PORT Adelaide has completed its season with a 43-point trouncing of a lacklustre Fremantle in Sunday’s twilight clash of the AFL also-rans.
Port triumphed 15.20 (110) to 10.7 (67) at Adelaide Oval and finish 10th on the ladder.
The Dockers, in what looms as star winger Brad Hill’s last game for the club as he eyes a return to Melbourne, were over-run after quarter-time and end the season in 13th spot.
Port’s chances of sneaking into the top eight were extinguished by the Western Bulldogs’ win earlier on Sunday.
But the Power convincingly downed Fremantle, under caretaker coach David Hale.
Hale is the fourth man to take over as a club’s head coach this season following the sacking of incumbents.
But unlike North Melbourne’s Rhyce Shaw, Carlton’s David Teague and St Kilda’s Brett Ratten, Hale couldn’t engineer a first-up win as interim coach.
The Dockers started brightly, with Ed Langdon slotting two early goals to help the visitors create a 5.1 to 3.4 lead at quarter-time.
But Fremantle’s scoring then alarmingly dried up, with just one goal in the next two quarters while Port kicked eight.
Freo was goal-less in the second stanza as Port booted four consecutive goals to take a 15-point halftime advantage.
And in a lopsided third term, Freo took almost 26 minutes to register their sole inside 50 for the quarter, by which time Port led by 38 points and had the win in their keeping.
Power ruckman Scott Lycett, on recall to AFL action after being dropped three weeks ago, was influential with 22 disposals and 22 hit-outs.
Port’s Charlie Dixon kicked three goals and Todd Marshall, Connor Rozee, Xavier Duursm and Justin Westhoff scored two each.
Defender Trent McKenzie, in his first AFL game this season, was prominent while co-captain Ollie Wines (33 disposals) and Darcy Byrne-Jones (29 touches) were prolific ball-winners.
Fremantle’s Langdon was a standout for the losers with 25 disposals including his two goals, Michael Walters kicked three majors and Hill (24 possessions) and skipper Nat Fyfe (26 touches, one goal) struggled gamely against the Port tide.
© AAP 2019
PORT ADELAIDE 3.4 7.9 11.17 15.20 (110)
FREMANTLE 5.1 5.6 6.6 10.7 (67)
Goals: Port Adelaide: C Dixon 3 C Rozee 2 J Westhoff 2 T Marshall 2 X Duursma 2 D Houston R Bonner T Boak T Rockliff. Fremantle: M Walters 3 E Langdon 2 B Banfield D Mundy H Dixon N Fyfe S Switkowski.
Umpires: Matt Stevic, Sam Hay, Andrew Stephens.
Official Crowd: 27,504 at Adelaide Oval.
