CONNOR Rozee has claimed his second successive Peter Badcoe VC Medal, propelling Port Adelaide to a clinical 40-point victory against West Coast at Adelaide Oval.
Rozee (29 disposals, two goals), Jeremy Finlayson (five goals) and Willem Drew (25 disposals, one goal) all starred as the Power made it three straight wins with their 16.13 (109) to 10.9 (69) triumph on Saturday afternoon.
The result was dampened by forward Todd Marshall suffering a concussion, while captain Tom Jonas faces a date with the match review officer following his bump on Jai Culley.
Marshall was substituted out midway through the second period after his head accidentally clashed with Liam Duggan's shoulder.
Shortly before halftime, Jonas collided heads with Culley after electing to bump the young Eagle.
POWER v EAGLES Full match coverage and stats
Culley shrugged off the hit to slot three of his personal-best four goals after the main break.
Luckless Luke Shuey, back from a hamstring injury, was not so fortunate, the Eagles captain hurting his left ankle in an Ollie Wines tackle early in the game and eventually being substituted in the third quarter.
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Behind Bailey Williams' centre-square grunt - in the air and on the deck - West Coast's seasoned campaigners Shuey, Tim Kelly and Andrew Gaff more than matched Port's engine room in the clinches.
But the Power were cleaner and had more contributors when it mattered, particularly during their match-winning 6.4-to-1.3 second term, which turned a slender five-point quarter-time edge into a commanding 36-point halftime cushion.
Finlayson slotted his fourth goal in the opening 90 seconds of the third period before dishing off to Sam Powell-Pepper moments later as Port pushed 48 points clear.
With Shuey's afternoon ending, Kelly's big third quarter piloted a belated rearguard before Ryan Burton crept forward, juggled a one-handed mark and converted expertly from the outer pocket to the River End.
The Eagles, as they did at the same venue six days earlier against Geelong in Gather Round, matched their opposition after halftime, but the damage had already been done.
More injury woe for West Coast
West Coast have been hampered by injury so far in 2023, so the return of captain Luke Shuey for round six was welcome news to the Eagles. But it was short-lived, with the 32-year-old felled by an ankle injury early in the first quarter. He returned to the field not long after and racked up 17 disposals before he was subbed off midway through the third quarter. He’d missed the past fortnight with a hamstring injury, so while the extent of his ankle issue isn’t yet known, at least it’s not a soft tissue injury like most of the injury-plagued veteran’s niggles over the past few years.
Jai shines on the big stage
On a bleak day for West Coast, Jai Culley stood tall. Playing just his third game of the year – and seventh overall – the 20-year-old booted four goals against the Power to take his career tally to five. The 2022 mid-season rookie draft pick-up copped a hit to the cheekbone from Port captain Tom Jonas in the second quarter but didn’t let that stop him as he gave the Eagles a focal point up forward.
PORT ADELAIDE 3.2 9.6 13.9 16.13 (109)
WEST COAST 2.3 3.6 7.8 10.9 (69)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Finlayson 5, Rozee 2, Rioli 2, Burton 2, Byrne-Jones 2, Lord, Drew, Powell-Pepper
West Coast: Culley 4, Allen 2, Darling 2, Waterman, Petruccelle
BEST
Port Adelaide: Rozee, Finlayson, Butters, Drew, Wines
West Coast: Kelly, Culley, Williams, Gaff, Waterman
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Todd Marshall (concussion)
West Coast: Luke Shuey (ankle)
SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Dylan Williams (replaced Todd Marshall in the second quarter)
West Coast: Rhett Bazzo (replaced Luke Shuey in the third quarter)
Crowd: 31,638 at the Adelaide Oval
