Port Adelaide put an end to the Western Bulldogs run as their bogey team with an emphatic 128 - 56 win
Port Adelaide defender Tom Jonas celebrates his first AFL goal. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: News Corp Australia
PORT Adelaide will enter a late-season Showdown on top of the AFL ladder for the first time since its premiership year in 2004 after smashing an injury-depleted Western Bulldogs.
The game followed a similar pattern to Port's win against St Kilda a fortnight ago — the underdog hung in the contest early but wilted when the blowtorch was applied after halftime.
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The Bulldogs suffered the significant loss of skipper Ryan Griffen to injury in the second quarter before seeing Jarrad Grant and Jordan Roughead banged up in the third.
But to suggest this was decisive in the result is a bit of a stretch because most of the best players on the ground were wearing black and teal.
Losing Griffen to back spasms was a double blow to the Dogs, with their skipper off and Kane Cornes moving onto a red-hot Tom Liberatore and taking him totally out of the contest.
Jay Schulz was unstoppable in the air and on the ground, finishing with 14 marks and 22 disposals. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: News Corp Australia
Port, like most opponents against the Dogs, enjoyed advantages in size and quality in the key positions and didn't take long to make it count.
Justin Westhoff and Jay Schulz were far too good for Mark Austin and Roughead, combining to kick 11 goals and dish a couple off. Schulz finished with a career-best haul of eight.
Schulz is only the second Port player to kick eight in a match, following Warren Tredrea's bag against Carlton in 1998.
Schulz kicked four goals in the last quarter and is the outright leader in the Coleman Medal.
Ollie Wines — laughably rated a C+ player by David Parkin last week — took the challenge of competing against one of the competition's best stoppage teams head on and finished with 30 disposals.
Matthew Lobbe showed why his absence was significant when the Power lost to the Dogs in Darwin last year by dominating All-Australian ruckman Will Minson.
Port Adelaide captain Shaun Higgins nabs Shaun Higgins. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: News Corp Australia
And likable defender Tom Logan converted a strong start into a credible performance in his first game of the season.
The Dogs had won the past seven clashes between these sides and looked like they planned on adding an eighth by jumping out of the blocks.
Port allowed the Dogs far too much ball in the first quarter and Brendan McCartney's side converted the possession into eight scoring shots from their first 11 inside-50s.
A bloodied Jarrad Grant leaves the field. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: News Corp Australia
Port worked its way back into the game with ferocious tackling — led by Lobbe and Wines, who set the tone by laying a combined 13 in the first half.
And once they levelled the game up in the second term there was only going to be one result.
Despite the one-sided nature of the contest there were a handful of moments which pleased the lowest crowd of the season to date at Adelaide Oval.
Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney says there are no excuses for his side's dismal display against Port Adelaide
Tom Jonas kicked his first goal in his 44th outing, Westhoff climbed high on the forward flank to pull down a specky and Jackson Trengove sold more candy than any key defender has a right to get away with.
But the Power didn't have it all their own way.
Ryan Griffen gets some work on the sidelines. Source: Getty Images
Angus Monfries found a willing opponent in Robert Murphy, Jared Polec took a long time to get going after missing a week with an ankle injury and Robbie Gray's ball use wasn't at its usual level.
But there's really only a bit of fine-tuning to do ahead of next Sunday's clash with the Crows, where Port expects to be bolstered by the return of Hamish Hartlett, Dom Cassisi and Jarman Impey.
Ken Hinkley's side will enter the match a game clear of Sydney and Hawthorn in pole position and will be heavily favoured to remain there.
After such a promising win against Collingwood and a strong start, the Dogs will go home to lick their wounds and look ahead to a clash against Melbourne next weekend.
Kane Cornes finds space between Dogs Koby Stevens, Mitch Wallis and Tom Liberatore. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: News Corp Australia
Schulz bags eight, Port boosts percentage
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Schulz bags eight, Port boosts percentage
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Schulz bags eight, Port boosts percentage
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