SANFL 2019: Port Adelaide v West Adelaide Round 12 match report
Port Adelaide’s powerful tall timber was too much for a West Adelaide outfit unable to lift for Kaine Stevens’ 100th match.
West Adelaide’s dismal season has got a lot dirtier, outgunned and outclassed by Port Adelaide’s arsenal of tall forwards by 77 points at Alberton Oval.
Billed as Super Sunday with four league games held, it was anything but for Bloods star Kaine Stevens’ 100th match, as the Magpie wielded superior firepower with nine individual goal kickers.
The Bloods were kept scoreless for two quarters in one of their worst matches for the year.
The early warning signs were there for the visitors as Port slotted two majors inside the first four minutes through big men Billy Frampton and Sam Hayes.
Port ruled the air — the height of Todd Marshall, Paddy Ryder, Frampton and Hayes stretched the Bloods’ defence — and the ground, highlighted by 19-year-old Martin Frederick’s dynamic dash from defence, resulting in a goal-of-the-year contender.
It sounded like there was plenty of heartburn inside the Bloods’ coaching box as
Port looked a genuine chance of scoring with every 50 entry, dominating that marker 15-7.
Up the other end, Westies could not muster a single opportunity for the quarter, despite the strong link up work from Jonathon Beech (four marks).
A black and white tidal wave loomed early in the second when Boyd Woodcock became the team’s sixth individual goal kicker.
But the visitors finally found some spark, hitting the scoreboard for first time in the 11th minute when an all-alone Stevens dribbled one from the goal square, followed by a super set shot from Jack Evans.
But the mini revival was quickly stamped out through Hayes’ second and a clever snap from Kane Farrell.
The Bloods showed more passion for the fight during two melees after the halftime bell.
Their dirty day was summed up by a shocking shot for goal by Erin Wasley-Black which sailed out of bounds on the full.
Towering bombs from outside 50 through Trent McKenzie and Aidyn Johnson killed the contest.
Port coach Matt Lokan was happy to seal their fourth win on the bounce against a team he believed has a midfield as good as any other side in the league.
“It was an odd day, most of our disposals were through the front half or back half,” Lokan said.
“It was an oddly played game.”
West Adelaide coach Gavin Colville told his charges there would be no “doom and gloom” despite the “unacceptable” result.
“We couldn’t find any fluency or function in the forward half of the ground,” Colville said.
“We let ourselves down in a lot of areas.”
He said Port’s marking inside 50 was almost impossible to stop.
“It was always going to be difficult,” he said.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE: 4.4 9.8 11.13 14.15 99
WEST ADELAIDE: 0.0 2.3 3.4 3.4 22
BEST — Port Adelaide: Frampton, Mayes, Broadbent, McKenzie, Garner, Ryder. West Adelaide: Stevens, Willsmore, Schmidt, Beech Waite, Dunkin.
GOALS — Port Adelaide: Frampton 4, Hayes, Johnson 2, Cox, Frederick, Ryder, Woodcock, Farrell, McKenzie. West Adelaide: Stevens, Evans, Wasley-Black,
UMPIRES: Burke, Scott, Broadbent.
CROWD: 1544