Pre Game
00:00
Jack Viney plays game 200 tonight, making the Todd-Jack Viney combination the sixth father-son pair in VFL/AFL history to play 200 games each for the same club.
Quarter 1
00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:18
SCORE
GOAL - Power (Darcy Byrne-Jones)
00:54
The first centre clearance of the match turns into Port Adelaide's first goal of the match. The Power generated a score from 36 per cent of their effective clearances in 2023, the highest scoring efficiency of any side in this regard.
02:16
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Kade Chandler)
02:52
SCORE
GOAL - Power (Jed McEntee)
08:16
Demons Interchange - Jack Viney off due to the blood rule.
10:08
Eight of Melbourne's nine contested possessions recorded so far have been pre-clearance. By comparison, Port Adelaide have only recorded three of their nine contested possessions at the stoppage before the clearance.
13:13
Port Adelaide are making it tough for the Demons to get clean possession chains, with their pressure rating in the elite range at 220. This is not surprising when their tackle attempts are more than twice that of their opponents (18-7).
15:06
SCORE
GOAL - Power (Francis Evans)
15:30
All three goals for Port Adelaide have come from shots at goal in General Play. The Power have outscored their opponents by five points per game in 2024 from this shot source.
18:20
SCORE
BEHIND - Power (Ivan Soldo)
20:38
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
21:00
The Demons first goal for the match comes from their seventh inside 50 entry. They have improved slightly from last season when they were ranked in the bottom five teams in the AFL for goals per inside 50 at 22 per cent, they're now eighth at 24.5 per cent conversion rate in 2024.
24:05
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
24:40
That goal to Clayton Oliver is their first for 2024 from a shot at goal after a 50 metre penalty. Only GWS scored more goals (12) from this source in 2023 than the Demons (11).
26:48
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)
28:27
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Ben Brown)
28:36
Melbourne take the lead for the first time in the closing stages of the first term. Since the Power's last score, the Demons have won the contested possession count 11-5, and outgained the Power 621-307 metres.
32:15
SCORE
GOAL - Power (Charlie Dixon)
32:18
Charlie Dixon helps the Power regain the lead after the quarter time siren after taking a strong contested mark right on the goal line. Since 2021, his 54 contested marks inside 50 ranks 11th in the AFL and 1st at Port Adelaide.
Quarter 2
00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:16
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Tom Sparrow)
00:38
Just as the Power did in the first term, the Demons convert the first centre clearance of the second quarter into a goal. 19 per cent of the Demons total score in 2024 has come from centre bounce clearances, ranked fifth in the AFL.
03:47
Demons Interchange - Kade Chandler off due to an injury.
04:28
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Ed Langdon)
08:09
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
08:35
Kysaiah Pickett makes it six of the last seven goals for the Demons. After recording just two intercept marks in the first term, they have doubled that in this term alone with four intercept marks since quarter time.
12:39
SCORE
GOAL - Power (Willie Rioli)
13:10
That goal to Willie Rioli is their third goal for the match from within 15 metres of the goal line. The Power had only totalled two goals from this range in their first two matches in 2024, ranked equal 17th in the AFL.
13:59
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
16:01
SCORE
BEHIND - Power (Rushed)
18:03
Port Adelaide's pressure rating has dropped off a cliff since quarter time, dropping almost 40 points from 198 to 159. They have attempted nine tackles this term, while in the first quarter they had attempted 21 tackles by this point.
19:38
SCORE
GOAL - Power (Darcy Byrne-Jones)
20:51
SCORE
BEHIND - Power (Darcy Byrne-Jones)
21:08
Darcy Byrne-Jones seems to be enjoying his new role as a forward for the Power, as he leads all players with 2.1 (13) for the match. He is also equal-third on the Power with seven pressure acts.
24:54
SCORE
GOAL - Power (Dan Houston)
25:25
Port Adelaide make it three goals to zero from 10 of the last 13 inside 50's. The Power have nine repeat inside 50 entries to just three for the Demons in tonight's match, forcing Melbourne's defence to buckle under the pressure.
28:31
Travis Boak is turning back the clock in game 351, with a game-high 11 disposals, six contested possessions and three inside 50's for the second quarter.
28:47
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Jack Viney)
32:10
Tonight is the first match since the start of the 2021 AFL season that the Demons have lost the disposal count by over 50 disposals by half-time.
Quarter 3
00:00
Q3 is now underway.
05:46
It's been all Port Adelaide in the opening stages of the first half, winning the first two clearances and recording the first five inside 50's of the term. They have also recorded 30 forward half pressure points to Melbourne's five.
07:01
SCORE
GOAL - Power (Willie Rioli)
07:19
Willie Rioli caps off the Power's territorial dominance with the first goal of the third term from their sixth inside 50. The Power have recorded three forward-half intercepts to Melbourne's zero this quarter, allowing them to spend over 80 per cent of the time elapsed in their forward half for the quarter.
