Australian Football

Match Report

GWS has thrashed Port Adelaide at Manuka Oval in Canberra to record its second win for the 2016 season and sound a warning shot to others vying for a place in the top eight. Apart from a very brief period in the middle of the first quarter, the Giants were on top from go to whoa as they annihilated the Power to the tune of 86 points. The question that probably needs to be asked in the aftermath of that result is whether it was a reflection of how good the Giants are or how howe Port Adelaide is. 

As with most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in between. Nevertheless, GWS coach Leon Cameron would have been very happy with his charges displaying such potency in attack, with 14 separate goalkickers combining to kick the highest score in the Giants' history, while Power coach Ken Hinkley would have been bitterly disappointed with the lack of intensity displayed by his players, particularly in the first half. 

The Giants dominated the early stages of that match, with skipper Callan Ward, Steve Johnson and Stephen Coniglio all goaling within the first 12 minutes of the match. The Power responded with two majors to Chad Wingard and another to Aaron Young and it looked like the two sides were heading for a close, entertaining affair. But in an ominous sign of things to come, GWS kicked another three in a row, with Johnson getting his second, and the Giants led by 23 points at quarter time.

When  Rhys Palmer and Rory Lobb added two more goals for GWS in the first five minutes of the second term, alarm bells were ringing for Port Adelaide. Majors to Jake Neade and Young put the Power temporarily back on track by the 10-minute mark, but the Giants blew the game out of the word in a scintillating display over the next 20 minutes. They attacked incessantly to add six goals in a row, while not allowing the Power so much as a behind. When Port finally managed to score just before half time, it could manage only minor scores to Wingard and Robbie Gray and GWS went to the long break with a lead go 61 points and the result a foregone conclusion. 

To their credit, the Power showed some fight in the third term, kicking two goals while restricting GWS to just two, but 'normal service' was resumed in the final quarter as the Giants ran away with the match, booting another six goals to finish with a total of 22, more than they've ever kicked ion any previous match. Port managed only two, GWS finishing the game more than 14 goals clear of the Power. 

The Giants had winners everywhere but Ward (24 touches, two goals) and Coniglio (34 possessions, one goal) were particularly good. For the Power, Ollie Wines (25 disposals, five tackles) was one of few shining lights. 

GWS will look to build some consistency in its season with a win over St Kilda at Docklands next Sunday, while the Power will require a huge improvement to get over the top of Geelong, who they will host at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

GOALS
GWS: Lobb 4; Palmer 3; Johnson, Griffen, Ward 2; Coniglio, Mumford, Patton, Wilson, Steele, Shiel, Scully, Greene, Kelly
Port Adelaide: Neade, Young, Wingard 2; Westhoff, Byrne-Jones, Dixon

BEST - SMH.COM.AU
GWS: Ward, Coniglio, Lobb, Mumford, Shiel, Palmer
Port Adelaide: Lobbe, Wines, Pittard, Westhoff

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
GWS: Shiel, Ward, Coniglio, Greene, Lobb, Whitfield, Wilson, Mumford
Port Adelaide: Pittard, Wines, Westhoff, R. Gray

INJURIES
GWS: Nil
Port Adelaide: Nil

REPORTS: Charlie Dixon reported for striking Phil Davis in the final term

UMPIRES: Findlay, Jeffery, Mollison 

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Gerard Healy, Tony Shaw, Barry Hall