only three behinds to be scored by the Power, while Franklin scored two goals and Towers one to see Sydney home by a commanding eight goals.

Sydney's best included Josh Kennedy (36 possessions and nine tackles), Franklin (eight tackles, three goals) and Jarrad McVeigh (26 touches and a goal), while among Port's better players were Jasper Pittard (34 disposals, eight marks), Robbie Gray (32 possessions) and Alipate Carlile (18 touches and five marks).

Next up the Swans will host crosstown rivals the Giants at the SCG while the Power will travel to meet North Melbourne at Docklands Stadium next Saturday night in search of their first win of 2015.

GOALS 
Port Adelaide: Ryder 2; Schulz, Wingard, Westhoff, Monfries
Sydney: Franklin 3; Jetta, Hannebery, Towers 2; Tippett, Rohan, Jack, Lloyd, McVeigh

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Gray, Pittard, Carlile, Ryder
Sydney: McVeigh, Kennedy, Franklin, Heeney, Jack, Parker, Smith

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Impey (Hamstring)
Sydney: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Matt White replaced Jarman Impey (hamstring) in the second quarter
Sydney: Adam Goodes replaced Gary Rohan in the final quarter

UMPIRES: Fisher, Nicholls, Mollison 

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Brian Taylor, Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling