Match

Port Adelaide vs Fremantle

Commentary / 24 Mar 2018

Pre Game

59:30
Welcome to Adelaide Oval for the Port Adelaide v Fremantle Round 1 clash.
59:40
Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.
00:00
Port Adelaide and Fremantle have met on 33 previous occasions, with the Power winning 18 matches. Last time they played, Port Adelaide won by 89 points at Adelaide Oval in Round 2 2017.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
02:53
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Rushed)
03:04
Fremantle has started with much of the play, set up by all three clearance wins and leading to the first four forward 50 entries of the game. The ball has been in the Dockers' forward half for 98 per cent of the play.
04:49
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Jack Watts)
08:35
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
09:29
It has been a fairly scrappy start to the season for these sides, with both recording 18 kicks with just eight effective (44 per cent efficiency). Last season the average kicking efficiency across the league was 66 per cent.
12:22
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Shane Kersten)
14:10
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jack Watts)
14:20
Watts has atoned for a nervous first shot by snapping his first senior goal for Port Adelaide from just its fifth forward 50 entry. Up the other end Fremantle have taken the ball inside 50 on ten occasions for just three behinds.
16:14
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Shane Kersten)
16:59
SCORE GOAL - Power (Steven Motlop)
17:05
That's a goal each now to Port Adelaide's new recruits Watts and Motlop. The Power has capitalised on the lack of conversion from the Dockers, with both goals launched from possession chains beginning from within their defensive 50.
18:46
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Rushed)
20:58
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Chad Wingard)
22:47
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Ed Langdon)
25:21
SCORE GOAL - Power (Chad Wingard)
25:50
Port Adelaide has surged in the past 12 minutes, dominant both with and without possession. In that time the Power have laid four more tackles, even though they have also managed 15 more disposals with 14 per cent superior disposal efficiency.
28:03
SCORE GOAL - Power (Travis Boak)
29:22
The siren has sounded to end Q1.
29:32
The first term of the season was a tale of two halves; in the first 14 minutes Fremantle entered forward 50 on ten occasions for just three behinds, however after this point Port Adelaide kicked into gear scoring 4.2 (26) from just nine inside 50s.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:47
Docker Lachie Neale led all comers with 15 disposals in the first term (with ten by hand), along with three clearances. For the Power, Riley Bonner recorded 12 disposals including nine kicks at 89 per cent efficiency in just his fifth senior game.
06:30
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Bradley Hill)
06:37
Once again Fremantle has started a quarter controlling field position, with 77 per cent time in forward half and five of the first six forward 50 entries. The Dockers are kicking at 92 per cent effectiveness this term compared to 67 per cent by the Power
08:00
Power Interchange - Dougal Howard off due to an injury.
08:11
SCORE GOAL - Power (Sam Gray)
09:12
Port Adelaide has been able to effectively transition from the back half to score, with all five of its goals launched from its defensive half. Four of these have been launched from intercepts following Fremantle turnovers.
09:21
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Sam Powell-Pepper)
11:46
SCORE GOAL - Power (Paddy Ryder)
12:17
Port Adelaide has won eight clearances this term compared to Fremantle's five, with Ollie Wines winning four individually. The Powers' eighth clearance by Sam Gray has set up 2017 All-Australian Patrick Ryder.
15:53
SCORE GOAL - Power (Tom Rockliff)
16:12
Tom Rockliff has joined fellow Port Adelaide recruits Watts and Motlop with goals following a mark inside 50. The Power have taken six marks in that zone compared to just one by the Dockers.
18:13
Power Interchange - Jared Polec off due to an injury.
18:17
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Sam Powell-Pepper)
19:27
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Charlie Dixon)
20:35
SCORE GOAL - Power (Charlie Dixon)
20:42
The Power is well and truly switched on at Adelaide Oval. Since Hill's goal in the seventh minute of the quarter, Port Adelaide has won all six clearances, had 42 more disposals (60 to 18) and yet still laid all six tackles, kicking 4.3 (27) to no score.
22:15
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Charlie Dixon)
23:24
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Matt Taberner)
23:54
The Dockers have pulled one back by capitalising on the behind to Dixon, transitioning the ball directly from the kick in to Taberner for a goal. Last season Fremantle averaged a score launched from just 7.1 per cent of turnovers (ranked 15th).
27:08
Dockers Interchange - Shane Kersten off due to the blood rule.
28:25
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Brandon Matera)
