SANFL 2016: Port Adelaide snap Woodville-West Torrens win streak
PORT Adelaide is daring to dream about finals after snapping Woodville-West Torrens’ nine-game winning streak while finding its best form for the season under first-year coach Chad Cornes.
PORT Adelaide is daring to dream about finals after snapping Woodville-West Torrens’ nine-game winning streak while finding its best form for the season under first-year coach Chad Cornes.
The Magpies had the crowd on their feet as they collected their third win in succession and continued to rise towards the top five on the back of a flawless display.
They are loaded with AFL talent but it’s more than that. Port is playing with the verve and confidence of yesteryear and has found another level of composure and intent.
It started with Jared Polec, who has been quiet in recent weeks, and fellow Power-listed players Nathan Krakouer and Sam Colquhoun in the backline. Polec did a bit of everything and caught the eye with an effort that suggested he’ll at least be mentioned at the Power’s selection meeting this week. He opened up the ground with long and incisive switches from the backline, laid heavy tackles, helped out around the stoppages in the middle and even floated forward for a goal.
Colquhoun was more measured but also more of a constant. He roved beautifully in the back half, coolly sweeping up loose balls and delivering accurately. Krakouer plays in spurts but they’re worth waiting for. He’s good for a goal off a step off either foot, can break the game open with his runs and is also keen to get involved on the inside.
Port had the early running and much of it was because of what happened in the centre of the ground. You could not find a more respected ruck duo than Matthew Lobbe and Billy Frampton but their counterparts — the Eagles’ Marc Borholm and Jarrad Redden — are as good as they come as state level. But Port doesn’t just rely on the AFL reserves players.
Captain Steven Summerton, as always, was the leader who held it all together.
And Luke Reynolds is as good a classical forward as you’ll see in the SANFL, the way he sets up team-mates and kicks his own goals.
Cornes was chuffed with his side’s effort against a side that had won nine in a row. “To beat them by six goals shows that you can beat anyone on your day,” he said. “It just goes back to your attitude and the energy and pressure that we’ve turned up with for the past three weeks.”
Eagles coach Michael Godden was quick to give credit where it was due. He hadn’t been overly upset with his players, even though there were areas that needed work.
“They were way too good today,” Godden said. “There are things we can always learn but they were elite.”
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 4.2 6.5 7.7 12.10 (82)
WOODVILLE-WEST TORRENS 0.1 2.3 4.5 6.5 (41)
BEST Port Adelaide Krakouer, Colquhoun, Polec, Summerton, Reynolds, Rudloff
Woodville-West Torrens Boyd, Petrenko, Allmond, Wundke, Borholm, O’Brien
GOALS
Port Adelaide Reynolds 4, Butcher 3, Polec 2, Sharrad, Krakouer, Biemans
Woodville-West Torrens Wundke 3, Ainger 2, Allmond
UMPIRES
Bowen, Scott, Schramm
CROWD
2741 at Alberton Oval