Travis Boak all smiles while hugging team mates after being named best on ground Picture: Sarah Reed
PORT Adelaide stunned bitter hometown rival Adelaide with an inspired second half at AAMI Stadium to prove it was the real deal under new coach Ken Hinkley.
Trailing by 31 points and seemingly out of the game in the third term, Port produced one of the great Showdown comebacks to win by nine points.
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The seven-goal turnaround was sparked by midfielders Travis Boak and Hamish Hartlett, key forward Justin Westhoff and second-year small forward Chad Wingard.
Westhoff kicked his four goals in a dynamic second half, while Wingard sealed the deal with three goals in the final term.
AFL - SHOWDOWN 34 - Port Adelaide v Adelaide Crows, AAMI Stadium. Taylor Walker attempts to mark in front of Tom Jonas Picture: Reed Sarah Source:
The Power - who won only eight games in the past two years under Matthew Primus - extended its lead in Showdowns to 18-16 and ended a three-game winning streak to the Crows.
Power had to overcome a five-goal deficit, but they were only in the such a predicament because of shoddy goalkicking.
They had seven consecutive behinds in the second term when they controlled play, while the Crows kicked five goals without a miss.
AFL Round 3 - Port Adelaide v Adelaide at AAMI Stadium - Hamish Hartlett and Oliver Wines Picture: Simon Cross Source:
Port won all the important statistics: 38 more disposals, 15 more contested possessions, six more inside-50s and two more clearances.
New captain Boak led from the front with a standout midfield display and capped his 30 disposals with three goals.
Hartlett was brilliant with 28 possessions and nine inside-50s.
Up forward, the in-form Westhoff helped turn the contest with three goals in the third term, while Wingard played his best AFL game, Kane Cornes performed strongly on Crows gamebreaker Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Jonas was outstanding on Taylor Walker.
AFL - SHOWDOWN 34 - Port Adelaide v Adelaide Crows, AAMI Stadium. Captain Nathan van Berlo and Ben Rutten deep in conversation after the loss Picture: Reed Sarah Source:
The Crows - in early-season trouble with a 1-2 record - relied on far too few players.
Rory Sloane and Dangerfield were their best, while Ben Rutten kept Jay Schulz to one goal.
The win gave Hinkley early bragging rights in his coaching dual with former Geelong teammate and coaching assistant Brenton Sanderson, who suddenly finds himself with a real test on his hands after his fairytale 2012 campaign.
With Hartlett and Boak running riot in the midfield, Port kicked two goals in the opening five minutes - through Matthew Broadbent and Schulz - to gain the initiative.
But it did not take the Crows long to rebound.
Walker pushed off his opponent Jackson Trengove to waltz into an open goal and two goals in 40 seconds to Andy Otten and Rory Sloane gave Adelaide its first lead.
Trengove was having a nightmare with Walker - and in keeping his feet - while Dangerfield was starting to shake off the tag of Cornes to have an influence.
Hinkley reacted to Trengove's struggles and moving Jonas on to Walker in the second quarter.
The move paid immediate dividends with the under-sized but close-checking Jonas curtailing Adelaide's best forward.
Port was the better side in the second term but wasted opportunities in front of the sticks.
The Crows burst out of the blocks in the third term to grab a 31-point lead.
But with Boak and Hartlett continuing to lead by example, Port refused to break, kicking six of the next seven goals to level the scores at the final change.
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