Port Adelaide rallies to deny gallant Melbourne victory at Traeger Park in Alice Springs

PORT Adelaide survived a fright against Melbourne in a historic match in Alice Springs after a final-quarter blitzkrieg.

ALICE SPRINGS, AUSTRALIA - MAY 31: Nathan Jones (L) of the Demons and Robbie Gray of the Power compete for the ball during the round 11 AFL match between the Melbourne Demons and the Port Power at Traeger Park on May 31, 2014 in Alice Springs, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

PORT Adelaide has survived a fright against Melbourne in a historic match in Alice Springs after staging a final-quarter blitzkrieg to win by 20 points.

The Power had to call on one of its most valuable commodities — its running capacity — to finally break the shackles in the first match for premiership points in the township.

It took until the 16-minute mark of the final quarter for Port to recapture the lead as fatigue was setting in.

It also took that long for the Power to look in control, with more run, more stability in the backline and finding the agile Justin Westhoff to kick a couple of goals to create a buffer.

There was high drama to the backdrop of the MacDonnell Ranges at the picturesque Traeger Park.

Melbourne's Colin Garland flies high over Port Adelaide's Robbie Gray at Traeger Park. Picture: Justin Brierty

Never more than in the third quarter, when Melbourne hit the front for the first time and Port Adelaide best and fairest Chad Wingard was carried off the ground on a stretcher wearing a neck brace after copping a knee to the back of his head in a marking contest.

The local ambulance officers followed the stretcher into the rooms and while he took no further part in the game, he was spared a trip to the local hospital after recovering consciousness.

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For most of the day, the talk was about the Demons, because nobody had expected to make this observation so soon after a change of coach: they are a good team.

It was symbolic that Dom Tyson, who was one of the club’s most important players, kicked the goal that gave his team a lead. It was a long kick from 60m out.

It began looking like the champagne could be uncorked by quarter time. On a beautiful day in the red centre, the Power banged on the first four goals through Robbie Gray, Jay Sculz, Matt White — a tumbler that looked like it was destined for the hot spot rather than the goal, and little Jake Neade.

The crowd loved it when Neade had his moments; he hails from Northern Territory town Elliott and is considered a local after playing with West Alice before heading to Victoria for school football.

Port’s players were looking like millionaires early on. Jared Polec was quick and elusive and delivered the ball with his elegant long kicks and captain Travis Boak was making his trademark butch impression on the game.

Then there was the run and the spread, which had Port leave a stoppage quickly to have options in every corner of the ground.

Westhoff took off on daring runs and the ball sat for him; during one dash he lost the ball but gathered it again without breaking stride and delivered it into the forward line after running along the grandstand side wing.

The Demons couldn’t catch Kane Mitchell, a quick outside player who outran every opponent.

There were intriguing battles everywhere. Kane Cornes was running with old foe Bernie Vince, re-creating a Showdown moment, and for the first part it was hard to split them. It was more a matter of the pair neutralising one another.

Port Adelaide's Jake Neade celebrates a goal. Picture: Justin Brierty

Port’s players had other tricks. They forced Melbourne to go wide by streaming back to clog up the quickest and easiest route to kicking goals.

But the complexion of the match changed gradually, and obviously because of Melbourne’s work rate. It began with Mark Jamar’s work in the ruck, Nathan Jones is feeling what it wins again for the first time since 2006 and Daniel Cross began limiting Polec’s time and space.

There was a period when the Power were flirting with fate by becoming cute and taking too many chances: flying for marks when a punch would have been the sensible option, taking on an opponent rather than looking for the first option in a teammate.

Melbourne’s defensive efforts led to team goals; not the flashy, quick and spectacular ones but the type that come from a series of efforts.

There has been an air of belief about the Demons, for the fist time in years since premiership Paul Roos took over the coaching role.

Their run-on in the second quarter took them to within a kick of Port Adelaide after the Demons kicked four out of the last five goals for the half.

But Port ran better, and for longer.

Originally published as Port Adelaide rallies to deny gallant Melbourne victory at Traeger Park in Alice Springs