AFL news, scores: Suns, Port Adelaide, Demons, Lions score wins

A highly experienced West Coast side has been embarrassed, while the Crows copped a record hammering in Adelaide.

Suns player Ben King competes for the ball against West Coast on Saturday night. Picture: AAP

It was supposed to be men against boys. A highly experienced West Coast were expected to run all over a callow Gold Coast team without a win in over a year in Saturday’s AFL match at Metricon Stadium.

In the end, one of those boys – 18-year-old Matt Rowell – was best on ground in just his second AFL match as the Suns snapped their 19-game losing run with a stunning 14.6 (90) to 6.10 (46) upset win.

Rowell’s efforts encapsulated a game where the young Suns were quicker, hungrier and simply better than the Eagles to post a thumping 44-point win. The draftee scored his first two AFL goals, picked up 26 disposals and stood tall when challenged physically by Eagles midfield stars such as Elliot Yeo and Luke Shuey.

Apart from a four-goal burst in the second quarter by the visitors, the Suns’ victory was never in doubt, kicking eight goals to one in the second half. Suns coach Stuart Dew was in no doubt the win was easily the best of his eight that he’s had as an AFL coach.

“Our aim is to play exciting, hard-running, manic pressure football,” he said. “Unfortunately we had none of our fans here to see it but we know they’d be watching and hopefully they’d be proud of that group.

“If we wanted to put in a CV for our supporters, it’d be this game and now the challenge starts to replicate.”

As well as Rowell, fellow draftee Noah Anderson picked up his first AFL goal while Lachie Weller was everywhere with 24 disposals.

Even the absence of David Swallow (suspended) and key recruit Brandon Ellis (calf) couldn’t derail the Suns, with Eagles coach Adam Simpson admitting his team had simply been outplayed.

Port crush Crows in record win

Coach Ken Hinkley has lauded Port Adelaide’s ruthless streak in a record 75-point demolition of a hapless Adelaide on Saturday night. Young guns Xavier Duursma (three goals), Zak Butters and Connor Rozee all fired in the Power’s 17.8 (110) to 5.5 (35) victory at Adelaide Oval.

The winning margin is Port’s highest against their arch foe and they restricted the Crows to their lowest total in 48 clashes of the South Australian rivals. The Crows crumbled under Port’s manic pressure which Hinkley labelled a highlight.

“I didn’t know it was a record margin, but it’s always nice to win Showdowns,” Hinkley said.

“When you win and when you big, I know the group were committed to that at three quarter-time. It was ‘let’s keep going’.” Adelaide’s grim night was compounded by captain Rory Sloane suffering a corked thigh and defender Jake Kelly being concussed in the first quarter. “It’s a really embarrassing performance,” Crows coach Matthew Nicks said. “It’s a disappointing day for us but hopefully one we learn from.”

Demons survive scare to edge Carlton

Harley Bennell made a successful return to football as Melbourne survived a late Carlton fightback to register their first triumph of the AFL season with a tense one-point win on Saturday.

Christian Petracca (24 disposals) was the star at Marvel Stadium as teen debutants Trent Rivers and Luke Jackson also impressed.

The Demons kicked the first seven goals in a blistering start – including three to Jayden Hunt – but added just one after half-time and were forced to endure some nervous moments in the dying stages after Carlton ground their way back into the contest.

“It’s really tough to win in this industry and as we saw again today it’s such a tight competition,” Dees coach Simon Goodwin said after the 8.6 (54) to 7.11 (53) win.

“As dynamic as we were early, Carlton were very good late.

“We’ll take the victory and there’s some great learnings in it for us as a club about how good we can be and then the things we’ve got to keep working at.”

The result left the Blues winless and was compounded by a serious knee injury to defender Nic Newman, who was taken from the field on a stretcher before quarter- time.

Lions cling on to beat Dockers

Livewire Brisbane forward Charlie Cameron set the tone all week and then delivered at the Gabba, procuring four first-half goals as the Lions hung on to beat Fremantle by 12 points on Saturday.

The heavy favourites threatened to pull away numerous times but the Dockers kept firing back, getting within four points in the final stages before ultimately falling short 12.9 (81) to 10.9 (69) in a near-replication of their tight first- round loss to Essendon.

Cameron’s early inroads looked to be enough before Michael Walters kicked two final-quarter goals to breathe life into the Dockers’ charge. Brisbane then missed multiple chances to seal the win before captain Dayne Zorko’s nerve-settler got the Lions, beaten comprehensively by Hawthorn in round one nearly three months ago, on the board.

Cameron ran rampant in the first half before being well held by Griffin Logue after the main break.

Lachie Neale’s (29 touches) composure and fitness shone late, his two goals against his former club both oozing class, while Dockers captain Nat Fyfe overcame a quiet start to kick three goals and accumulate 23 disposals. Cameron was electric whenever he was near the ball, snapping three goals before guiding a tight set shot through for his fourth early in the second quarter. “It was (a relief). It’s been an interesting time, I wasn’t sure what was happening today, so will take a win of any sorts,” Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said.

“It was great to see Lachie play so well against his old club. I know he was a little disappointed last year with his performance but today he was critical for us.

“I loved Charlie’s pressure today … he brought energy to the club all week, he’s been up and about.” Fagan was critical of his side’s wastefulness, but stopped short of blasting them for their ill-discipline after penalties late in the first and second quarters led to goals that kept the Dockers close.

Fremantle were wasteful too, Matt Taberner (two goals) deemed to have juggled a mark through the goals to start the final term, while two quick behinds followed to seemingly end their charge before the late surge.

“There’s a mixed range of emotions. We came here to win so to not get that done is very disappointing,” Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said. “We took some good steps forward … but we had plenty of chances to win that game of footy.

“Start of the last quarter we were well and truly on top, just couldn’t kick that extra goal … that final nail to get us in front.” Lion Tom Berry almost had his hero moment late to cap a solid debut. Berry ran back and bravely marked about 30 metres out and lined up for what would have been the sealer, only to push his kick across the face of goal. Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy (knee) will have scans after limping off in the second half, while rucking opponent Stef Martin struggled in his comeback from a round-one knee injury.

AAP