AS Port Adelaide prepares to face the Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval in Round 13 of the 2018 AFL season, portadelaidefc.com.au takes a look back on the last time the sides met.

It was Round 22 of the 2017 season and Port Adelaide was looking to guarantee itself a spot in the finals and maybe even sneak into the top four while the Bulldogs needed a win to keep their season alive.

The sides met in Ballarat in the first game ever held there for premiership points and the home side had more of a sense of occasion in the early stages.

They kicked the first two goals and three of the first four before Power ruckman Paddy Ryder started to get involved and booted two.

The Power hit the front early in the second term when Ollie Wines hooked around his body to give his side the ascendency but again the reigning Premiers responded.

They led at every change but failed to put the Power away, and with his side trailing by 12 points early in the final term, Charlie Dixon stood up to boot two of his four goals for the game and help Port Adelaide to victory.

Chad Wingard scored the easiest of goals with five minutes to go to finally put the Power in front and then goals to Robbie Gray and Jared Polec ensured the 17-point result.

Captain Travis Boak was brilliant with 33 disposals, seven marks and seven tackles to go with a goal, while Paddy Ryder was dominant in the ruck with 55 hit-outs, 12 touches, five tackles and two goals.

The win moved Port back into the top four and all but ended the Bulldogs’ premiership defence.

WESTERN BULLDOGS     3.3    6.5    9.11     11.13   (79)
PORT ADELAIDE             2.2    5.5    8.10     14.12   (96)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: 
Dale 4, Cloke 2, Hunter 2, Dunkley, Liberatore, Suckling
Port Adelaide: Dixon 4, R.Gray 2, Wingard 2, Ryder 2, Wines, Boak, S Gray, Polec

BEST 
Western Bulldogs: 
Macrae, McLean, Dale, Dahlhaus, Suckling, Daniel
Port Adelaide: Ryder, Boak, Dixon, Polec, Wines, Powell-Pepper 

INJURIES 
Western Bulldogs: 
Stringer (left hamstring)
Port Adelaide: Dan Houston (shoulder)

Reports: Nil 

Umpires: Chamberlain, Meredith, Mitchell 

Official crowd: 10,087 at Mars Stadium

More on portadelaidefc.com.au...