Despite dominating the inside fifty count for the middle half of the game, the Magpies were left to rue their inaccuracy in front of goal, with Port Adelaide kicking 1.8 to half-time versus the Crows’ 5.2.
Despite promising patches in the second and third quarter, ultimately the Magpies were unable to withstand the Crows’ pressure, with the dam wall bursting and the deficit ballooning in the fourth quarter.
“At halftime and three quarter time, we felt like we were right in the game,” said coach Hamish Hartlett, who was pleased with parts of his side’s performance, but disappointed in their inability to convert offensive opportunities.
“I thought our second quarter was brilliant, and we were able to take away the Crows’ uncontested footy and get the ball in our front half. We certainly spoke after the game about developing that polish up forward and building that connection with our offense.”
Saturday’s SANFL Showdown marked a unique milestone to Travis Boak’s decorated career, as he made his SANFL debut for Port Adelaide, having featured six times for Glenelg during his early years in the AFL system. The 36-year-old was at his best, racking up a game-high 36 disposals despite the loss.
“Having Travis Boak out there was just brilliant for everyone. He seemed to get a great buzz and plenty of energy out of being a part of the Magpies program over the last few days,” said Hartlett, praising his former teammates' ability to embrace the challenge of spearheading the young side.
“He (Boak) played his heart out, as we know he always does, and I think everyone around him got a lift out of playing alongside him too, so, that was a pretty special experience for our program, having him as a part of it.”
Another standout performer was defender Jez McLennan (20 disposals, eleven marks), who continues to impress in his first season for the Magpies. McLennan was stoic in defense, once again proving his ability to defend opponents of all sizes and cover the ground well.
“Jez’s been outstanding since he's been at our footy club for the last six months,” said Hartlett.
“He's a super professional guy, fantastic teammate, really tough and defends really well at this level. So we couldn't be happier with Jez and the way he's going to be our things at the moment. He's been a great asset since he stepped foot inside our club.”
Port Adelaide will look to bounce in two weeks’ time in their Round 7 clash at Alberton Oval against North Adelaide.
Scoreboard
Port Adelaide 1.2 1.8 4.10 5.13(43)
Adelaide 4.2 5.2 8.6 13.10(88)
Best: Boak, Walsh, Watkins, Atkins, McLennan, Evans
Goals: Lorenz 2, Anastasopoulos, Charleson, Williams
Disposals: Boak 36, Atkins, Watkins 29, Evans 24