10:19
SCORE
BEHIND - Power (Willie Rioli)
11:02
After losing the free kick count 8-17 in the first half, the Power have been awarded the first five free kicks of the second half. The Power have won the free kick count by an average of four per game in 2024, ranking them fourth in the AFL in this regard.
11:46
SCORE
BEHIND - Power (Charlie Dixon)
16:28
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
16:44
Despite Port Adelaide's dominance in just about every facet since the half-time interval, the Demons defence has absorbed it while only allowing one goal from nine inside 50's. While they just got their first goal of the term from their third inside 50 entry at the other end.
19:29
SCORE
BEHIND - Power (Dan Houston)
19:44
Melbourne have launched 11 possession chains from their defensive 50 in this term, and seven chains from the four other zones combined.
22:54
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
24:09
Port Adelaide were able to get back into the game in the second term off the back of their handball movement, recording 39 handball receives to Melbourne's 17. In the third term, the Demons ahve been able to stem this momentum and lead this count 20-18.
24:21
SCORE
BEHIND - Power (Ollie Wines)
25:26
SCORE
GOAL - Power (Ivan Soldo)
26:49
Francis Evans has been replaced by tactical substitute Jase Burgoyne.
27:11
Back-to-back goals for the Power in the shadows of three quarter time. That makes it six of the last eight goals scored in the Power's favour, and four goals to one from intercepts taken between the 50 metre arc's in that time.
28:43
SCORE
BEHIND - Power (Connor Rozee)
30:07
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Ben Brown)
31:10
Ben Brown caps off a big chain of possession for the Demons that started from a kick-in at the other end of the ground. Despite losing the mark inside 50 count 5-11 in the match, the Demons have kicked four goals to three from these marks.
32:55
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Max Gawn)
32:57
Again, Port Adelaide were dominant at the stoppages in the third term, winning the clearance count 15-7 and generating 10 inside 50's to the Demons three. But the Demons defensive resilience held the Power to the same amount of goals as the Demons scored from this source in the quarter (one).
Quarter 4
00:00
Q4 is now underway.
02:29
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
02:54
The Demons retake the lead with the first goal of the final term through Alex Neal-Bullen, who leads the Demons with 21 disposals and two goals. Melbourne have scored 38 points from 27 clearances at a strike rate of 140. Port Adelaide led the AFL in 2023 with a strike rate from clearance chains of 101.
03:06
Power Interchange - Esava Ratugolea off due to an injury.
05:20
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Tom Sparrow)
06:46
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
08:07
Both teams have lifted their pressure rating in the final term above 200, with Melbourne leading 231-221. Neither side have recorded a pressure rating of over 200 in any of the previous three quarters.
09:36
SCORE
BEHIND - Power (Charlie Dixon)
10:57
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Caleb Windsor)
11:24
Jack Billings has been replaced by the tactical substitute Taj Woewodin.
11:40
Caleb Windsor picks a big moment to kick his first goal of his young career. The Demons lead the contested possession count 19-8 in the final term after not winning the contested possession count in any of the first three term's tonight.
12:59
SCORE
BEHIND - Power (Willie Rioli)
14:11
SCORE
GOAL - Power (Jeremy Finlayson)
14:35
Jeremy Finlayson ends a run of five goals for the Demons and the margin is back under 10 points. The Power are playing freely in the final term, playing on immediately from 38 per cent of their marks, while the Demons are yet to do so in the final term.
16:19
SCORE
BEHIND - Power (Jeremy Finlayson)
17:36
SCORE
GOAL - Power (Connor Rozee)
18:25
A big moment where Conor Rozee is awarded a reversal free kick to bring the scores level once again. Rozee's goal was their seventh of the match from directly in front, whereas the Demons have three goals from the corridor in tonight's match.
22:08
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Ben Brown)
23:18
Ben Brown kicks his third goal to be the leading scorer on the ground tonight and give the Demons back their lead. His three goals is his best return since he kicked four in Round 2 last year against Brisbane.
27:17
Power Interchange - Travis Boak off due to an injury.
27:34
Melbourne are tempting fate kicking at just 55 per cent efficiency in their defensive half in the final term. Their 76 per cent kicking efficiency in their back half ranks them 11th in the AFL this season.
29:07
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
30:15
Bayley Fritsch kicks Melbourne's fifth goal in the final term from just their 12th inside 50 of the quarter in what might be the decisive score of the match. But to limit the number one ranked offence in the AFL to just five goals from 33 inside 50's in the second half has been an incredible performance from the Demons defenders, especially without Steven May.
32:29
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
33:27
SCORE
GOAL - Power (Jeremy Finlayson)
33:51
A late goal to the Power however there are mere seconds left on the clock. They have won the contested possession count 143-139, clearance count 52-37 and inside 50 count 66-45, however they have been unable to translate into the one score that counts.
34:30
A statement win by Melbourne as they beat Port Adelaide away from home. They were able to withstand the pressure Port Adelaide put them under, and score accurately particularly from set shots (9.2) to complete a strong performance.