Port Adelaide thrash St Kilda in AFL

Goalsneaks Steven Motlop and Orazio Fantasia feasted as Port Adelaide heaped more AFL misery on St Kilda with a 54-point trouncing on Sunday night.

The Power, with Motlop and Fantasia both booting three goals, were comprehensive 14.9 (93) to 5.9 (39) winners at Adelaide Oval.

The Saints have now suffered heavy losses in three of their past four games – to Port, Richmond by 86 points and Essendon by 75 points.

Touted pre-season as potential contenders after being beaten semi-finalists last year, St Kilda have slipped to 16th spot with just two wins.

But the Power are humming in outright third place with five convincing wins from six games.

Port’s Motlop and Fantasia were the chief scorers while fellow forwards Connor Rozee, Mitch Georgiades and Charlie Dixon all kicked two goals.

The Power midfield dominated with Ollie Wines (36 disposals, nine clearances), Karl Amon (34 touches), Travis Boak (27) and Dan Houston (32) all prolific.

And Port’s defence, led by skipper Tom Jonas (26 disposals) and half-backs Hamish Hartlett (26) and Ryan Burton (28), was downright stingy.

St Kilda, despite Seb Ross (31 disposals) and Jack Steele (27 touches) battling gamely, turned in another lacklustre display and couldn’t find a multiple goal-scorer.

Port’s defensive mastery was a feature as Motlop booted two goals to help create a 15-point quarter-time lead, 4.1 to 1.4.

The Saints failed to cash in on their attacking sorties with just one goal – a freakish left-footed snap from Jack Higgins on the boundary line – from 19 inside 50s for the term.

In stark contrast, Port scored four majors from their first seven inside 50s.

The Power skipped 28 points ahead when Georgiades slotted two goals in the second quarter – the last after a brain-fade from the Saints’ co-captain Steele.

Georgiades was lining up a set shot from about 45 metres when Steele inexplicably ran through the mark and, realising his error, slipped over – and conceded a 50m penalty.

The visitor’s second goal came from their 24th inside 50 via Brad Hill, who was quiet again with only 10 disposals for the game.

But Motlop soon responded with his third goal, Boak added another, and Port took a commanding 34-point advantage into halftime.

St Kilda’s Daniel McKenzie was reported for rough conduct in the third term when he collected Wines with a high bump after the Port playmaker disposed of the ball.

The incident led to one of three goals for the term to Port, who were 49 points up at three quarter-time and then cruised to a resounding victory in a tame last term.