Australian Football

Match Report

If there can ever be a football match that ends with both sides coming away happy, Saturday night's Port Adelaide v St Kilda match might have been it. While the young Saints fell away in the last term to ultimately lose to Port by 33 points, they showed enough across the first three quarters to suggest that as a group they are heading in the right direction and ready to build on the progress made under coach Alan Richardson last year. The Power, meanwhile, would have been very happy to kick of the year with a solid win after a 2016 season that fell well short of their high expectations. 

In a high-scoring encounter, Port got off to a perfect start with a goal to Travis Boak after a mark within the first minute. Jack Lonie didn't take long to respond for the Saints and, when debutant Jade Gresham kicked his first from the goal square at the eight-minute mark, St Kilda led by seven. Matthew Broadbent answered for the Power and the two sides went more or less goal for goal after that, with the Saints ahead 4.4 to 4.1 at the first end-change.

The first five minutes was a purple patch for St Kilda, with Mav Weller and Jack Steven goaling to put the Saints 15 points clear. The Power, however, came back like the good side that they are and three majors to Robbie Gray, along with one to Brad Ebert saw Port ahead by six as the term entered time-on. Josh Bruce levelled the scores with a goal at the 21-minute mark and then Sam Gilbert and Lonie added two more goals to put the Saints ahead by 12 late in the half but a last-minute goal from Chad Wingard had Port within a goal at the half.

Many thought Port would come out and take control after the long break but the opposite proved to be case. The two sides traded goals for the first 15 minutes but St Kilda broke free after that and majors to David Ermitage, Lonie and Bruce saw the Saints out to a game-high lead of 21 points at the 21-minute mark. Sadly for them, though, that proved to be the Saints last goal until the final minute of the match.

Port closed out the term with goals to Ebert and Ollie Wines and then, after a low-scoring scrap for the first half of the final term, went on with the job in the last 10 minutes with six quick goals in a row as the Saints tired badly. A consolation goal to Nick Riewoldt finished the match, cutting the final margin to 33 points, an unfair reflection on St Kilda's fine effort for the vast majority of the match.

The two Grays, Robbie (four goals, 26 possessions) and Sam, were excellent for Port, while Jack Steven (36 disposals) and Tom Hickey (56 hitouts, 20 disposals) were fine players for the Saints. Huge games loom for both sides in round two, with Port to face Adelaide in a Showdown, while the Saints will hope to celebrate Nick Riewoldt's 300th match with a win over the Western Bulldogs.

GOALS
Port Adelaide: R. Gray 4; Ebert, Wingard, Dixon 3; Westhoff 2; Boak, Broadbent, Schulz, Wines, Ah Chee
St Kilda: Lonie 3; Weller, Bruce, Riewoldt 2; Gresham, Steven, Gilbert, Newnes, Acres, Armitage

BEST - THE AGE
Port Adelaide: S. Gray, Pittard, R. Gray, Ebert, Broadbent, Hartlett
St Kilda: Hickey, Steven, Gilbert, Armitage, Fisher, Montagna, Gilbert

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: R. Gray, Wingard, Hartlett, Ebert, Westhoff, S. Gray
St Kilda: Steven, Armitage, Hickey, Ross, Weller, Fisher, Newnes

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: White (pectoral)
St Kilda: Dempster (head)

UMPIRES: Deboy, Nicholls, Kamolins

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Bruce McAvaney, Basil Zempilas, Leigh Matthews, Nick Maxwell