Roos into semis over makeshift Port
The Kangaroos, always eager for the dollars on offer in the Wizard Cup, progressed to the semi-finals of the AFL pre-season competition with a comfortable win over a below-strength Port Adelaide.
The Roos dominated most of the match, but some efficient scoring by Port meant it was only in the second half that the home team was able to take control of the game, but did so in spades to win 1.15.21 (120) to 2.9.4 (76).
The victory saw the Roos progress to a semi against the winner of tonight's other match between West Coast and Collingwood in Darwin.
As much as tonight's win would boost sponsorship and membership dollars, it was also a riposte to the naysayers who have emerged every pre-season in recent history to predict a Roos' wooden spoon.
The scoreline also answered questions about the Roos' potency.
Port will be little troubled by the defeat, having rested a slew of last year's premiership heroes, with names like Peter Burgoyne, Kane Cornes, Roger James, Brendon Lade, Brett Montgomery, suspended Byron Pickett, Matthew Primus and Michael Wilson absent.
The only bad news was that the defeat meant Pickett would now miss the first five games of the premiership season rather than the three he would have sat out if Port had made it through to the final of this competition.
The Kangaroos broke quickest from the blocks with the opening two goals, but then watched on as Port rattled off six successive goals to go out to a 20-point lead approaching time on of the first term.
But in a pattern that was established in the early part of the match, the momentum swung back in the Kangaroos favour as they went out to a 14-point lead early in the second term.
Power reversed the trend and surged to be 12 points in front early in the third, but that was to be their last salvo as the home team completely dominated the remainder of the match.
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