Australian Football

Match Report

Port Adelaide has recorded what could probably be best described as a workmanlike win over bottom side Brisbane at the Adelaide Oval in Saturday's twilight match. The Power had a comfortable 40-point win, perhaps not as big a margin as they might have expected or hope for, but the Lions - who were coming off a win over Fremantle - put up a pretty good performance for much of the night before Port's experience and class saw it through to victory and back into the top four.

The Power got away to a fast start, and with Ollie Wines, Chad Wingard and Travis Boak all kicking goals in the first 10 minutes, a thrashing seemed to be a distinct possibility. But a long running goal from Ryan Bastinac settled the Lions and they added the next two majors through Tom Rockliff and Bastinac again and the margin was only one point, with the home side in front as the quarter entered time on. Port regained the ascendancy towards the end of the term, and goals to Charlie Dixon and Robbie Gray had the Power in front by 15 points at quarter time. 

Brisbane showed that it had no intention of rolling over early in the second quarter, and after a miss to Dayne Zorko, an accurate kick from Lewis Taylor had the Lions back within eight points. Hamish Hartlett steadied things for Port with a goal at the eight-minute mark but the next 15 minutes belonged to the visitors. The Lions added 2.2. to three behinds in that period, the goals going to Ryan Lester and Zorko, to bring the margin back to just three points. Unfortunately for them they lapsed late in the term and majors to Sam Powell-Pepper and Aaron Young had the margin back out to 15 at the long break.

Aaron Young began the third quarter as he had ended the second, with a goal, but a mark and goal to Jake Barrett canceThe lled that out after two minutes. From there, the Power gradually began to get on top. They kicked the next through majors through Wingard and Paddy Ryder and, after Harris Andrews pulled one back for Brisbane, added two more via Robbie Gray and Wines to jump 33 points clear early in time on. The Lions kept hanging in, though, kicking two of the last three of the term to be just within striking distance - 28 points behind - at the final end-change.

It took only 24 seconds for the first goal of the final quarter to be kicked, and it went to Brisbane via a great long kick on an angle from Eric Hipwood. That goal cut the margin to just 22 points but the Power responded through Ryder, who kicked his second at the two-minute mark. Still the Lions kept coming, a lovely slap from Zorko again cutting the deficit to 22 after seven minutes, but the Lions could not land another blow. Wingard took the lead back out to 28 with his third, and from there Port gradually drew away. goals to Sam Gray, Jake Neade taking the eventual winning margin out to 40.

Ryder was outstanding for the Power, with 40 hitouts, four marks and two goals, while Wines was also excellent, collecting 29 touches and taking eight marks.

Next up for Port (fourth, 7-5) is a trip to the MCG for the first time this year to take on Collingwood (13th, 5-7) on Saturday afternoon, while Brisbane (last, 2-10) will return home to face a daunting task on the same day - it will host the second-placed Giants. 

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Wingard 3; Wines, R.Gray, Young, Ryder, Powell-Pepper 2; Hartlett, Dixon, Boak, S.Gray, Neade
Brisbane: Bastinac 3; Hipwood, Zorko 2; Taylor, Barrett, Andrews, Rockliff, Lester

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Ryder, Wines, R.Gray, Byrne-Jones, Powell-Pepper, Westhoff
Brisbane: Zorko, Bastinac, Andrews, Hipwood, Lester

BEST - THE AGE
Port Adelaide: Ryder, R Gray, Wines, Ebert, Broadbent, Powell-Pepper
Brisbane: Zorko, Bastinac, Beams,Hipwood, Rich, Lester

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Polec (hamstring)
Brisbane: Robertson, Barrett

UMPIRES: Margetts, Deboy, Stephens, Hay

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Dermott Brereton, Mark Ricciuto, Ben Dixon