IN AN all-too-familiar tale at the Gabba in 2016, Port Adelaide has embarrassed the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night, winning by 94 points. 

It started well enough for the home team – they kicked three of the first four goals – but the wheels fell off in a hurry as the Power stormed to a 25.23 (173) to 11.13 (79) victory.

They kicked seven unanswered goals in the second quarter and another seven in the third to blow the game open.

It is the highest score by any team this season.

Port coach Ken Hinkley said there was a lot to like about the performance.

"We had somewhere close to 80 entries, had a lot of opportunities, took a lot of marks inside our 50, kicked a big score," he said.

"If you look at the way we play, the way we perform, … it's a pretty big tick.

"I liked that part that we were able to be quite ruthless in the way we went about it and they just kept at it. It was pleasing."

Five talking points: Brisbane Lions v Port Adelaide

It was a crash, more a thud, back to earth for the Lions just six days after snapping a 12-game losing streak with a morale-boosting win over Essendon.

But for all the endeavour and effort they showed against the Bombers, it was missing against a Power team that worked relentlessly and killed off a lackluster opponent.

Midfielders Ollie Wines (32), Robbie Gray (32), Jared Polec (25) and Travis Boak (24 and three goals) filled the stats sheet.

Chad Wingard kicked possibly the easiest five-goal bag in the game's history.

Two came from 50m penalties, another from a free kick, another a gift in the goalsquare and the last via an intercept mark from an errant Sam Mayes kick-in.

John Butcher, playing just his second game of the season, kicked four goals and took 11 marks in a promising showing.

The damage could have been far greater for the Lions if Port kicked straight.

They had plenty of chances, going inside 50 a staggering 77 times.

It was a storyline Lions fans have seen far too often at the Gabba in 2016.

They have also suffered heavy home losses to Collingwood (78 points), Fremantle (83 points) and Greater Western Sydney (79 points).

This loss is sure to heap pressure on coach Justin Leppitsch again, who described parts of the performance as unacceptable.

"There's parts of today that were embarrassing, and I think the boys felt that too," he said.

"We got beaten tonight on the inside and the outside, which happened in the Giants game, and that game was also a bit embarrassing.

Click here for full match details and stats

"They're a very good hard-running team when they're up and going, and we allowed that today."

Perhaps the most damning thing for the Lions was that debutant ruckman Archie Smith was undoubtedly the team's best player, showing up his more experienced teammates with his tenacity and hunger to compete.

Smith, who only switched from basketball three years ago, finished with 19 disposals (17 contested – a team high), nine clearances, another team high, 30 hitouts and five tackles.

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Port Adelaide transitioned the ball superbly from its back half, twice going coast-to-coast in the match-winning second quarter.

The Lions' lack of accountability in their defensive running was, at times, staggering.

 

MEDICAL ROOM
Brisbane Lions: They've suffered their fair share of injuries this season, but the Lions got through this one well. Smith copped a knock to his shoulder and missed 10 minutes during the third quarter, but came back to finish the game strongly. 

Port Adelaide: The only problem for Port came prior to the match when Hamish Hartlett (replaced by Jimmy Toumpas) was a late scratching with a calf injury. Hartlett strained the muscle in the warm-up and had to pull out. Coach Ken Hinkley said he was a chance to play next week. 

NEXT UP
Port Adelaide goes on the road again next week and faces the stiff assignment of the Sydney Swans at the SCG. While mathematically they still have a chance of playing finals, they're now three games behind eighth-placed North Melbourne with four rounds to go and may be playing for pride only. It doesn't get any easier for the Lions, who travel to Adelaide to take on the powerhouse Crows.


BRISBANE LIONS    4.1   4.6    9.9   11.13   (79)                  
PORT ADELAIDE    4.6   11.11    18.17   25.23   (173)           

GOALS
Brisbane Lions: Walker 2, Zorko 2, Close 2, Hipwood, Green, Dawson, Robertson, Rockliff
Port Adelaide: Wingard 5, Butcher 4, Boak 3, Westhoff 2, Impey 2, Amon 2, Ah Chee 2, Trengove 2, Ebert 2, Young 

BEST 
Brisbane Lions: Smith, Zorko, Rich, Walker
Port Adelaide: Wines, Boak, R Gray, Trengove, Polec, Butcher 

INJURIES 
Brisbane Lions: Smith (shoulder)
Port Adelaide: Hartlett (calf, replaced in selected side by Toumpas) 

Reports: Nil 

Umpires: Stephens, Hay, McInerney

Official crowd: 13,085 at the Gabba