PORT Adelaide has pulverised Gold Coast with a nine-goal third-quarter flex in a 33-point victory which extends its club-record winning streak to 13 games.
The Power, with Connor Rozee a standout with 26 disposals and two goals, won 16.10 (106) to 11.7 (73) at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
Port, after trailing by six points at half-time, scored nine majors in a 32-minute purple patch to celebrate the milestones of Charlie Dixon (200 games) and Jeremy Finalyson (100).
POWER v SUNS Full match coverage and stats
Finlayson goaled just 90 seconds in, but the Suns then made the early running – with Levi Casboult booting two goals and Matt Rowell winning four clearances, they led by 11 points at quarter-time.
The Power lost Trent McKenzie in the opening term, the veteran backman twisting his right ankle in a marking contest.
The Suns stretched their lead to 17 points early in the second quarter when Jack Lukosius bounced through a classy 55m effort, but Port rallied with three consecutive goals to hit the front, only for Nick Holman to snap his second major, giving the visitors a one-goal half-time advantage.
Then the second-placed Power produced their game-defining burst to ensure they remain equal on premiership points with ladder leaders Collingwood, and two wins clear of third spot.
Port's scoring spree was highlighted by two stunners - Sam Powell-Pepper launched an accurate torpedo punt from 70m and Rozee dribbled an audacious attempt from the boundary line.
The Power amassed 9.2 to 1.1 - just one point shy of their highest scoring term of the season - to create an unassailable 43-point break at three-quarter time.
Finlayson finished with 3.4 while Junior Rioli, Rozee and Todd Marshall scored two goals apiece.
The eye-catching Rozee recorded seven inside 50s, Aliir Aliir (seven marks) was influential in defence while Ollie Wines (26 disposals), Zak Butters (26) and Dan Houston (26, one goal) were chief ball-winners.
Gold Coast's Casboult slotted four majors but fellow key forward Ben King had a shocker, substituted during the third quarter with just one kick.
The Suns' Noah Anderson (29 touches), Rowell (21, seven clearances) and Sam Flanders (24 disposals) battled gamely while Jarrod Witts (44 hitouts) ruled the rucks.
Witts' co-captain Touk Miller gathered 20 possessions in his first AFL outing since suffering a knee injury in round six.
Port's powerful twin heartbeat
The Power's two key forwards celebrated milestones on Saturday night; Charlie Dixon playing game 200 and Jeremy Finlayson in his 100th. Finlayson kicked the opening goal of the match to bring the crowd to life, and it was an even bigger roar early in the third when Dixon slotted his first. While both big men started their careers elsewhere they have become entrenched as crowd favourites at Alberton and, for different reasons, there would be a massive spill of emotions should they get to stand on the podium on Grand Final day.
14 in a row
Saturday night's win was Port's 14th in a row against Gold Coast, out of a total of 15 games. The only time the Suns have saluted was the club's first ever win in the AFL in round five, 2011. Amazingly, it was in Adelaide - a three-point result after Justin Westhoff missed an after-the-siren chance to snatch victory. Last year's two-point loss was the closest Gold Coast has come to grabbing a second win and, the way Port is playing at the moment, it may be a while before the Suns get that close again.
A tale of two talls
Stuart Dew's finals hopes, and possibly his job, hang on the returns two of his tallest Suns, Jarrod Witts and Ben King. Witts is arguably the best ruckman in the competition but giving your midfielders first use of the ball doesn't necessarily translate to goals. That's the job of King, and at the moment the full-forward is having little positive influence on games. In the debacle against Collingwood, King had six disposals and kicked one behind. On Saturday night he had one ineffective disposal for the match before being subbed out late in the third quarter. If Dew can't find a way to get the best out of King he may find himself on the coaching scrapheap.
PORT ADELAIDE 2.2 5.3 14.5 16.10 (106)
GOLD COAST 4.1 6.3 7.4 11.7 (73)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Finlayson 3, Rozee 2, Rioli 2, Marshall 2, Powell-Pepper, Narkle, Houston, Horne-Francis, Dixon, Byrne-Jones, Boak
Gold Coast: Casboult 4, Holman 2, Oea, Miller, Lukosius, Humphrey, Ainsworth
BEST
Port Adelaide: Rozee, Aliir, Wines, Houston, Finlayson, Butters
Gold Coast: Witts, Rowell, Casboult, Anderson, Miller
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: McKenzie (ankle)
Gold Coast: TBC
SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Quinton Narkle (replaced Trent McKenzie at quarter-time)
Gold Coast: Jy Farrar (replaced Ben King in the third quarter)
Crowd: 31,053 at Adelaide Oval
