Australian Football

Match Report

Port Adelaide has consolidated its place in the top four with a solid win over Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday. The Power won only two of the match's four quarters, but won them convincingly to set up a 31-point win, a margin which could have been higher with more accuracy in front of goal. For the Magpies, the loss was very damaging, leaving them two games adrift of the top eight with nine rounds remaining. For the Pies, the possibility of finals participation is becoming ever more remote.

Defence ruled in the early stages of the match, the only score of the first nine minutes being a behind to Port's Robbie Gray, but his teammate Jarman Impey broke the drought when he goaled to give the visitors a seven-point lead. The Power dominated general play for the next 10 minutes, adding another two behinds and a second goal via Robbie Gray before Collingwood finally broke through for a score - a goal to Alex Fasolo - on the cusp of time on. That was the Pies' only score for the quarter, though, and Jake Neade and Gray added further majors to give Port a 21-point quarter-time lead.

Port continued to look strong in the early stages of the second term but could manage just two behinds in the first five minutes, after which Fasolo marked and kicked his, and the Magpies', second goal against the run of play. Both sides added a behind before Callum Brown scored Collingwood's third major cutting the margin to just 11 points. Gray's third goal midway through the quarter settled the Power, and each side added one more major for the quarter, Port taking a 17-point buffer into the half.

When Ben Crocker scored the first goal of the third quarter after being paid a free kick, Collingwood looked to be right back in the match. But it proved to be a false dawn for the Magpies, and from there Port took control. Over the next 20 minutes, the Power added five consecutive goals - one each to Matthew White, Robbie Gray, Chad Wingard, Sam Gray and Ollie Wines - before Collingwood got a late one through Darcy Moore. The Pies had a couple more chances to score again but James Aish and Jeremy Howe both missed, and Port was 34 points clear at the last change of ends.

Collingwood got the goal it needed to give itself a chance of victory when Moore kicked a goal off the ground from the goal square in the first 75 seconds. But the Magpies could not find a follow-up goal and when Charlie Dixon goaled to extend Port's lead to 35 points at the 10-minute mark, the game was as good as over. The two sides played out time from there, Collingwood kicking two goals to one in the final 20 minutes as the Power cruised to a win of just over five goals.

Robbie Gray was a clear match winner for Port, kicking five goals to go with his 20 possessions. For Collingwood, Scott Pendlebury (32 touches, seven tackles) and Steele Sidebottom (36 possessions eight marks) were standouts. 

Next up for the Power is a Sunday home game at the Adelaide Oval against fifth-placed Richmond. A loss to the Tigers would see Port give up their place in the top four. Collingwood will take on Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday, a game it should go into with some confidence, the Magpies having beaten the Hawks only six weeks ago. 

GOALS
Collingwood: Moore 3; Fasolo 2; Brown, De Goey, Crocker, Reid
Port Adelaide: R.Gray 5; S.Gray 2; Impey, Neade, White, Wingard, Wines, Dixon

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Treloar, Fasolo, Goldsack, Reid
Port Adelaide: R. Gray, White, Powell-Pepper, Wines, Hartlett, Jonas

BEST - THE AGE
Collingwood: Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Treloar, Grundy, Howe
Port Adelaide: R. Gray, White, Wines, Hartlett, S. Gray, Pittard

INJURIES
Collingwood: Nil
Port Adelaide: Nil

UMPIRES: Dalgleish, S.Ryan, B.Ryan

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Gerard Healy, Brad Johnson, Cameron Mooney