Port Destroy North as Wooden Spooners Shock Roosters
The shock of the SANFL’s Round 13 saw Port Adelaide travel to Prospect Oval to take on the North Adelaide Roosters. Coming off a win against the Eagles, it looked like North would continue its winning ways against the lowly Port, however the Alberton based team had other ideas. The Magpies recorded a 29-point win, 13.8.86 to 8.9.56.
Led by Tom Clurey (26 disposals and 15 marks) and Dylan Williams (24 disposals, one goal and 13 marks), Port were able to dominate every key statistic to win by 29 points. However, for the Roosters, Campbell Combe (25 disposals and five marks) can hold his head up high, while Sam Ramsey (27 disposals, one goal and 10 marks) also added a positive flavour to a disappointing affair.
Hugh Jackson started the game off on the right foot for the Magpies, scoring the first of the day from some distance out as Port Adelaide had the wood early over the Roosters.
Mitch Harvey then marked and goaled to draw the margin back to two points.
Dylan Williams’ screamer saw Port Adelaide given another shot at goal, which Aldridge carefully steered through from the top of 50 as the scoreboard read 1.0.6 to 2.3.15.
Keenan Ramsey was able to mark and goal from straight in front at the Farmer End, however Charleston replied in kind to make the margin 3.4.22 to 2.0.12.
Nigel Lockyer Jr gave the Prospect crowd something to cheer about as he demonstrated how to lead as a forward. He then sent the ball over the top of the goal umpire’s head as the goal-for-goal play continued.
Moments before quarter-time, and after Port cut through the middle of the ground, the long ball out the back saw Walsh take a grab and he was able to goal for the first time in Port colours.
That would end the scoring in the first quarter as the scoreboard read 4.4.28 to 3.1.19, a nine-point margin. Port were a cut above the Roosters at the first break, and led in clearances (9-8) and inside 50s (14-8).
Harvey’s second saw the margin close to three after a tense first eight minutes in the second term. Ramsey’s snapped goal saw the Roosters take the lead minutes later.
Cody Szust was able to take a great grab from Jake Weidemann’s delivery inside forward 50 as Port Adelaide re-established its lead at the 13-minute mark of the second quarter, 5.4.34 to 5.1.31.
From there a scrappy game commenced, as the teams were unable to break each other down. It was a 5.5.35 to 5.2.32 half-time score as Port led. Port Adelaide continued its stoppage dominance, the clearance tally 27-16 in favour of the Magpies. It also had the better of the inside 50s (18-22).
However, the hitouts were 21-19 as the duo of Mitch Harvey and Matthew McKenzie did the job over Dante Visentini and Thomas Scully.
Port were fast out the box with a running goal to Tom McCallum, who celebrated as the Magpies began to dream of victory. Anastasopoulous goaled soon after as Port opened up a game-high 15-point lead, 7.5.47 to 5.2.32.
As North won the next two centre clearances, it was Newchurch and Grubb who delivered two goals steady the ship for the Roosters. The scoreboard now read 7.5.47 to 7.2.44.
Tom Scully and Xavier Walsh got the scoreboard ticking back for Port as momentum continued to swing and change in a seesawing clash on a cold Sunday afternoon.
When Port launched an attack out of half back toward the end of the third quarter, it was Dylan Williams who was able to capitalise when he unloaded a massive bomb from the brink of 50.
McCallum was able to convert straight out the centre off the ground as Port stretched the margin, 11.5.71 to 7.4.46, as alarm bells rang in the North coaches’ box.
Szust’s second shut the door on the Roosters’ chance on the brink of three-quarter-time, as Port’s stoppage play continued to disarm the Roosters.
Three-quarter-time saw a 12.6.78 to 7.5.47 score after a seven to two goal premiership quarter put the Magpies in cruise control heading into the last.
Port led all the major statistics at three-quarter-time, including clearances (35-28) and inside 50s (36-29), a theme consistent all day.
Newchurch’s long ball ended up in hands of Nigel Lockyer Jr as the North forward pulled down a ripper and kicked the goal to have the margin back at an even four goals.
It was two debutants who combined as Lachlan Pascoe kicked his first goal for the Port Adelaide Magpies. The move was set up by Rome Burgoyne who got the ball to Hugh Ferrari from half back. Ferrari set off like a prancing pony down the wing to get the ball to Pascoe for the goal. Port’s 13 added something special to the victory as the Magpies rolled the Roosters.
The Magpies would record their second win of 2024 and head into its clash against against Glenelg at Alberton Oval full of belief. For North, a trip to Victor Harbor was next up as it looked to get past South, a must win game.
North Adelaide Roosters: 3.1 5.2 7.5 8.9.59
Port Adelaide Magpies: 4.4 5.5 12.6 13.8.86
Goalkickers:
North Adelaide Roosters:
M. Harvey (2), N. Lockyer Jr (2), L. Grubb, T. Newchurch, S. Ramsey, K. Ramsey
Port Adelaide Magpies:
T. McCallum (2), C. Szust (2), X. Walsh (2), D. Aldridge, T. Anastasopoulous, L. Charleston, H. Jackson, L. Pascoe, T. Scully, D. Williams
Best:
North Adelaide Roosters:
C. Combe, M. Harvey, D. Hilder, N. Lockyer Jr, S. Ramsey
Port Adelaide Magpies:
T. Clurey, T. McCallum, J. McEntee, C. Szust, D. Williams