Rank outsiders before the match, Adelaide put on a superb display of high intensity football to snap a seven-game losing streak against its arch cross-town rivals.
Mark Ricciuto was in rare form for the Crows with his 36 touches earning him the West End Medal for best-on-ground while Andrew McLeod returned to his scintillating best with a 26-disposal performance in his 200th AFL game.
Adelaide’s delivery into its forward 50 was a feature of its play - Wayne Carey and Ken McGregor the main beneficiaries with three goals each and 15 marks between them.
Warren Tredrea was the clear standout for the Power – finishing with seven goals from limited opportunities and Peter Burgoyne worked hard all night for his 26 possessions.
Adelaide coach Gary Ayres said the club’s exacting preparations had paid dividends.
“It’s just great to get the four points. All the things that we trained for, prepared for (and) planned for all came off tonight so I think it’s full credit to the players because they’ve been sensational this week,” he said.
“I thought the discipline, the strength of mind and the physical strength tonight was excellent from the players.”
Ayres paid special tribute to his skipper, Mark Ricciuto.
“He’s been sensational in his leadership – he’s improved every year, he led from the front tonight, he won the medal (and) I can’t speak highly enough of what he’s done – that’s why he’s a Brownlow Medallist and club captain.”
Tyson Stenglein gave the Crows the start they were after with a goal inside the first two minutes of play but it didn’t take Tredrea long to reply – kicking truly after outbodying Ian Perrie in the goal square.
The acting Power captain was clearly the most dangerous forward on the ground and had three goals to his name before Perrie was moved off him at the 20-minute mark of the first quarter.
Adelaide showed the greater intensity for most of the term but the Power did well to soak up the pressure and hit back hard late in the quarter with goals to Dominic Cassisi and Dean Brogan helping Port to a six-point lead at the first break.
That lead was quickly doubled when Tredrea slotted his fourth early in the second as the Power looked to have weathered the storm and bound away from Adelaide.
However, a Martin Mattner chase down and subsequent free kick with 50-metre penalty provided the spark the Crows needed to surge back into the contest.
Adelaide piled on six unanswered goals - with Graham Johncock exploding into action for four second-term majors – and opened up an imposing 27-point lead. Brett Ebert stopped the rot for Port with his first goal late in the quarter but the Crows quickly answered to lead by 27 at the main break.
The Crows hadn’t won a third quarter this season coming into the match and Port certainly posed the question early in the term and had the momentum without hurting Adelaide on the scoreboard. Ebert bagged his second to narrow the gap but Adelaide was equal to the task and extended its lead to 37 points at three-quarter time.
The Power was still in the hunt after goals to Kane Cornes and Tredrea brought the deficit back to 25 points with 15 minutes to play but Crow young gun Luke Jericho bagged two goals to seal the win.
Port coach Mark Williams conceded the Crows were by far the better team on the night.
“Adelaide played a lot better than us – I thought they smashed us at the clearances (and) they won quite convincingly, I thought,” Williams said.
“They were under the pump before the game… they certainly went out there ready to play and they played particularly well.
“I thought Warren Tredrea was outstanding … he really led from the front, (he) was really our only clear winner for the night (and) you don’t tend to win too many games if you have only one player that’s really dominating his position.”
Port Adelaide: 5.2, 7.3, 9.7, 13.9 (87)
Adelaide: 4.2, 11.6, 14.14, 17.17 (119)
Goals: Port Adelaide: Tredrea 7, Ebert 2, Brogan, S Burgoyne, Cassisi, Ebert, K Cornes
Adelaide: Johncock 4, McGregor 3, Carey 3, Jericho 2, Stenglein, Massie, Bock, Welsh, Edwards
Best: Port Adelaide: Tredrea, P Burgoyne, Wilson, C Cornes, Cassisi
Adelaide: Ricciuto, McLeod, Stenglein, Clarke, McGregor, Burton, Carey
Injuries: Port Adelaide: Kingsley (medial ligament)
Adelaide: None
Reports: None
Umpires: Rowe, Woodcock, Goldspink
Crowd: 44,733 at AAMI Stadium
