AHEAD of their meeting in Round 19 of the 2018 AFL Premiership Season we thought we would look back at one of our favourite clashes between Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs.
The Power came into the Round 14 match at Adelaide Oval as the ladder-leader, having lost to Sydney by just four points a week earlier.
The Bulldogs had just broken a three-game losing streak by beating Collingwood by eight points and came to Adelaide full of hope.
In a plucky opening, the Power got the first goal when a kick-out from a behind landed in the arms of Matt White in the centre of the ground. He ran through the centre square and with a long kick found Jay Schulz running free inside 50 and he did the rest.
The visitors were on top from that point and when Nathan Hrovat ran inside 50 and slotted a goal, the Dogs led by 16 points.
The Power stole back the momentum in the second term and tried to stretch away but the Dogs wouldn’t be banished, staying within two goals at the main break.
With injuries mounting though, the visitors couldn’t keep up with a rampant Port Adelaide side which booted 12 goals to three in the second half to record a big 72-point win.
Jay Schulz was unstoppable with 14 marks for the game as well as four goals in the last quarter alone.
In all, he booted eight to equal Warren Tredrea’s club-record for most goals in a game, despite trying to hand off a couple of goals to teammates, while Justin Westhoff also booted three goals to go with 25 disposals.
Skipper Travis Boak was among his side’s best with 30 possessions and two goals while young guns Ollie Wines and Chad Wingard also managed 30 disposals and Alipate Carlile was hard to get past in defence.
PORT ADELAIDE 3.1 7.5 13.9 19.14 (128)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.5 5.5 6.7 8.7 (55)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Schulz 8, Westhoff 3, Boak 2, Gray, Jonas, Cornes, Mitchell, Polec, Ebert
Western Bulldogs: Giansiracusa 2, Liberatore, Stevens, Hrovat, Minson, Tutt, Bontempelli
BEST
Port Adelaide: Schulz, Wines, Wingard, Westhoff, Polec, Boak
Western Bulldogs: Higgins, Macrae, Picken, Hrovat, Boyd, Liberatore
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Griffen (back spasms), Grant (broken nose), Roughead (shoulder)
SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Kane Mitchell replaced by Aaron Young in the fourth quarter
Western Bulldogs: Ryan Griffen replaced by Daniel Giansiracusa at half time
REPORTS
Port Adelaide: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Giansiracusa reported for rough conduct by umpire Margetts in the fourth quarter
Umpires: Margetts, Stevic, Hay
Crowd: 34,258 at Adelaide Oval
