Australian football looks superb when two bullish midfields put on a crunching contest.

Australian football looks superb when two bullish midfields like those of Port Adelaide and Melbourne put on a crunching contest worthy of deciding a top-four placing.

Max Gawn and Patrick Ryder battle for the ball during the round 14 match at Adelaide Oval on Friday night. Picture: GETTY

REAL estate agents talk only of location, location, location. AFL coaches live - and survive - by midfields.

Australian football looks superb when two bullish midfields like those of Port Adelaide and Melbourne - that are going to set up some rivalry for some time - put on a crunching contest worthy of deciding a top-four placing.

Port Adelaide wins the Battle of the Bulls I at Adelaide Oval by 10 points.

The rematch, most likely in September’s top-eight finals, should be something special.

Demons coach Simon Goodwin would feel his midfield’s dominance should have delivered a win last night. Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley will knows his new midfield options - and a bit more class either side of the midfield zone - made for a telling win.

At half-time this was not so obvious. Port Adelaide dealt with a two-point deficit after being as far as 20 point behind the Demons on the quarter-time siren as Brad Ebert lined up for goal marked by the Power’s three on-field divisions carrying different grades.

The midfield - so assertive in the previous fortnight with Sam Powell-Pepper and vice-captain Ollie Wines setting the tone for contested football - had met its match. While ruckmen Patrick Ryder (Power) and Max Gawn (Demons) were putting on a duel to impress the All-Australian selectors, the Melbourne midfielders were winning the clearance count 28-15 - and dictating the flow of traffic. Port Adelaide’s defence, again living to the beat set by Tom Jonas, conceded just 10 scores (4.8) against 39 inside-50s. Giving up one goal for every 10 moves into their territory again says much for how assistant coach Nathan Bassett has set up this so-called “no-name defence”.

The Power’s attack has been challenged for some time to be more efficient. To deliver 4.6 from just 17 inside-50s (59 per cent efficiency) answered that demand for more on the scoreboard while dealing with significantly less in the Port Adelaide forward zone.

And there were times - twice with Geelong recruit Steven Motlop and once with the genius touch of Robbie Gray - that brilliance more so than technique or tactics gave Port Adelaide opportunity to score.

So at half-time the biggest need for change was in the Power midfield in countering the significant advantage from the Gawn-Jack Viney partnership. A few more minutes for Robbie Gray in the engine room. Many more for Motlop, all in line with Hinkley and his midfield coach Michael Voss having more to change and mix forward of centre.

There was a dramatic change in the battle for territory as the Power finally managed a double-figure inside-50 count in a quarter (11-12).

But whatever relief Jonas & Co. were hoping for from Voss changing the traffic flow was wrecked by some horrible errors and turnovers that allowed Melbourne to score three unanswered goals in the three minutes to lead again by 20 points in the ninth minute of the third term.

The Power can still make games more difficult than needed. But now it does win.