A DISAPPOINTING season has ended in victory for Port Adelaide, which kicked away after a slow start to defeat an undermanned Fremantle at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

While the Dockers had rested 11 of its first-choice players, the promise of a Port Adelaide steam roller was nowhere to be seen in the opening term.

As both sides found ways to cough up possession, Fremantle worked through four goals to hold a 19-point lead at the first break.

Playing sluggish, inefficiently football at the start, the Power proceeded the demolish Fremantle after quarter time with a superior performance in every aspect.

Jay Schulz booted four goals and Robbie Gray three, while Justin Westhoff and Matt White joined the show with thrilling doubles to get the almost 40,000-strong attendance going.

Even John Butcher offered plenty to the encouraging crowd, his thrilling high marks reaping a goal despite several missed opportunities.

His effort in attack was characteristic of the Power’s general endeavour; pressure around the ball and swift movement and chasing were key to its sixth win from seven games.

Jay Schulz was the final ever substitute for Port Adelaide, having been taken off due to the back injury that dogged him coming into the game. 

He kicked a game-high four goals.

Honours for the Power's best on ground were shared by Sam Gray and Hamish Hartlett - last week's top two performers again leading with plenty of clean ball use and a number of important set ups.

Each also kicked among the best goals of the night.

Brad Ebert (28 disposals, 7 tackles) and Westhoff (25 disposals, 13 marks) were also among Port Adelaide's best.

Ultimately, the disappointment of missing a third consecutive finals campaign with two fewer wins on last season will hurt the Port Adelaide playing group.

But with the promise coming from its strong finish to the season and a number of unearthed talents, there's one thing for sure - Port Adelaide will return in 2016 with victory on its mind...

MATCH REVIEW

FIRST QUARTER

Port Adelaide and Fremantle traded football farce early, with neither team able to sequence good transition into attack. 

The Power coughed up two fairly easy goals to De Boer and Neale as the Power continually folded under the Dockers'forward pressure.

Port Adelaide's disposal efficiency told the tale - languishing at 68 per cent to Frematle's 80 - and it simply could take clean possession. 

Jay Schulz marked strongly after several failed opportunities earlier to convert the Power's first goal of the game. 

Fremantle responded with a goal each to Taberner and Duffy to manufacture a 19-point lead at the first change. 

The tweets were apt given the chalk-and-cheese on show; Port visibly lacking its trademark zip and purpose with its ball movement, and the Dockers' 'B team' dictating terms in possession. 

 

 

 

SECOND QUARTER 

Port Adelaide needed to lift to deliver a spirited return to form in the second quarter.

Justin Westhoff marked strongly to convert the Power's first before an opportunistic strike off the ground from Jake Neade put the Power's second on the board.

 

Paddy Ryder celebrates Jake Neade's goal [pic: AFL Media]

The Power was having a field day, and could've been further on the board if not for yips in front of the sticks from John Butcher who took several strong marks inside 50.

Schulz and Westhoff continued the Power's goal run and Westhoff should have enjoyed another before a melee between Matt Lobbe and most of Fremantle changed possession into enemy hands.

But as the crowd bayed for blood, Port kicked into gear, doing a full ground transition to deliver Hamish Harlett the ball for a trademark belter from a tight angle on 50.

 

The furore boiled over after the goal with Jasper Pittard winning a free kick on the wing and kicking to Jay schulz sitting in front of a pack. 

Enter Jake Neade. 

As Port Adelaide entered party mode, Jake Neade blitzed through the centre of the ground to set up John Butcher who obliged a sprinting Matt White with the ball. 

It was the Power's seventh goal for the term in an unbroken sequence of dominance that put them well in front.

 

The icing on the cake for the term, though, came when John Butcher took a screamer and wobbled the ball through for his first major of the day.

Port's energised crowd roarerd as the Power went 30 points up.  

 

Jay Schulz had three goals to half time [pic: AFL Media]

THIRD QUARTER 

Holding a comfortable but still insecure five-goal lead at half time, Port Adelaide made sure to tighten its grip as soon as the ball was bounced the start the second half. 

In fact, it took less than two minutes for Jay Schulz to confirm his fourth goal for the match. 

Up by 36, the Power's lead now reflected its total dominance on the stats sheet - possession, contested superiority, inside-50s, tackles. Port's pressure was up, and it was being rewarded for its persistence at the ball. 

While Fremantle was able to work goal through its first-choice pair of Suban and Taberner to chop the margin back to 24 points, the Power's steady movement of the football gave Robbie Gray the chance to go back-to-back with a strong double.

Barlow converted his first for the day before the Power again responded via Matt White's second. 

 

Both clubs substituted players late in the game with Ballard replacing Lachie Neale, while Karl Amon came onto the field for Jay Schulz

FOURTH QUARTER 

Clancee Pearce got Fremantle on the board to shave the Power's 40-point lead to 34 before a minute had been played, but it would be the only goal the minor premier would boot for the term. 

Port Adelaide, on the other hand, kicked four behinds over the next seven minutes before Sam Gray was able to break the drought with an important snap.

Defenders Nathan Krakouer and Jasper Pittard joined the party late to cap a welcome victory for the home side, with a bizzare re-awarded mark to Paddy Ryder giving him the chance to snap his first goal. 

Robbie Gray kicked his third, and the Power's final goal for season 2015. 

SCOREBOARD

PORT ADELAIDE               1.3         9.4         13.8         18.14 (122)
FREMANTLE                     4.4          4.4         7.4           8.5 (53)

PORTADELAIDEFC.COM.AU’S BEST
S. Gray, Hartlett, Ebert, Westhoff, Krakouer, Schulz

GOALS
Schulz 4, R. Gray 3, Westhoff, White 2, Neade, Hartlett, Butcher, S. Gray, Krakouer, Pittard, Ryder

SUBSTITUTION
Karl Amon replaced Jay Schulz during the third quarter

CROWD
38,663 at the Adelaide Oval