The Saints kicked two goals in the first 90 seconds of the game, including one to skipper Nick Riewoldt from a free kick before the opening bounce, to take an early lead and were never headed, posting their highest score of the season to record a comfortable 17.7 (109) to 8.5 (53) victory.
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon didn't learn much about his team in a game it was expected to win, and win well, but he would have taken heart from the continued resurgence of Riewoldt.
The out-of-sorts forward rediscovered form and much-needed confidence, kicking three goals in the third quarter against North Melbourne last weekend, and built on that performance against the Power.
He kicked 4.2 opposed to Jackson Trengove and Troy Chaplin, posting his best return since booting seven goals against the Kangaroos in round 20 last season.
Ex-Geelong recruit Ryan Gamble also bagged four goals, equaling his previous best return against the Western Bulldogs in round 16, 2008, and kicking multiple goals for the first time as a Saint.
There were spotfires all over the ground in the first half.
Sam Fisher and Chad Cornes, playing his first game since round six, engaged in a push and shove in the opening term, and Danyle Pearce earned a free kick in the second quarter after being thrown into the fence by Brendon Goddard.
The simmering tension culminated in a melee involving more than a dozen players, including combatants Cornes and Fisher, and pests Stephen Milne and Tom Logan, in the third term.
Unfortunately for the Power, they couldn't channel their aggression into hard running and strong defensive pressure.
They matched the Saints in the contested possession count, but turned the ball over too often.
Experienced players Kane Cornes, Travis Boak and Troy Chaplin all committed basic skill errors, which resulted directly in goals to St Kilda.
Promising onballer Hamish Hartlett, who amassed 32 possessions (16 contested) and seven marks playing again as a half-back flanker, was one of few positives for the home team.
Prior to Sunday, the Power had at least been competitive in patches during their four-match losing streak, but appeared flat from the start against the Saints.
St Kilda dominated the inside 50 count 14-1 in the opening quarter, kicking four goals to Port's one to lead by 18 points at the first change.
A goal to Jay Schulz cut the margin to 13 points early in the second quarter, but the Saints kicked the next four goals to increase their lead to 31 points at half-time.
The Power failed to score a goal in the third term to register their second goalless quarter in two weeks, and two consolation goals to substitute Cameron Hitchcock in the final quarter saw them narrowly avoid their lowest score of the season.
Port Adelaide's loss was compounded by an arm injury to Trengove.Trengove's wrist swelled up after Riewoldt trod on it in the final quarter, but the club was optimistic the defender had sustained a ruptured blood vessel and not a break.
Influential players
St Kilda star Nick Dal Santo amassed a game-high 36 possessions (15 contested), eight clearances, two goals and a possible three Brownlow Medal votes at AAMI Stadium on Sunday. The skilful midfielder started the game opposed to Power tough nut Matt Thomas, but it was difficult to pinpoint who was supposed to be playing on him after quarter-time.
Brendon Goddard was well held by Cam O'Shea in the first half, but picked up 16 possessions, eight marks and goal in the second half to be one of the better players on the ground.
Hartlett backed up his 27-possession game against the Brisbane Lions last weekend, with his best game in Port Adelaide colours on Sunday. The Power's highest-ever draft pick (No.4 in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft) gathered a career-best 32 touches (16 contested) and seven marks in a classy display across half-back.
Robbie Gray enjoyed more time in the midfield against the Saints, amassing an equal-career high 26 possessions, eight tackles and six clearances.
Turning point
St Kilda asserted control over the game in the opening minutes of the first quarter, but it was a costly mistake in the second term that snuffed out any hope of a Port Adelaide comeback.
Hartlett repelled a Saints attack inside 50m, and steadied with a short pass to Kane Cornes. Cornes had options forward and wide, but put Tom Logan under pressure with a handball back into the corridor.
Stephen Milne pounced, putting in several efforts and finishing off his work with a clever right-foot snap. The goal put the Saints 31 points ahead after the Power had fought to get within 13 points 15 minutes earlier.
Key match up
Another Port Adelaide player, who could claim to having won his position, was Chad Cornes. Cornes played a negating role on Fisher, limiting the prolific possession-getter to his worst return (10 disposals) since round seven, 2010, when he was tagged out of the game by Carlton utility Ryan Houlihan. Cornes had a modest return of 11 possessions, but received a cheer from the adoring Power faithful with each touch.
What it means
St Kilda has won four of its past six games, having lost only to top-two teams Geelong and Collingwood during that time. The Western Bulldogs' unexpected win over Carlton denied the Saints an opportunity to claim ninth spot on the AFL ladder, but they remain a chance to sneak into the top eight before the end of the season, with games against teams below them on the ladder in Gold Coast, Adelaide and North Melbourne still to come.Port Adelaide needs to win five of its last seven games to avoid recording its worst season in history, and is only percentage ahead of newcomers Gold Coast in 16th place on the ladder. The club's younger players are tiring and the team is still unable of put in a four-quarter performance.
