PORT Adelaide has kicked off its 2015 SANFL campaign with a bang by defeating South Adelaide at Hickinbotham Oval on Friday night by 66 points.
It may have taken a quarter for the black-and-white to settle against the low temperatures of Noarlunga as spectators predicted another sea-sawing affair, but the Magpies were not going to have a repeat of the last time the sides played in the preliminary final.
A four-goal-to-one second term helped the visitors take the first step toward building on its strong 2014 season.
The Magpies were led from start to finish by the slick ball movement and perfect positioning of Nathan Krakouer and the strong-marking John Butcher up forward.
Krakouer and Butcher combined to boot six goals by the final siren.
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Port Adelaide was boosted in the midfield with AFL-listed Aaron Young and Kane Mitchell coming into the side, and the two provided grit and hard run out of the centre.
Newly League-listed player Jonathan Ross also stamped his mark in Port Adelaide's back half, and combined with 21-year-old Tom Clurey, proved too strong and too clever for South Adelaide's forwards.
First half goals to Wagner, who was also playing his first official league match and Ah Chee gave the Magpies a 32-point lead going into the main break.
The Magpies momentum was not going to be broken.
The outside run provided by half-backs Cam O'Shea and Tom Logan and the precise supply skipper Steve Summerton, Sam Gray and Andrew Moore gave the forwards was hard to stop.
Port Adelaide's inside pressure continued to hamper the Panthers' run and the home side again only managed one major in the third term.
The Magpies finished with nine goal scorers and despite allowing the Panthers to snatch a couple of goals midway through the final term, finished strongly to bring two points home.
In another positive for the Magpies, Sam Colquhoun produced a strong display in his return to league football after rupturing his ACL last season.
Colquhoun finished on 25 disposals, which included 11 marks, and 18 kicks.
Port Adelaide will play North Adelaide at Alberton Oval in its first home game for 2015 on Saturday, April 18, at 12.10pm.
Scoreboard
PORT ADELAIDE 4.1 8.4 13.7 16.11 (107)
SOUTH ADELAIDE 2.2 3.2 4.4 6.5 (41)
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Krakouer, Moore, Ah Chee, Colquhoun, Mitchell, Clurey, Ross
GOALS
Butcher 4, Ah Chee, Krakouer, Logan, Wagner 2, Gray, Harvey, Summerton, Young
Earlier in the day, Port Adelaide's Academy side had a come-from-behind victory over South in the SANFL Reserves competition.
Academy Scoreboard
PORT ADELAIDE ACADEMY 3.1 9.2 12.4 19.9 (123)
SOUTH ADELAIDE RESERVES 5.2 6.5 7.8 7.10 (52)
