Bloods climb to sixth on SANFL ladder with win over Port Adelaide
WEST Adelaide got the points against Port Adelaide, but Bloods coach Gavin Colville was not content with the performance.
WEST Adelaide inflicted more pain on Port Adelaide with a 26-point victory at Richmond Oval on Saturday.
The win lifted the Bloods to sixth on the ladder, albeit they have played a game more than Central District and Glenelg, while Port has lost its past six games.
Hit by injuries, Port had just 10 AFL-listed players in the line-up and never seriously threatened the Bloods after half-time.
Port nailed the final five goals after trailing by 58 points 10 minutes into the final quarter, having been restricted to only four for three and a half terms.
The rooms after the game were intriguing.
It was Bloods coach Gavin Colville who was subdued, while Port was content with the effort and structures, but obviously not the result.
Colville was far from satisfied with the lack of intensity in the first half and to cough up the final five goals after doing so well to limit Port struck a nerve.
“That is a representation of our season,” he said. “We played some terrific football, but whether it is a mental thing, our workrate dropped off. With all due respect to the opposition, my focus is on us and if we don’t play as well as we can for longer it is irrelevant who we are playing.
“I just want to play better for longer.
“I’m happy to get the win, I just want us to be better.”
It took the Bloods 17 minutes with a strong wind to kick their only goal for the first quarter.
The service deep into attack was poor and there was just no urgency from the home side.
For the second successive week, Port failed to impact on the scoreboard in the first quarter. In fact, its only score against the wind was a behind after the three-quarter time siren. By then, the Bloods had taken control with a more disciplined approach, more authority with the ball movement, increased pressure and brilliance from forward Jono Beech.
The Bloods’ cause was also helped by Port turnovers as well as the visitors being reduced to one rotation following injuries to Trent McKenzie and Levi Proude.
The Bloods were ultra impressive for the first 10 minutes of the final quarter. Then it was cue in the rack time and Port went to work.
Port’s state league football manager Shane Grimm said coach Matthew Lokan, who had to rush to the Showdown, was pleased with the effort and not conceding goals from stoppages.
“Lokes was even happy with the attitude before the game, how the guys were positive,” Grimm said. “It is the most Magpies contracted players we have had in the side and they held their own.”
SCOREBOARD
WEST ADELAIDE 1.5 5.7 10.13 12.15 (87)
PORT ADELAIDE 0.0 4.3 4.4 9.7 (61)
BEST - West: Beech, Agostino, Stevens, Burgess, Bates, Keough. Port: Snelling, Gray, Trengove, Summerton, Kluske.
GOALS - West: Beech 7. Burgess, Webb 2, Keough. Port: Snelling 3, Ladhams 2, Morgan, Hewett, Johnson, Proude.
INJURIES - Port: McKenzie (blurred vision), Proude (shin).
UMPIRES - Philp, Morgan, Schramm.
CROWD - 1100 at City Mazda Stadium, Richmond.