PORT ADELAIDE has booked a NAB Cup semi-final showdown with the Western Bulldogs with a 78-point demolition of West Coast at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night.
The Power set up the win with a dominant third term before eventually running out 4.19.8 (158) to 2.8.14 (80) victors.
Rookie Cameron Hitchcock did his chances of being elevated to Port’s senior list no harm with four goals, including a super goal while youngster Mitch Banner chimed in with three majors.
Despite being smashed in the hit-outs 41-10, the Power won the clearances 41-27.
Skipper Domenic Cassisi was influential with 23 possessions and 10 clearances while Steven Salopek was also damaging with 16 disposals and nine inside 50s.
Luke Shuey was West Coast’s best with 24 touches, five clearances and a super goal while Chris Masten (28) and Adam Selwood (25) tried hard all night.
Despite the mercury hovering around 37 degrees at the first bounce, the game was played at a frenetic pace from the outset.
The Eagles won the possession count 116 to 64 in the opening stanza but they let themselves down with their use of the football on a number of occasions and were made to pay the ultimate price.
Three of Port’s five first-quarter goals came as a result of West Coast turnovers.
Leading by 10 points at the first change, the Power jumped out to a 22-point break at the three-minute mark of the second term after capitalising on skill errors made by Matt Spangher and Ashley Smith.
West Coast lifted their rating and responded with the next four scoring shots but they only managed three behinds and a super goal from Shuey.
Port made the Eagles pay for their wastefulness with three unanswered goals, including two from former Blue Cameron Cloke to open up a handy buffer late in the term before Nic Naitanui snapped truly on the siren to reduce the deficit to 19 points at the main break.
It was all one-way traffic in the third term, the Power moving the football quickly and cleanly through the middle of the ground as they slammed on nine goals to one to establish a match-winning 65-point lead at three-quarter time.
WEST COAST: 0.4.2, 1.5.9, 1.6.10, 2.8.14 (80)
PORT ADELAIDE: 1.4.3, 1.9.4, 2.16.6, 4.19.8 (158)
SUPER GOALS: West Coast: Shuey, Ebert
Port Adelaide: Harding, Westhoff, Pearce, Hitchcock
GOALS: West Coast: LeCras 2, Nicoski, McKinley, Lynch, Naitanui, Brown, Kennedy
Port Adelaide: Hitchcock 3, Banner 3, Schulz 2, Cloke 2, Ebert 2, Harding, Thompson, P Stewart, D Stewart, Westhoff, Davenport
BEST: West Coast: Shuey, Masten, Selwood
Port Adelaide: Cassisi, Salopek, Hitchcock, Westhoff, Banner, Pearce
INJURIES: West Coast: Nil
Port Adelaide: Nil
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: Ryan, Chamberlain, Jennings, Bowen
CROWD: 16,231 at Subiaco Oval
TonyK
Cibbuano
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