Eagles continue home dominance

Updated June 19, 2011 19:50:00

West Coast notched up a fifth straight home win to the tune of 22 points on Sunday, but was made to work all the way by a determined Port Adelaide side.

The Eagles were always in control of the contest, taking a 33-point lead into half-time before seeing off a Power rally to claim a 15.20 (110) to 13.10 (88) triumph that consolidated their place in the top eight.

Port got the margin back to 14 points early in the third term and again back to 17 in the fourth quarter before West Coast settled with the next two goals.

The Eagles' eighth win of the season moved them into fifth spot on the table, with their top-four hopes to be put to the test next Sunday against third-placed Carlton at Docklands.

Mark LeCras was at his elusive best in the Eagles forward line with 4.3 while Josh Kennedy and Shannon Hurn, who was brilliant across half-back with 25 touches and seven inside-50s, booted three goals apiece.

Daniel Kerr continued his tremendous form out of the middle with 27 touches amongst an impressive all-round performance by the Eagles midfield.

Matthew Priddis, Matthew Rosa, Tom Swift, Luke Shuey and Scott Selwood all totalled 20-plus possessions.

Travis Boak kicked three goals for Port Adelaide with Danyle Pearce, Kane Cornes and returning captain Domenic Cassisi the markers in an encouraging display on the road.

Regardless, Port Adelaide (2-10) remains near the foot of the table and faces a tough test next week against rejuvenated North Melbourne at Football Park.

West Coast was inaccurate early but two opportunistic goals from LeCras ensured the home side took a 15-point lead into quarter time.

The margin stretched to 30 when Hurn booted a 58-metre monster and Adam Selwood kicked truly from the boundary, but Port Adelaide hit back through Boak and Pearce to stay within touch midway through the quarter.

However, Kennedy's hard work ensured West Coast as 33 points ahead by half-time, with the former Blue crashing a pack to create a goal for LeCras before kicking one himself.

Port Adelaide launched a ferocious charge early in the third quarter, booting three goals within four minutes to close the margin to just 14 points, with Simon Phillips' dribbling goal the best of the lot.

But West Coast managed to steady, with Hurn's 63m bomb ensuring the margin was 23 points at the final change.

The game looked over when goals to Brad Ebert and Scott Selwood stretched the margin to 35 points, only for three quick goals to the Power to open up the match again.

But it was to be the last hurrah for Port, as West Coast regained the ascendancy through the middle to close out the win.

Eagles: 15.20 (110) - M LeCras 4, J Kennedy 3, S Hurn 3, A Selwood, B Ebert, M Priddis, N Naitanui, S Selwood.

Power: 13.10 (88) -T Boak 3, C O'Shea, D Pearce, D Stewart, H Hartlett, J Schulz, J Trentgrove, J Westhoff, R Gray, S Phillips, T Logan.

-ABC/AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, sa, port-adelaide-5015, wa, perth-6000

First posted June 19, 2011 19:38:00

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Roos continue Dees dominance

Updated May 14, 2011 17:50:00

Six goals to Aaron Edwards and Daniel Wells' midfield brilliance have steered the Kangaroos to a gritty 41-point AFL win over Melbourne at Docklands on Saturday.

Slow to start and in desperate trouble midway through the first quarter as they trailed by 31 points, the Kangaroos somehow conjured a 72-point turnaround for a 19.10 (124) to 12.11 (83) victory.

Three second-quarter goals from Edwards, who booted 10 in the reserves last week, brought the Kangaroos back into a contest they had looked destined to lose.

The much-scrutinised Wells also had a massive impact when needed, with 29 touches and three goals.

"He's been fantastic for us this year, and you don't often hear crowd noise in the box but when he won the ball a couple of times, the North supporters got behind him which was really good," said North coach Brad Scott.

"They've got to support him because he's a terrific player ... I've often said he can't live up to people's expectations because they're unachievable.

"He's getting to where we both know he can and I think he can be a genuinely elite player, and he's starting to show that now."

Their heroics, as well as ruckman Todd Goldstein getting on top against an injury-weakened Demons ruck division, helped send the Kangaroos in just seven points adrift at half-time.

Edwards had a goal on the board just 30 seconds into the third quarter to signal a full momentum shift and lay Melbourne's excellent first quarter to waste.

The 27-year-old had his fifth soon after during an eight-goals-to-two burst from the Kangaroos which punched them out to a 15-point lead.

But Melbourne came again with goals to Addam Maric and Ricky Petterd to reduce the lead to two points, before Edwards' forward partner Lachlan Hansen stepped up with two big marks and goals in the space of three minutes.

Melbourne were also struggling with injuries, reduced to just one fit bench player by the final change, after injuries to Colin Garland (ankle), Liam Jurrah (leg) and Rohan Bail (knee).

North led by 21 points at three-quarter-time, before fittingly, Wells and Edwards combined to ice the game.

Wells' 60-metre torpedo out of defence found Edwards, who sent skipper Brent Harvey on the way to his third goal, giving the Kangaroos an unassailable 28-point lead early in the fourth term.

Maric finished with three goals for the Demons, as did Liam Jurrah.

It is just North's second win in seven matches this season, while the Dees have three wins and a draw from their seven games.

Kangaroos: 19.10 (124) - A Edwards 6, B Harvey 3, D Welss 3, L Hansen 2, T Goldstein 2, B Speight, K Harper, L Adams.

Melbourne: 12.11 (83) - A Maric 3, L Jurrah 3, M Newton 2, R Petterd 2, C Bartram, J Watts.

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, melbourne-3000, north-melbourne-3051

First posted May 14, 2011 17:10:00

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