What the coaches said:
Matthew Primus (Port Adelaide): "They had us on the back foot from the word go. It wasn't until the last quarter that anything, statistically, looked like going our way, but by then it didn't matter, the game was dead and buried. Their ability to dominate the stoppages and really get all over the top of us in the first quarter set the tone for how they wanted to play. That [St Kilda] team has been a pretty good one for the last two or three years and we came up well short against them today."
Ross Lyon (St Kilda): "We are delivering on some actions and a game plan that is allowing us to get a result that we are all after. Naturally, confidence comes out of actions. The players get some confidence and with that you get some momentum and some belief."
Toyota AFL Dream Team highlight
Port Adelaide: Hamish Hartlett ($311,900) may be carrying a troublesome left shoulder, but he continues to fight hard for Port with a courageous 109-point performance against the Saints.
St Kilda: With 20 touches to half-time, Nick Dal Santo ($372,500) was instrumental in setting up the win for the Saints. Dal Santo finished with 36 disposals and a mammoth 134 Dream Team points as he continues his stellar 2011 season.
Quarter-by-quarter summary
First quarter
The Saints made the earliest of statements against the Power in the opening term. In one of the quickest goals in AFL history, Nick Riewoldt slotted a set shot three seconds into the match after receiving some extra attention from Port's Jackson Trengove before the start of play. Another to Leigh Montagna gave the visitors a two-goal break just two minutes into the game, much to the frustration of the Port Adelaide faithful. Intermittent rain and a gusty breeze made it tough for both teams with skill errors aplenty in the slippery conditions. A long goal to Robbie Gray gave the Power some respite midway through the term, but St Kilda looked far more dangerous in attack as Riewoldt added another at the 25-minute mark. The Saints had 10 more inside 50s and nine more clearances for the term to take an 18-point advantage into the first change.
Port Adelaide 1.2 (8) St Kilda 4.2 (26)
Second quarter
Jay Schulz continued his hot form following on from a seven-goal haul last week, nailing his first early in the second term after a strong contested mark in the goalsquare. But Ben McEvoy rucked and roved at the next centre bounce to put the visitors right back into attack, where Ryan Gamble converted for the quick reply. The blustery conditions continued to cause havoc on the players' skill execution, with plenty of stoppages and scrimmages marring the second term. Most of the play was still centred in the Saints' forward line, as the visitors kicked away with goals to Steven, Milne and Riewoldt. The Power rallied with consecutive goals to Schulz and Stewart, however their good work was undone after a terrible turnover from Travis Boak led to Gamble's second goal for the term. St Kilda looked in total control with a 31-point buffer at half-time.
Port Adelaide 4.2 (26) St Kilda 9.3 (57)
Third quarter
Conditions improved somewhat after the main break however the match remained on St Kilda's terms, with Riewoldt booting his fourth goal of the match in the early minutes. Port showed a fiery intensity and tried to unsettle the rampant Saints, sparking a mini melee involving a cluster of players at Port Adelaide's half-forward line. But St Kilda retained its focus, as skill errors continued to riddle Port Adelaide's game. The Power were simply outclassed by the visitors, managing just two behinds for the quarter. A howling turnover from Troy Chaplin typified Port's woes, gifting Nick Dal Santo (30 possessions to three quarter-time) the easiest of goals as the visitors cruised to a 50-point lead at the final change.
Port Adelaide 4.4 (28) St Kilda 12.6 (78)
Fourth quarter
Cameron Hitchcock's goal was Port's first since the 27-minute mark of the second term, but it was futile resistance against the charging Saints. Ryan Gamble lifted his tally to four goals with another in the final term to equal his career-best effort, as Nick Dal Santo finished with 36 possessions and two goals in a best on ground performance. A late incident involving David Armitage and Matt Thomas may come under scrutiny from the match review panel in the only souring note for the Saints. The 56-point pasting moves St Kilda just one game outside of the top eight.
Port Adelaide 8.5 (53) St Kilda 17.7 (109)
The next four
Port Adelaide: Melbourne (TIO Stadium), Bye, Adelaide (AAMI Stadium), Collingwood (AAMI Stadium)
St Kilda: West Coast (Etihad Stadium), Adelaide (Etihad Stadium), Gold Coast (Metricon Stadium), Fremantle (Etihad Stadium)
Port Adelaide 1.2 4.2 4.4 8.5 (53)
St Kilda 4.2 9.3 12.6 17.7 (109)GOALS
Port Adelaide: Schulz 2, Hitchcock 2, Gray, Stewart, Pearce, Broadbent
St Kilda: Riewoldt 4, Gamble 4, Milne 3, Dal Santo 2, Montagna, Steven, Schneider, Goddard
BEST
Port Adelaide: Hartlett, Gray, Cassisi, Schulz, Logan
St Kilda: Dal Santo, Goddard, Gamble, Steven, Riewoldt, McEvoy, Dempster INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Trengove (forearm)
St Kilda: None
SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: David Rodan replaced by Cameron Hitchcock in the third quarter
St Kilda: Farren Ray replaced by David Armitage in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: McBurney, Stewart, Dalgleish
Official crowd: 16,887 at AAMI Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL
