Well, what can you say after a display like that?
I’d like to come out and say that West Coast were their own worst enemy in this game, but there was also so much to like about the way Port Adelaide conducted themselves in their final preseason hit out.
I’d like to say West Coast shot themselves in the foot, but really, if they were holding the gun, chances are they would have missed.
Port were all over the Eagles in the first quarter, and if anything, West Coast were lucky to head into the first change trailing by just 27 points.
Not only were Port on-song, the Eagles seemed to make it easy for them. There were occasions where players in blue and gold appeared fortunate to hit their foot with the ball when kicking. Clumsiness, fumbles, missed targets… it was like West Coast had walked straight out of a bar and onto the field to compete in this one. So bad was their kicking that the groans from the crowd were audible and compounding with every hack.
With the exception of the second quarter, the word “compete” is a vast exaggeration of how this game played out.
Port slammed on 11 goals in the third quarter, as they ran riot all over Mineral Resources Park, before both teams phoned in the last quarter, happy to wave goodbye to the preseason contests.
So, what do we make of a game that seemed over before we ever really got going?
Time to jump into The Mongrel’s Talking Points about these two clubs.
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Oh… a Mongrel paywall… the worst of all paywalls. We’re on the march to the 2026 AFL season and we’re working through the Match Sims, AAMI Series, and Player-specific articles… we’re all in. Dump the mainstream lip service and dive into articles like this – you will never look back. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I consider it your loss as we get into the grind of the season, and you’re stuck with the stuff that’s frustrated you for years.
