PORT Adelaide’s year in 2011 has been disappointing to say the least - there were encouraging signs in the season opener against the Magpies, despite the margin. The following week’s hometown loss to the West Coast Eagles was frustrating for all fans to watch, while Geelong in Geelong again proved to be an unhappy hunting ground.

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Round 4 saw major changes made by the coaching committee lead by senior coach Matthew Primus - veteran and reigning John Cahill Medallist Kane Cornes was omitted from the side, as was former NAB Rising Star winner Danyle Pearce, alongside Daniel Stewart, Jason Davenport and youngster Jarrad Irons.

Coming into the side was Jacob Surjan, Brett Ebert, Steve Salopek, Michael Pettigrew and Cameron Hitchcock - the latter started as the substitute for Balfours Showdown 30, sitting on the pine alongside Matthew Broadbent, Cam O’Shea and David Rodan.

Hamish Hartlett received the first free of the game, handballing to Pittard as the Power spread wide - something that they’d been failing to do in the first three games of the year. The ball was turned over inside 50 and the Crows spread wide to the other wing, resulting in McKernan opening the scoring with a point. An error kicking in by Salopek then gifted the opening goal of the game to Thompson.

The contest was fierce and furious early - plenty of hard tackling from the likes of Chad Cornes and Matt Thomas (who leads the AFL tackle count) in particular. While that sort of effort was laudable, too many undisciplined acts saw the Crows getting plenty of free kicks. A certain goal for Motlop failed to materialise when a fumble in the dewy conditions saw it rushed over the line for the opening point for the Power for the Balfours Showdown 30.

Matt Thomas missed a snap around the body, before the Crows worked the ball forward and Tippett failed to make the distance - Chaplin then scragged Jaensch without the ball and he made no mistake from the top of the square.

The Power couldn’t work the ball forward, and skill errors were hurting the side - too many out-on-the-full kicks as the Power went wide time and time again down the boundary line. Eventually they did move the ball through the corridor and there was one switch too many - eventually Boak won a free kick but was unable to make the distance, with the ball being rushed through for a behind.

Henderson marked the ball and was cannoned into late, earning a 50m penalty that put him inside 50 - luckily for Port he missed the goal. Another free kick saw the ball kicked back inside 50 as the Crows continued to dominate play, with Tippett taking a contest mark in a pack. He failed to make the most of his opportunities but the Crows were dominant - goals came quickly, culminating in Tippett kicking one after the siren.

QUARTER TIME: 0.3.3 to 4.6.30. Pittard with 10 possessions, Boak, Salopek, Trengove, Westhoff and Logan 6 apiece.

Again the Crows dominated early proceedings but couldn’t put any majors on the scoreboard. Ports inability to hit targets by hand or foot was costing it possession - that the Crows weren’t scoring goals was the only positive.

Eventually the Power was able to break their duck thanks to two defenders - Trengove created the content and Surjan was the beneficiary, soccering a goal off the ground. The Crows answered it straight away with their fifth major.

The Crows continued to run hard to space, and dominated the play - running faster, kicking accurately and McKernan was the beneficiary with a goal.

Some great work from Jackson Trengove on the member’s wing saw Motlop get a goal, and Chad Cornes followed it up immediately afterwards with another one. The Power looked like they had lifted a notch or three, with the ball bundled forward and Rodan snapping a goal in the square - it was his first kick for the game.

The game was starting in the midfield where Trengove was getting first hands to the ball in the contest. The ball was worked forward again and the crowd roared as Westhoff kicked a goal…only to find out that Thomas had had a free awarded against him for a late tackle. The Crows moved the ball quickly and cleanly through the middle of the ground, with Douglas making no mistake.

Westhoff hauled down another terrific mark and goaled from the kick - bringing the margin back to 15 points. Ebert was playing well in the midfield, but missed an opportunity to get the margin inside 10 after earning a 50 metre penalty. He then took an AMAZING mark but missed his opportunity to trim the margin further.

