Slick Port Adelaide boosts percentage against Carlton

Author Photo
Robbie Gray
PHOTO GALLERY: Port Adelaide v Carlton

PORT ADELAIDE    5.6   9.12  16.15   20.20 (140)
CARLTON                1.2   2.4     3.7      5.7 (37)

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Gray 4, Neade 3, Westhoff 3, Wingard 3, Schulz 2, Ebert, Boak, White, Monfries, Hartlett
Carlton: Waite, Gibbs, White, Casboult, Yarran

BEST
Port Adelaide: Gray, Boak, Wingard, Hartlett, Westhoff
Carlton: Gibbs, Rowe, Judd, Carrazzo,  Wood 

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Schulz (concussion)
Carlton: Murphy (concussion)

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Matt White replaced by Andrew Moore in the third quarter
Carlton: Marc Murphy replaced by Kane Lucas in the second quarter 

Crowd: 52,505 at Adelaide Oval


Jack Hombsch kicks clear despite pressure from Chris Judd. Photo: Morne de Klerk

Port Adelaide has strengthened its hopes of a top-four finish  with a commanding 103-point win over Carlton at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.

The sides managing a goal each inside the first 19 minutes. But by three-quarter time, the Power had slammed on 19 goals to one.

It was Port's greatest ever win over Carlton and meant the home side increased its percentage from 126.5 to 132.4, which could prove crucial ahead of its final-round clash with Fremantle next weekend. 

Robbie Gray was best on field, leading the scoring charts with four goals as well as the disposals count with 31 touches.

Having pushed Geelong to the brink last Friday, Carlton was expected to prove a genuine challenge for the Power.

But the visitors had no answer to Port Adelaide's lethal fast ball movement, which appears to have returned to early-season levels.

Blues captain Marc Murphy was substituted out of the game midway through the second term after sliding to take a mark in the middle of the ground and banging his head hard into the turf as Port's Cam O'Shea dived in to contest the ball.

Thier best player was full-back Sam Rowe who battled gamely against the tide and Bryce Gibbs gathered 29 disposals and Chris Judd tried hard to provide a spark.

Play stopped for about five minutes while he was carted from the field.

Jake Neade, Chad Wingard and Justin Westhoff all booted three goals for Port Adelaide but Coleman Medal contender Jay Schulz - who was dazed after hitting his head on the turf during the last quarter, could only manage two.

Record crowd 

Friday night's crowd of 52,505 was the highest recorded in South Australia during the AFL era, beating the 52,233 that saw Port host Hawthorn in the 10th round. T

he latest record took Port's total home crowd figure this season to 488,006 – 93,891 more than its previous best - set in its debut AFL year, 1997. 

Hope he's in my fantasy team

Robbie Gray (31 possessions and four goals) and Chad Wingard (19 possessions and three goals) did the early damage for the Power, while Justin Westhoff added three goals.

What's next

Port Adelaide heads across the Nullarbor Plain to face Fremantle on Saturday afternoon at Patersons Stadium.

Carlton faces Essendon - which is jostling for a final position in the top eight - at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.



 
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