Australian Football

Match Report

On Saturday afternoon there was just one match on the cards, the Seven television cameras heading down Port Road to the Alberton Oval for the match between the Magpies and the Roosters. In 2014, the Roosters was one of a handful of teams able to topple the Magpies. All the more amazing was that their victory came at Alberton, one of the last places anyone would think the black and white outfit would lose. It was Round 13 that this upset came, after losing to West at Richmond only two weeks previous the Roosters inflicted Port's third loss of the home and away season by just two points. That was payback for a loss in Round 8 at Prospect Oval, where the 'Pies flew out with a 26-point win.

The Magpies had the better of the scoring for the opening term, but couldn't fully convert their chances into maximum rewards with an inaccuracy-riddled first quarter. They kicked 3.5 to North's three goals without a miss, those behinds being the difference at quarter-time. The second term was just as frustrating if not more so than the first, more missed chances keeping the door wide open for the Roosters. Port scored 2.4 to the Roosters' 1.2 to stretch the deficit out to 13 points by the half-time break. The rust was well and truly shaken off when play resumed for the second half, the Magpies producing a game-breaking 7.3 to 4.0 third quarter to take their advantage out to 34 points. All the pressure the Roosters had put on the Magpies for the opening half had all just fizzled away in one quarter of football, the Magpies finishing off the afternoon by scoring a further 3.3 to North's 2.5 to run out 38-point winners.

Paul Stewart was named Port's best, while the Roosters voted Jay Shannon for their best afield honours.