Power beat Bulldogs to surge to 10th-straight AFL win

Anna Harrington | June 9, 2023

Ken Hinkley isn’t certain whether Port Adelaide’s 10-game winning run has delivered the most belief he’s seen at the AFL club but is adamant the Power are only getting more confident.

The Power fought past a resilient Western Bulldogs on Friday night to claim a 16.11 (107) to 13.7 (85) win in front of 23,110 fans at Marvel Stadium.

“I’m not sure we’ve ever been quite as consistent in some of the behaviours and I think that’s what I’m most pleased about because we’ve won lots of tough games,” Hinkley, in his 11th season, told reporters.

“We’ve played lots of quality opposition, we’ve had one of the toughest drawers in the column and I think we’ve been able to answer all the challenges so far.

“We’ve won at home, won away, played Bulldogs at Adelaide, played them here. They were in pretty good form tonight, the Bulldogs, themselves. 

“It’s hard to answer it long-term about whether it’s the best we’ve been but there’s certainly great belief and it’s growing. It’s not going away, it’s getting stronger and the boys are getting ample examples of what it looks like.”

The Bulldogs were condemned to a third-straight defeat while skipper Marcus Bontempelli could come under scrutiny for a high bump on Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston early in the second quarter that drew a free kick.

“I’ve got no real comment on that because I think it was one of those 50-50 balls. I just thought they were both going for it,” Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said. 

Power gun Zak Butters starred with 31 disposals, 11 score involvements and a goal, Jason Horne-Francis kicked two crucial goals, while Charlie Dixon marked his return from injury with four goals.

Port big man Scott Lycett had the better of in-form Bulldogs ruck Tim English, while Aliir Aliir largely kept Aaron Naughton quiet.

Tom Liberatore was everywhere for the Bulldogs, racking up 34 disposals, 21 contested possessions and 11 clearances, while Caleb Daniel (29 touches) and Bontempelli (31 touches, nine clearances) were also excellent.

But the Bulldogs gave up 62 points on turnover.

“Early in the game we squandered some of those opportunities and then they got them a bit too easy,” Beveridge said.

“The boys hung in there and persevered but, ultimately, it was probably some of the blatant stuff, turnover-wise, that cost us a little bit.” 

Dixon monstered Josh Bruce and booted three goals in the first term, when Bulldogs dynamo Cody Weightman also booted three.

After the 10-goal opening term, the game was an arm wrestle.

With the Bulldogs surging midway through the final term, Horne-Francis pulled off a wonderful ground-ball pick-up, burst away and kicked truly to settle things.

There was a late controversy when Weightman thought he had booted a fourth to return the deficit to eight, but Oskar Baker was penalised for blocking out Ollie Wines on the goal line. 

Port quickly took it down the other end and iced the game.