An undermanned Carlton and a wasteful Port Adelaide fought out the first draw of the AFL season at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night.

Port Adelaide scored 15.19 (109) to Carlton's 16.13 (109), with the Blues charging home after being 25 points down at one stage and the Power wasting several chances to seal the game by kicking 2.10 in the final term.

Missed shots on goal were a theme of the night, with the match including nine shots that hit the post - three to Port and six to Carlton, three of those to Blues spearhead Brendan Fevola who finished with 4.4.

Port Adelaide had looked to have the game in its control when it cruised to a 25-point lead early in the second quarter.

Power midfielder Peter Burgoyne, in his first game back from a two-game suspension, was on fire in the first term, leading Port's dominance in the centre square and also running forward to kick two goals.

But the Blues fought back with four straight goals midway through the second quarter, sparked by a classic roving goal by Simon Wiggins, to level the scores entering time-on.

In a see-sawing game, Port again took control late in the first half, kicking four of the last five goals to lead by 19 points at the long break.

Fevola, the dominant forward on the ground, kicked three goals in the first half and started the third quarter with his fourth as Carlton made another charge.

Twice in the third term he had the chance to put the Blues in the lead, but hit the post, the second time bouncing the ball through a vacant goal-square from 70 metres out.

At the other end, Port star forward Warren Tredrea also got plenty of the ball, but was woeful with his kicking.

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