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Port Adelaide have maintained their Shanghai supremacy, downing Gold Coast by 40 points in a wet-weather AFL slog at Jiangwan Stadium.
The Suns fought hard to deliver an improved performance from their drubbing in last year’s inaugural China game, but were no match for the resurgent Power. Port’s 11.16 (82) to 6.6 (42) victory on Saturday lifts them to fourth on the ladder.
Champion midfielder Robbie Gray was quiet after slotting six goals in last week’s Showdown triumph, but the Power had no shortage of contributors with skipper Travis Boak (28 disposals, seven clearances) awarded the Shanghai Medal as best-afield.
Whether the AFL’s second China excursion can be considered a resounding success is up for debate.
Officials had been expecting a sellout crowd of about 11,000 fans and came close to hitting that number with an official attendance of 10,689.
But large sections of seating were empty, suggesting there were plenty of spectators who chose not to stick around for the full game.
Persistent showers throughout the day most likely contributed to the poor showing, with the temperature dropping from the high 30s earlier in the week to just 21 degrees.
Port’s inaccuracy in front of goal and the fact Gold Coast only managed two majors after quarter-time were also sour notes.
There was still plenty of enthusiasm among the travelling fans and curious locals, as Suns skipper Steven May shook hands with Port counterpart Travis Boak before the two teams ran onto the ground through a shared banner.
The camaraderie didn’t last long.
Port agitator Sam Powell-Pepper and Suns midfielder Ben Ainsworth were in each other’s faces early and were involved in scuffles off the ball throughout the game. A high bump from Powell-Pepper is likely to earn him match review scrutiny.
A late replacement for Jack Martin (illness), Suns veteran Matt Rosa had the distinction of scoring the first goal – a classy drop punt from a tight angle on the boundary.
But the Power quickly snapped into action, scoring the next three goals through Chad Wingard, Sam Gray and Tom Rockliff.
Gold Coast teenager Jacob Heron, who joined the exclusive group of players to make his AFL debut outside of Australia, then slotted a goal with his first kick, as the Power closed out an entertaining first quarter with a three-point lead.
If the first term showed glimpses of the game the AFL would like to show to the world, it would be a stretch to say the same of the remaining three quarters.
Each team managed just one goal in the second term and the game descended into a contested scrap.
The Suns went a man down late in the second quarter, as Rosa succumbed to a hamstring injury, while Nick Holman copped a blow to the head in the fourth quarter.
Ruckman Jarrod Witts stood tall for the Suns, getting the better of counterpart Paddy Ryder with 43 hit-outs and 12 clearances.
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