In windy and slippery conditions, the Power won 13.10.88 to 9.14.68.
Port led all day and controlled the run of play for the majority of match, but for a four-goal burst in the third quarter from the Demons, which breathed life into the game.
On-baller Nick Stevens and key forward Warren Tredrea were the stars for Port, while Melbourne was best served by midfielder Adeam Yze and goalsneak Cameron Bruce.
But the talking point from the match will be another incident between a player and a field umpire, with young Port ruckman Cain Ackland making contact with one of the men in white.
With injuries to Matthew Primus, Brendon Lade and Barnaby French, Port’s ruck shortage could take another blow, with the contact between Ackland and the umpire certain to draw further attention later in the week.
At a ball-up 40 metres out from Melbourne’s goal in the second quarter, Ackland was late to the contest and tried to move around the umpire to get to the ball, but made contact to his back. The umpire had not hesitation in awarding a free kick to David Schwarz, who let the Power off the hook with an easy miss at goal.
Standing in as skipper for Primus, Warren Tredrea had an immediate impact on the game. After winning the important toss, which saw Port kick with a three to four goal breeze in the opening term, Tredrea marked strongly and kicked two early goals, proving too elusive for Demon defender Anthony Ingerson.
Trailing by 15 points at quarter time, Melbourne was entitled to be satisfied with their first quarter. With Yze, Matthew Whelan and Shane Woewodin prominent, the Demons chipped the ball around into the breeze. Russell Robertson ran into an open goal to kick Melbourne’s only major for the term, but skipper David Neitz showed how difficult it was to kick goals into the wind, missing two shots from straight in front.
However, it was into the wind where Port Adelaide set up their victory, holding Melbourne to just one goal in the second quarter, while managing two themselves, to go into the long interval with a 23 point advantage.
Roger James and Gavin Wanganeen were able to crumb goals for the Power and they could have put the game beyond Melbourne’s reach had it not been for missed opportunites by Tredrea and Peter Burgoyne. With Stevens picking up kicks at will in the midfield, Adam Kingsley dragged Yze out of the play and became an attacking player in his own right. Melbourne’s sole goal came from Bruce, who played a lone hand in the forwardline with four majors for the day.
When Stevens kicked the first goal after the long interval, Port led by 29 points and looked set for a big victory. But almost from nowhere, Melbourne found a spark in the middle of the ground and began to attack the ball in numbers.
Anthony McDonald was the catalyst, coming off the bench and winning centre clearances. The Demons booted four goals in seven minutes, reducing the margin back to seven points, as Port started to look stagnant. Bruce booted two goals and Nathan Brown capitalised on a wayward kick from Michael Wilson, which went out on the full, to also kick truly. When Alistair Nicholson took a mark running with a flight of the ball to run into the open goal, Melbourne looked capable of taking control of the game.
However, showing the signs of a punch-drunk boxer, Port Adelaide showed great character to steady on their feet and find the goals through Che Cockatoo-Collins and Wanganeen. They scored another soon after when Tredrea marked a Brett Montgomery kick, and when Stuart Dew kicked a goal right on the three-quarter time siren from the 50 metre line, the lead was back out to an even five goals and the Power were well and truly back in control.
Any hope that Melbourne had of a revival in the final quarter was snuffed out when Wanganeen soccered a ball through from the goal square.
Former NBL basketballer Dean Brogan showed enough, changing in the ruck with Ackland, to suggest that he could be a player for the Power. After being promoted from the rookie list last week, Brogan’s senior debut was highlighted by a goal with the first kick of his career.
Scoreboard:
PORT ADELAIDE 4.1 6.7 11.8 13.10(88)
MELBOURNE 1.4 2.8 6.8 9.14(68)
Goals:
Port Adelaide: G Wanganeen 3 W Tredrea 3 R James 3 C Cockatoo-Collins S Dew N Stevens D Brogan.
Melbourne: C Bruce 4 A Nicholson R Robertson D Ward N Brown D Neitz.
Best:
Port Adelaide: N Stevens A Kingsley W Tredrea J Francou B Montgomery D Wakelin.
Melbourne: A Yze C Bruce M Whelan J McDonald P Wheatley S Godfrey.
Umpires: M Avon S McLaren C Rowe.
Crowd: 22,423 at Football Park, Adelaide.
