Honesty helps Port Adelaide Magpies take flight in win over Panthers

A WARTS-and-all Monday night meeting paved the way for the Port Adelaide Magpies to produce their best performance of the season against high-flying South Adelaide at Alberton on Sunday.

Flying ... Port Adelaide's Steven Summerton takes on South’s Matthew Rankine. Picture: Tom Huntley

A WARTS-and-all Monday night meeting paved the way for the Port Adelaide Magpies to produce their best performance of the season against high-flying South Adelaide at Alberton on Sunday.

The Magpies upset previous ladder leader South by 48 points after the team’s AFL-listed and SANFL-contracted players got on the same page a month after rookie coach Chad Cornes accused some members of his team as being ‘‘selfish’’.

“We had a great meeting on Monday night after last week’s game (loss to the Eagles),’’ said Cornes, who described the Magpies’ third win of the season as the best.

“The way the leaders bought in and really stood up — from both camps (Power and Magpies) — and took a lot of ownership and really how everyone bought in to what we are trying to do was great.

“We just threw the meeting open.

“I wasn’t sure where it was going to lead, it was just getting ideas from everyone on what we thought we could improve and the leaders really took it upon themselves and came up with some really good ideas.

“I obviously won’t share them with everyone but it was just good ownership from the whole group.

“All I ask for is effort and intensity and the boys showed a lot of maturity I thought.’’

Port, fielding 13 AFL-listed players, controlled the midfield through Kane Mitchell (30 disposals while nullifying dual Magarey Medallist Joel Cross), Sam Gray (32 disposals), Jimmy Toumpas (28) and Brendon Ah Chee (three goals).

They ensured the Magpies dominated the inside 50 count 57-41 and gave enough opportunities for their forwards while full back Alipate Carlile showed he is close to an AFL recall.

South’s defeat was its second in a row after it won its first six matches.

“It was pretty disappointing,’’ coach Brad Gotch said.

“Port really wanted it and we got outworked.

“We made too many mistakes, our team defence didn’t quite work the way it’s been working and they probably exposed us on the outside. We might have hit a little bit of a flat spot and the boys have to decide that if they want to be a good side they have to pay the price.’’