PORT Adelaide has snapped a four-game losing streak, thrashing a woeful Essendon outfit by 84 points at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
The Power set up their 23.8 (146) to 9.8 (62) victory with a seven-goal to nil second quarter to inflict a fifth consecutive defeat of the Bombers.
With both teams set to miss the finals, one side came with purpose, the other seemed to be in holiday mode. Some of Port’s goals came far too easily and the Bombers’ lack of intensity at times was obvious.
BOMBERS v POWER Full match coverage and stats
The Power got off to a perfect start, with Travis Boak kicking the opening goal within 15 seconds.
After an error-riddled first quarter, which saw a combined 37 turnovers (17 by the Bombers, 21 by the Power) Port Adelaide took an eight-point lead into the first break after Sam Powell-Pepper’s goal against the run of play on the siren.
The visitors at one stage led by 15 points, but two goals to Massimo D’Ambrosio helped reduce that margin to just two points.
The Power’s dominant second term, which yielded just one behind for the Bombers, saw Ken Hinkley’s side head into half-time with a 51-point edge.
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Port Adelaide continued to pile on the pain after the main break and when Todd Marshall booted his second, the Power had nine goals in a row and a 57-point lead.
Archie Perkins’ goal at the 11-minute mark of the third term was the Bombers’ first since the 25-minute mark of the first.
Essendon won the third quarter, marginally, but the Power were in no danger and turned for home 49 points to the good.
There was no let up in the final term, with Port banging on nine goals to register its highest score of the season, while the Bombers conceded their highest score of 2022 and 20 goals or more for the second time (the first was in round one against Geelong).
Aliir Aliir was brilliant on in-form key forward Peter Wright, helping to keep him to just one goal for the match, while Zak Butters (25 touches, three goals), Sam Powell-Pepper (22 possessions, four goals), Dan Houston (32 disposals and a goal), Ollie Wines (31 touches, five clearances, six inside 50s) and Jeremy Finlayson (25 possessions, two goals) were all outstanding.
Underlying the Dons’ inefficiency, they won hitouts (51-9), clearances (37-28), centre clearances (19-15) and stoppage clearances (18-13). Essendon took just seven marks inside 50m compared to Port’s 20.
Port’s second-quarter masterclass
After just eight points separated the sides at quarter-time, the Power ran rampant in the second, restricting the Dons to a solitary point while piling on seven goals. Port Adelaide owned the inside and outside; they had 40 more uncontested possessions and 13 more groundball gets, and their ability to transition the ball from defence to attack was at times far too easy.
When the Bombers lose, they lose big
Essendon has lost 14 games in 2022, with just one of them being a single-digit margin (round 19 against Collingwood, where they lost by four points). The Bombers’ average losing margin for the season is 33.21 points and they lost by 30 points or more on six occasions.
Finlayson lowers Draper’s colours
Jeremy Finlayson, who is relatively new to the ruck caper, took the points against Sam Draper, who has been one of Essendon’s best players. Finlayson was one of the Power’s better players, finishing with two goals, 25 disposals (at 80 per cent efficiency), 10 score involvements and four clearances.
ESSENDON 3.4 3.5 6.5 9.8 (62)
PORT ADELAIDE 5.0 12.2 14.6 23.8 (146)
GOALS
Essendon: D’Ambrosio 2, Perkins 2, Hind, Langford, Martin, Parish, Wright
Port Adelaide: Powell-Pepper 4, Butters 3, Georgiades 3, Finlayson 2, McEntee 2, Marshall 2, Amon, Bergman, Boak, Drew, Dixon, Houston, Rozee
BEST
Essendon: Shiel, Parish, Perkins, Martin, Ridley
Port Adelaide: Butters, Aliir, Powell-Pepper, Finlayson, Rozee, Houston
INJURIES
Essendon: Nil
Port Adelaide: Nil
MEDICAL SUBS
Essendon: Ben Hobbs (Unused)
Port Adelaide: Jackson Mead (Unused)
Crowd: 20,568 at Marvel Stadium
