Australian Football

Match Report

Port Adelaide's 2017 season continues to build nicely, after the Power dished out their second thrashing in two weeks on Saturday, this time against Brisbane at the Gabba. Port was switched on from the opening bounce, and had seven goals on the board before the Lions had any. That set the scene for the rest of the match, and the Power won all four quarters quite convincingly to run out victors by 83 points.

Charlie Dixon gave Port the first score of the board, a behind after a mark at the two-minute mark. The Power soon found their accuracy and Brad Ebert, Jackson Trengove and Robbie Gray all kicked goals over the next five minutes, with the Lions managing only a behind via Darcy Gardiner. Dan Houston and Chad Wingard added a couple of behinds for the Power before they found the big sticks again with a pair of goals to Jarman Impey and another brace to Dixon to open up a 44-point lead. A couple of late majors for Michael Close and Eric Hipwood prevented a total disaster for the Lions, but they were 32 points in arrears at quarter time.

Port did not manage a goal in the first eight minutes of the second term, but that was more to do with the Power's inaccuracy than Brisbane shoring up its defence. The Power were back on target soon after, and goals to Dixon, Robbie Gray, Sam Powell-Pepper had them out to a 60-point lead half way through the quarter. The Lions rallied to a degree late in the term as they had in the first, with a goal to Mitch Robinson, but the margin was still a huge 55 points at the long break.

The third term started with more of the same, Jarman Impey kicking two goals in the first four minutes to put Port Adelaide 67 points clear. The two sides then traded pairs of goals, Hipwood and Schache scoring for Brisbane, Powell-Pepper and Paddy Ryder for the Power, and Claye Beams and Lewis Taylor for the Lions once more. Port finished the term strongly, though, kicking the last three majors of the term, two to Trengove and one to Ollie Wines, and they took a 75-point lead into 'orange time'.

Port started strongly once more in the final quarter, and Karl Amon and Robbie Gray kicked goals to extend the Power's lead to 87 points. From their the Brisbane Lions to their credit flight out the match. The last 25 minutes of the match saw them outscore Port four goals to three, preventing the Power winning by a three-figure margin. Nevertheless, the Power's win was comprehensive and very impressive.

Port's best included Chad Wingard (31 possessions) and Charlie Dixon (1 marks, four goals), while Lewis Taylor (nine marks, 26 disposals) and Mitch Robinson (25 possessions, six tackles) excelled for the Lions.

Next up for the Power, who are 4-2 and sitting in fifth place, is a Saturday twilight home game against West Coast (sixth, also with a 4-2 record), while Brisbane, whose only win came in round one, will travel to Sydney to take on the winless Swans a the SCG on Sunday.

GOALS
Brisbane: Hipwood, Robinson 2; Close, Schache, C.Beams, Taylor, Zorko, Cutler
Port Adelaide: Impey, R.Gray, Dixon 4; Trengove 3; Powell-Pepper 2; Ebert, Ryder, Wines, Amon, S.Gray

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Brisbane: Taylor, Robinson, Robertson, Mayes
Port Adelaide: Wingard, Dixon, Pittard, R.Gray, Ebert, Powell-Pepper

BEST - BRISBANETIMES.COM.AU
Brisbane: Taylor, Robinson, Martin, Robertson
Port Adelaide: Wingard, Dixon, Pittard, Ebert, Powell-Pepper, Westhoff, R Gray

INJURIES
Brisbane: Nil
Port Adelaide: Nil

UMPIRES: Kamolins, Ryan, Mitchell

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Jason Dunstall, Danny Frawley, Brian Lake