After two consecutive losses, Port Adelaide has redeemed themselves with a 33-point victory against North Melbourne.
The Power's magnificent defence proved to be their winning attribute on Saturday afternoon, with the Roos unable to find an answer to fight back.
With a heavy focus on hitting Ben Brown in the forward 50, and an evident effort from the Power to stifle his influence, North Melbourne struggled to convert against Port Adelaide, ultimately affecting the end results.
Sam Gray was an impressive forward for Port, leading with 4 goals which contributed to his side’s epic win, while Brad Ebert (33) and Jared Polec (34) were the major possession winners across the ground.
With both sides looking to capture their fourth win of the season, it was North Melbourne who came out flying at Etihad Stadium, with Ben Brown kicking off the match with the first major of the term.
But the early advantage didn't deter Port Adelaide from looking for redemption, responding with a quick goal of their own through Justin Westhoff.
Despite Port Adelaide dominating in their forward 50 and controlling the ball through the corridor, their inability to fully capitalise on the scoreboard - finishing the term with 4.5 - allowed the Roos to stay within the game.
Thanks to Sam Grey’s outstanding efforts up forward and two goals within the space of minutes, Port Adelaide ended the term 16 points in front of the spirited Roos.
North Melbourne again came out strong in the initial stages of the second quarter, dominating the ball in the forward 50 which resulted in a goal to Jed Anderson.
But vital mistakes made by North Melbourne allowed the Power to reignite themselves and make their mark on the scoreboard, kicking four goals to North's two.
Travis Boak and Polec (14 disposals each at half-time) were dominating forces within Port's midfield, preventing North from transitioning effectively up the ground.
An outstanding tackle by Majak Daw managed to breathe life back into the Roos and abate the Power press, with Brown scoring a much needed goal to keep their hopes of a win alive.
Despite a late increase in pressure by North Melbourne in the final minutes of the term, the Power continued to surge ahead, heading into the second half with a 25-point lead.
Determined to keep extending their lead, Port Adelaide opened the second half with goals to Jack Watts and Polec.
The Power seemed to have the game under control, bringing the ball forward through the centre clean and efficiently – a trait which was reflected on the scoreboard.
Despite some sloppy ball work from the Roos, Jarrad Waite and Jy Simpkin slotted two quick goals in a row to will themselves back into the game.
Yet the efforts of Sam Gray in Port's forward 50 - finishing his day with 19 disposals and four goals - made North Melbourne's chances of a comeback slim.
Ultimately, North Melbourne could not stop the Power's dominance at either end of the ground, going into the final term with a 37-point deficit.
The Roos entered the final term with intent, bringing the crowd back to life with Luke Davies- Uniacke scoring a much-needed goal.
But their hope was swiftly crushed with a quick response from the Power.
Port Adelaide managed to keep North Melbourne under control, outplaying them in their defensive structure and ball movement through the midfield.
Polec, Westhoff and Ollie Wines proved to be integral in moving the ball through the centre into the forward 50, and despite a last-minute surge by Brown in the final minutes, the Power walked away with the four points.
Port Adelaide will look to take their record to five wins when they take on West Coast in Perth, while North Melbourne will look to bounce back when they take on mighty Sydney Swans.
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.1 4.5 6.7 10.9 (69)
PORT ADELAIDE 4.5 8.6 12.8 15.12 (102)
GOALS
North Melbourne Brown 4, Waite 3, Davies-Uniacke, Simpkin, Anderson
Port Adelaide S.Gray 4, Neade 2, Wingard 2, Dixon, R. Gray, Polec, Watts, Johnson, Houston, Westhoff
BEST
North Melbourne Daw, Anderson, Clarke, Simpkin, Cunnington
Port Adelaide Polec, Ebert, Boak, S. Gray, Westhoff, Wingard
INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Port Adelaide: Wingard (hamstring)
TALKING POINTS
1. PORT ADELAIDE HAVE BOUNCED BACK
It's safe to say it has been a pretty eventful week for Port Adelaide.
After two losses in a row, including a 34-point loss to Geelong at home, the club continued to be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, following a Sam Powell-Pepper suspension.
The club also faced a tragedy with Todd Marshall’s father passing away earlier this week.
But despite these adversities, the Power were hungry to make a statement, and were outstanding around the contest and in their defence against the Roos.
Sam Gray proved to be the unlikely hero with four goals and 16 disposals.
After being labelled as an overrated side at best following their recent slump, Port's victory today may have just reversed the previous
2. BEN BROWN TAKEN DOWN
Ben Brown has had an excellent start to the season, leading the Coleman Medal with 19 goals from his five matches before today's match.
With the 25-year-old a leading force in North Melbourne’s bright start to the season, it was no surprise the Power put great effort into closing the big man down.
Although finishing with four goals - three of which were kicked in the final term - Tom Jonas did an outstanding job in keeping Brown at bay in stages where the match could have gone either way.
Jonas was also well supported by both Jack Hombsch and Dougal Howard, who would often double or triple-team Brown, preventing him a clear access to the ball.
3, CHAD WINGARD HAMSTRING TROUBLES
After Chad Wingard kicked a superb goal in the final term, the moment was soured after the dynamic forward left the field with a suspected hamstring issue.
It is a familiar feeling for the 24-year-old, who has had notorious niggles with his hamstrings during his playing career.
With the potential to miss several weeks, Port will be hoping the superstar won't be out for long.
Either way, they've got the talent to fill his position, and will be instilled with faith following Sam Gray's four-goal performance.
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