Australian Football

Match Report

Port Adelaide has returned to the winners list with a routine win over Essendon at the Adelaide Oval on Friday night. The Power have been unconvincing so far in 2016 and were again so at times against the Bombers but they got the job done and are now 2-1 and in the top eight after putting a poor round-two performance against Adelaide in the Showdown behind them. Port set the match up with a very impressive seven-goal-to-one first term, then did enough in the remaining three terms to record a 61-point win.

Essendon opened the match brightly but couldn't convert the good start into more than a couple of behinds. After that, the Power got right own top, and goals to Travis Boak, Charlie Dixon (two) and Aaron Young saw them four goals clear halfway through the first term. Robbie Gray added another before Joe Daniher kicked Essendon's first, but Port closed out the quarter with two more majors via Brad Ebert and Karl Amon to lead by six goals at the first change. 

Port's dominance continued early in the second term and, after goals to Jared Polec and Young, the margin was out to 48 points and a 100-point thrashing looked very much on the cards. To their credit, however, the Bombers stood firm after that and actually outscored the Power for the remainder of the term. The Dons scored three more goals - including Daniher's second and on to Nick Kommer, who was playing just his second match since 2013. Port added to more goals of its own, though, and led by a very comfortable 41 points at half time. 

The Power got right on top defensively in the third quarter, restricting Essendon to just one behind kicked by Orazio Fantasia at the 23-minute mark. Port didn't score particularly heavily, adding 3.3 - including a maiden goal to first-gamer Darcy Byrne-Jones - to turn for home with a 61-point advantage.

Robbie Gray extended the lead to 67 points with his second at the seven-minute mark of the last quarter but the Bombers fought out the match strongly from there, outscoring the Power three goals to two. In the end, the final term was halved, each side adding 3.2 with the final margin being 61 points, as it was at the last change.

Port's best included Gray (30 possessions, two goals) and Matthew Broadbent (27 touches), while the Bombers were well-served by ex-Lion Matthew Leuenberger (33 hitouts, 11 disposals) and David Zaharakis (27 possessions, seven tackles). Both coaches found positives in the match.

Next up for Port will be a good test against GWS at Manuka Oval in Canberra, while Essendon faces a very tough challenge at the MCG on Saturday, where it will take on the resurgent Geelong.

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Young, Dixon 3; Amon, R Gray, Westhoff 2; Boak, Ebert, Polec, Byrne-Jones, Wines
Essendon: Daniher, Kommer 2; Ambrose, Goddard, J Merrett

BEST - THE AGE
Port Adelaide: R. Gray, Broadbent, Pittard, Polec, Wines, Boak
Essendon: Leuenberger, Kelly, Zaharakis, Cooney, Merrett, Daniher

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Gray, Polec, Broadbent, Pittard, Boak, Wines
Essendon: Leuenberger, Zaharakis, Z Merrett, Goddard, Kelly

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Essendon: Nil

UMPIRES: Fisher, Stephens, Pannell

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Bruce McAvaney, Dennis Cometti, Wayne Carey, Cameron Ling, Matthew Richardson