Australian Football

Match Report

A relatively narrow win over Port Adelaide has seen the West Coast Eagles move from seventh to sixth on the ladder and keep alive their hopes of a top-four finish. The Eagles led for almost the entire match in the twilight at the Adelaide Oval and led by as much as 37 points at one stage in the third quarter, and then withstood a last-quarter comeback which saw Port kick the last four goals of the match. It was too little, too late for the Power, though, and West Coast held on to win by eight points.  

Jamie Cripps got the Eagles off to a perfect start with a goal inside the first minute. Aaron Young then put Port on the board with a goal after a pass from Robbie Gray and another two minutes later to put the Power five points clear after nine minutes. Elliot Yeo and Josh Kennedy then goaled for the Eagles but Chad Wingard's first for Port had scores level at the 21-minute mark. But the Eagles finished off the first term with two more majors to Kennedy and were never headed again.

Port kicked the first major of the second term after a mark outside 50 and a long bomb from Charle Dixon, but West Coast set up a decisive break over the next 20 minutes, with goals to Luke Shuey, Kennedy and Scott Lycett taking the Eagles' lead out to 24 points. Hamish Hartlett pulled one back for the Power but that man Josh Kennedy bobbed up again just before half time, and his fifth saw West Coast 25 points clear at the half.

The Power needed the first goal of the third term to stay in touch but unfortunately for them it went the way of Lycett, putting the Eagles 31 points clear. Young's third goal brought the margin back to 25 but the next two majors went West Coast's way and the margin was at a game-high 37 points at the 26-minute mark. Then, seemingly from nowhere, Port Adelaide produced a sudden burst and goals to Dixon, Brad Ebert and Justin Westhoff had the Power back within 19 and the final break.

An early opportunity to narrow the gap further came Port's way early in the final quarter after Young marked at the three-minute mark but his shot missed and the next two goals went the way of the Eagles for Jamie Cripps and Kennedy, who kicked his seventh at the 12-minute mark. From that moment, Port Power pressed hard, and had the final four shots at goal of the match. All were accurate, with Wingard snaring two majors and Jared Polec and Young one each but time right out for Port, the Eagles hanging on to win by eight points.

Kennedy (seven goals, 15 disposals) and Matt Priddis (27 touches, 10 tackles) were great for the Eagles while Robbie Gray (10 tackles, 28 possessions) was Port's best player on the night.

With a 6-3 record, the Eagles will be hot favourites to make that 7-3 when they host the Gold Coast Suns at Subiaco on Sunday. Port, 10th with a 4-5 record, will look to square the season ledger with a win over Melbourne (ninth, 5-4) at Traeger Park in Alice Springs on Saturday.

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Young 4; Wingard 3; Dixon 2; Hartlett, Westhoff, Ebert, Polec
West Coast: Kennedy 7; Lycett, Cripps 2; Yeo, Shuey, Hill

BEST - THE SUNDAY AGE
Port Adelaide: R. Gray, Dixon, Young, Wingard, Boak, Ebert
West Coast: Kennedy, Naitanui, Priddis, Wellingham, Lycett, McGovern

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: R. Gray, Young, Dixon, Wingard, Pittard, Polec
West Coast: Priddis, Naitanui, Kennedy, Cripps, Shuey, Lycett

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nill
West Coast: Andrew Gaff (concussion)

REPORTS: Port Adelaide's Tom Jonas for striking Andrew Gaff in the third term; Port Adelaide's Robbie Gray for tripping West Coast's Mark LeCras in the final term.

UMPIRES: Rosebury, McInerney, Wallace

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Adam Papalia, Jason Dunstall, Mark Ricciuto, David King