A SEVEN-MINUTE burst in the second term has cost West Coast its fourth loss of the season, with a 24-point defeat by Port Adelaide at Subiaco Oval on Sunday afternoon.

The Power kicked five straight goals in that time to leap to a 37-point lead 10 minutes from half time before they won 19.14 (128) to 16.8 (104).

The lead stretched as far as 68 points in the last before Port hit the wall and West Coast booted the final seven goals of the match.

West Coast had plenty to play for, with just one win in the first month and 150-game milestones for Dean Cox and skipper Darren Glass, but after the five-goal jolt from the Power, it was never really in the hunt.

Port has now won 12 of the last 14 against West Coast and despite trailing by two points at quarter time, looked the better team all day, with only early inaccuracy keeping the hosts around the mark.

Kane Cornes comprehensively beat Daniel Kerr in the middle, but Ben McKinley kicked multiple goals (five in total) for the third successive game, David Wirrpanda worked hard all day, while Andrew Embley and Adam Selwood competed throughout.

For Port, the Cornes brothers were excellent, as were the Burgoynes, while former Tiger David Rodan and Daniel Motlop (four goals) were also outstanding.

West Coast shot out of the blocks with new find McKinley marking at 35 from Adam Selwood and converting, but then Motlop goaled, with Rodan and Justin Westhoff doing the leadup work, before Adam Thomson charged down a kick from Chris Masten and recovered to ball to kick truly from the arc.

West Coast then kicked two, with Cox marking over Toby Thurstans in the pocket and McKinley marking over Troy Chaplin for his second, and West Coast led by two points at the first break.

The second term started badly for the home side when Motlop marked at 40 metres out, then ran around Glass and Matt Spangher to dribble it home from 20, and Thomson kicked his second.

Wirrpanda then got one back for the hosts, kicking a ripper from the deep in the left pocket, swinging around on his right, but then the floodgates opened.

Brendon Lade snapped from 15 after Mark Nicoski couldn't make an effective tackle, Shaun Burgoyne marked a little kick from Kane Cornes and converted from35, Shaun Burgoyne fed a handball to Warren Tredrea, then kicked another running into an open goal, before Motlop added a fourth.

Steve Armstrong then marked in the pocket after pass from Seaby and converted, but a great pass from Brett Ebert to Tredrea at 35 saw the margin at the long break a hefty 37 points.

The Power started the third as they played the second, with Motlop threading the needle from the boundary line in the right pocket off his right boot from 40 metres, and Westhoff booming one home from outside 50.

West Coast then fired up, with youngster Matty Spangher nailing one from outside the arc, Chad Jones marked just 15 metres out and Lynch booted one from an acute angle after a one-two with Armstrong.

Shaun Burgoyne then got one against the flow of play after he sharked a tap from Cox 20 metres out, but Wirrpanda made the most of a free at 40 metres.

Ebert then marked at the top of the 50 and converted after a sharp pass from Thomson, and Cassisi kicked from 40 after Chad Fletcher failed to tackle Lade, who got the handball away, and at the final break the visitors led by 42 points.

Ebert then kicked the first three of the last, and Rodan added another, before Adam Selwood, Daniel Kerr, Selwood again, McKinley, Lynch and McKinley twice more kicked compensation goals after Port Adelaide took the foot off the pedal.

West Coast faces the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome next Saturday, while Port Adelaide comes up against St Kilda at home.

GOALS
West Coast: McKinley 5, Wirrpanda 2, Selwood 2, Lynch 2, Cox, Armstrong, Spangher, C Jones, Kerr
Port Adelaide: Motlop 4, Ebert 4, S Burgoyne 3, Thomson 2, Tredrea 2, Lade, Westhoff, Cassisi, Rodan

BEST
West Coast: Wirrpanda, Selwood, Lynch, Embley, Jones
Port Adelaide: K Cornes, Boak, Rodan, Motlop, Thomson, C Cornes, Brogan, Cassisi

INJURIES
West Coast: Nil
Port Adelaide: Thomson (shoulder)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Ryan, Wenn, Nicholls

Official crowd: 38,302 at Subiaco

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.