PORT ADELAIDE’s SANFL side has has ended its pre-season undefeated after a 15-point win against Adelaide in a trial game at Alberton Oval on Friday night.
The Magpies trailed early but slowly worked their way on top to come away with a third win in three pre-season games.
The game featured the long-awaited return from injury of AFL vice-captain Hamish Hartlett as well as the return to the field of young midfielder Joe Atley after off-season knee surgery.
Hartlett, playing his first game in 330 days, after a knee reconstruction last April, didn’t look out of place across half back with his calmness and willingness to attack the contest a key feature of his performance.
In a cagey opening the Crows hit the scoreboard first through Hugh Greenwood with a simple finish but the Magpies hit back through Aidyn Johnson who ran into the open goal after finding himself clear over the back.
Hartlett had a chance to level the scores again, after a goal to Crows big man Kieran Strachan, when he won a free kick on 50 but his ugly long-range attempt dropped short.
Trailing by a single goal at the first break, the Magpies midfield got on top.
Cam Hewett battled hard and the combination of the experienced Sam Gray, Jack Trengove and skipper Cam Sutcliffe started to give the home side first use of the ball out of the centre.
Back to back goals to big Billy Frampton inside the first five minutes put the Magpies in front.
Boyd Woodcock finished off from 30 metres on the run after some quick hands by Joel Garner, and when Kai Pudney capitalised on a clever tap on by Dallas Hill, the lead was out to three goals.
The Crows, with 17 AFL listed players were always going to fight back and they did through back to back goals from Ben Davis and Greenwood – the second goal for each of them – they were back to within a goal.
Johnson had two efforts at goal in 60 seconds from nearly the same spot 30 metres out from goal and nailed his second major at the second attempt to give the Magpies a 13-point lead at the main change.
The move in that term of both Frampton and fellow ruckman Peter Ladhams into the forward line was causing all sorts of problems from an undersized Adelaide backline with Ladhams taking two strong grabs but failing to hit the scoreboard with both set shot attempts.
Hill was used as a makeshift ruckman and was holding his own against Adelaide big man Riley O’Brien.
A four goal to three third term had the game on a knife-edge with the margin at the final change just seven points.
With the lights taking effect at Alberton, Kane Farrell spent some time in the midfield and his raking left boot was paying dividends for the Magpies with Johnson able to get another open goal over the back.
Sutcliffe’s goal from a narrow angle in the pocket was the pick of the third quarter goals.
Hill extended the break to 13-points with a soccered goal inside the first minute and the Magpies backline led by Dougal Howard, Trent McKenzie and Garner kept the Crows at bay for the next 15 minutes, until Tyson Stengle managed to snap a goal to again close the gap.
Hill had a chance to boot his second after a strong mark on the lead but he sprayed his set shot from 45 metres.
A second to Woodcock, after he marked on the lead 30 metres out sealed the result with five minutes to play, and McKenzie made sure of it with some desperate defence against three opponents to stop a sure goal, as the Magpies ended the pre-season unbeaten.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 2.2 7.3 10.5 12.8 (80)
ADELAIDE 3.2 5.2 9.4 10.5 (65)
Goals
Johnson 3, Frampton, Woodcock 2, Gray, Pudney, Sutcliffe, Cox, Hill
Best
Trengove, Sutcliffe, Johnson, Pudney, Farrell, Ladhams, Hewett