28:43
Fremantle has been able to steady the ship in the past six minutes through precision ball use. In this time the Dockers have committed just one turnover from 21 disposals, converting both forward 50 entries into goals.
30:18
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Aaron Sandilands)
30:43
Make that three goals from the last three forward 50 entries for the Dockers, after just two goals from their previous 20 entries. In this time Fremantle's kicking efficiency has been 94 per cent, well up on the 66 per cent recorded until its third goal.
33:55
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
34:05
Three late goals from as many forward 50 entries has kept Fremantle in it after Port Adelaide dominated most of the term. The Power won seven more clearances, had 32 more disposals, laid 11 more tackles and six more inside 50s than the Dockers.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:15
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Charlie Dixon)
02:12
SCORE GOAL - Power (Todd Marshall)
02:18
The Power have been far more damaging transitioning from defensive half intercepts, winning 23 in that zone and launching seven resulting in goals. The Dockers have won 21 defensive half intercepts but only one resulting possession chain ended in a goal.
02:32
Power Interchange - Paddy Ryder and is possibly out for the game.
04:03
SCORE GOAL - Power (Todd Marshall)
04:36
Two goals in two minutes for Todd Marshall, selected with the 16th pick in the 2016 National Draft. In his debut year, Marshall played in Port Adelaide's final three games of the year but only managed one goal.
05:57
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
07:47
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jack Watts)
09:35
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Michael Walters)
10:01
Fremantle continues to hang tough with far less of the play, now with five goals from its last six forward 50 entries. This quarter they have converted twice from two entries, via an amazing goal to McCarthy and from a 50-metre penalty to Walters.
10:44
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
12:40
SCORE GOAL - Power (Chad Wingard)
15:31
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Travis Boak)
15:47
Although he couldn't convert the set shot, Port Adelaide captain Travis Boak has taken his team's 16th mark inside 50 for the day. This exceeds the Powers' 2017 average of 13.4 per game (ranked third) and also today's tally by Fremantle of just three.
16:44
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Brad Ebert)
19:37
SCORE GOAL - Power (Steven Motlop)
21:54
SCORE GOAL - Power (Todd Marshall)
23:24
Todd Marshall now has three goals this quarter and four for his career. Although the Dockers have recorded 62 fewer disposals than the Power, without the ball they have also laid 14 fewer tackles than their opposition.
27:18
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
30:22
Power Interchange - Riley Bonner off due to an injury.
32:26
The siren has sounded to end Q3.
32:36
Port Adelaide more than doubled its lead in the third quarter from 21 points to 46 points. The Power took six marks inside forward 50 for the term while the Dockers didn't manage one.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
03:27
SCORE GOAL - Power (Todd Marshall)
03:34
Marshall now has four goals since half time, but this one was set up by an individual piece of brilliance by Wingard. Wingard has been involved in a game-high 12 scoring chains, just two behind his personal best of 14 recorded in 2013.
07:44
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Jack Watts)
11:25
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Sam Powell-Pepper)
12:57
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Nat Fyfe)
16:35
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jack Watts)
18:07
Jack Watts has capped off a fine debut in the black, teal and white with his third goal. Following 143 goals in 153 games for Melbourne, the former Demon has recorded 19 disposals and nine score involvements, including 3.2 (20) of his own.
18:14
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Sam Powell-Pepper)
22:20
In just his 11th senior game, Dougal Howard has been a rock down back for Port Adelaide. The 56th selection in the 2014 National Draft has had 21 spoils individually, only two fewer than the entire Fremantle team.
22:38
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Jack Watts)
25:47
Justin Westhoff has had a fine all-round game for Port Adelaide, with 25 disposals, four clearances, nine marks, nine tackles, three hitouts to advantage and seven score involvements.
27:07
Chad Wingard has recorded a personal best 15 score involvements for the game. Dougal Howard has recorded 22 spoils for the match, the highest tally on record (surpassing Josh Gibson with 21 for Hawthorn against Sydney in 2011).
27:12
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Nathan Wilson)
28:22
The siren has sounded to end Q4.
28:32
Port Adelaide has won every quarter to run out convincing 50-point winners against Fremantle. The Power were too good all over the ground, winning 66 more uncontested possessions, laying 19 more tackles and taking 15 more marks inside forward 50.