The pressure was all on the Crows and the Power worked the ball forward again, with it safely in the hands of Gray who kicked his first goal of the game in his 50th match. He trimmed the margin to 7 points.

Carlile was lucky not to be penalised after trying to barge through a pack at the defensive 50m arc, but the Crows missed then missed again. The quarter finished with Port having roared back to life after some terrific efforts from the likes of Trengove, Westhoff, Boak and Ebert.

HALF TIME: 6.6.42 to 7.9.51. Goals to Surjan, Motlop, Cornes, Rodan, Westhoff and Gray. Chaplin 15 possessions, Pittard 14, Westhoff 14 and 7 marks, Boak 12, Ebert, Salopek and Thomas 10 apiece.

A typically terrific tackle by Tom Logan in the opening moments of the third term stopped a certain goal, and then the ball rebounded forward - D-Rod was proving very useful deep forward, and he skirted through the pack to feed the ball to Motlop who brought the margin back to 3 points.

The Power continued to surge forward, and their defensive pressure was superb - eventually they were able to make effective use of the forced turnover, with Boak hitting O’Shea about 25 out on an angle. He kicked his first goal at the 10 minute mark of the quarter, giving the Power the lead.

The Power’s ability to take contested marks - first Pettigrew and then Trengove - was incredibly important, and Surjan narrowly missed kicking his second soccer off the ground. Fantastic tackling by Pettigrew and Carlile stopped scoring opportunities, with Rodan able to kick his second for the game.

Surjan the forward was proving the masterstroke - his brilliant smother saw Westhoff able to snap the ball through for a goal. Given his limited pre-season training he was soon substituted off for Hitchcock; his efforts were awesome in the time that he was on the ground.

Port’s confidence was truly amazing to witness - all of a sudden they were controlling the game and when Rodan booted his third to stretch the lead to 21 points it was a remarkable 48 point turnaround. Opportunities to extend the lead presented themselves but errors by foot hurt the Power and the Crows failed to maximise their chances with missed shots on goal.

Motlop had a chance to kick a big goal from outside 50 as the siren sounded but fell millimetres short. It was an amazing quarter for the Power after a much-improved second term. Now, the question was - could they take out the Balfours Showdown 30 with a big final quarter?

THREE QUARTER TIME: 11.7.73 to 7.11.53. Rodan 3 goals, Westhoff and Motlop 2, Surjan, Cornes, Gray, O’Shea. Chaplin with 24 possessions, Pittard and Boak 20, Westhoff 19 and 8 marks, Salopek 17, Ebert and Hartlett 16 and 5 tackles to Hartlett too.

The final quarter started much as the third ended - the Power were winning the contested ball, with Ebert continuing to impress as powerful unit inside the midfield.

Several misses came and went from both sides, with Westhoff taking the early advantage from a free…and hitting the post. The Power’s defensive pressure was unbelievable, forcing the Crows to turn it over time and time again - with 9 inside 50s to nil after Salopek kicked his first goal since becoming a father for the second time over on Friday morning (he’s the proud new dad of Maxwell).

Again the Power forced the ball forward - the Crows simply could not get the ball past the defensive wall that the Power had erected around the 50m arc. Gray was the beneficiary of a kick from Motlop, booting his second for the game. At the centre bounce the Power again forced the ball out with a furious intensity, and Rodan made no mistake, booting his fourth goal of the game.

With their first inside 50 of the quarter - only their 36th of the game - Vince trimmed the margin back to an even 6 goals, but the Power were dominating at the 15 minute mark of the game. The difference between the first quarter and the rest of the game was nothing short of surreal; it was like watching two entirely different games.

A free for deliberate out of bounds against Carlile saw Walker make it a 5 goal game at the 16 minute mark of the final term, and then the Power had three chances to really bury them but just couldn’t quite finish the game off.

FINAL SCORE: 14.14.98 to 9.12.66.
Balfours Showdown Medallist: Justin Westhoff
Best: Westhoff, Chaplin, Rodan, Trengove, Ebert, Salopek, Boak, Hartlett
Crowd: 33,143