THE Western Bulldogs have set up a mouth-watering grand final with Melbourne in a fortnight\u2019s time after they too proved a class above, smashing Port Adelaide by seventy-one points on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
Port Adelaide were never in the contest as Luke Beveridge proved his team is never without a chance, despite being written off multiple times in 2021.<\/p>\n
They say preliminary final week is the greatest weekend of football.<\/p>\n
While that may not be true this year, Saturday night gave us another incredible preliminary final performance, the second night in a row the contest has been too hot to handle.<\/p>\n
Beveridge\u2019s men followed the lead set by Melbourne on Friday night as they thumped their opposition, running all over Port Adelaide from the opening siren.<\/p>\n
When the Dogs kicked the first five goals, Ken Hinkley\u2019s men only needed to replicate a Round 23 style comeback.<\/p>\n
Down by 36 points at quarter time, something special was needed.<\/p>\n
But come half time, Port players were shell shocked heading into the rooms, their 58-point deficit bigger than any four-quarter loss they\u2019ve faced this season.<\/p>\n
After working so hard to confirm themselves as Premiership material, the Power threw it all away in 60 minutes of football.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no doubt the Dogs were fantastic throughout the first half, but to lose the contested possession count by 23 in a quarter takes more than one team\u2019s brilliance.<\/p>\n
Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes said he was \u201cblown away\u201d by what he\u2019d seen.<\/p>\n
“I’m just blown away. What Melbourne did last night was unbelievable, I didn’t think I’d see it again tonight,\u201d he told AFL Nation.<\/p>\n
The Ken Hinkley rev-up at half time clearly had some effect, Port winning all major stats for the first 10 minutes of the third quarter.<\/p>\n
However, it was to no avail.<\/p>\n
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