AN EXUBERANT Fremantle has fallen to its fourth successive loss, this one to Port Adelaide by 24 points at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night.

Perhaps buoyed by its youth and the newest opportunities given to Michael Walters and Clancee Pearce, competitive Fremantle – fielding nine players with 10 games' experience or less, led for most of the first half.

However, as rain fell Port Adelaide was eventually able to shut down Fremantle's run with a six-goal third term en route to the 14.10 (94) to 11.4 (70) victory.

Fremantle had come off a narrow loss to Richmond at Subiaco Oval – in better shape than Port Adelaide, which struggled against Collingwood in a 38-point defeat.

But losing Antoni Grover, Des Headland, Luke McPharlin and Michael Johnson to injury during the week hurt more and had some bearing on Fremantle's ability to muster a late response in this display.

Despite Port Adelaide's two-pronged ruck division of Brendon Lade and Dean Brogan, ruck giant Aaron Sandilands was influential – finishing with 20 disposals, 27 hit-outs and six clearances.

Paul Duffield (29 possessions), Paul Hasleby (25) and Greg Broughton (22) were also solid contributors, though Hasleby was just shaded in his battle with Kane Cornes (34, one goal).

Port Adelaide captain Domenic Cassisi had 27 touches and six clearances, while David Rodan kicked three of his side's 14 goals – each of them coming at crucial stages.

Fremantle's early dominance was soured when forward Adam Campbell was stretchered from the field late in the first quarter, after being collected in a contest by Sandilands.

He spent the rest of the night down in the change-rooms.

Before that incident, Fremantle had opened the game strongly, scoring its first goal off the boot of captain Matthew Pavlich, which was followed up quickly with a successful hit-out, pinpoint passing and a Dean Solomon major.

It was just three-and-a-half minutes into the game and Fremantle was 13 points ahead.

A reply came from Warren Tredrea, but goals to Scott Thornton and Matt de Boer had stretched the lead to 20 points.

However, the Power found some momentum later in the quarter and goals to Justin Westhoff and Rodan pulled them back into the game.

Leading by five points at quarter time, Fremantle continued to attack in the new term. It started with the first two goals but Port Adelaide controlled the rest of the quarter.

Midfield turnovers started to become an issue as Port added extra pressure and three successive goals came from Fremantle clangers.

Port took the lead for the first time in the match late in the second quarter when Lade marked and kicked a brilliant goal from the boundary line, and seemed likely to pull away.

Down the other end, Fremantle struggled to find a way into its forward 50, however, the efforts of Walters – a late replacement for would-be debutant Hayden Ballantyne – and Pearce ensured a two-point edge at the main break.

The advantage on the scoreboard and in play was quickly turned around in the third quarter as Fremantle struggled to move the ball fluently.

In the slippery conditions, Rodan shrugged off a tackle and kicked truly from 40m to give Port Adelaide an eight-point lead, and Matthew Westhoff quickly added with his first goal of the match.

Pavlich, one-out with Troy Chaplin, gave the visitors a glimmer of hope but quick replies to Kane Cornes and Rodan blew the lead out to 20 points at three quarter time.

The tempo of the game was slowed completely in the fourth and Fremantle, like the victors, only added one goal – through David Mundy.

Port Adelaide     3.3   7.6   13.6   14.10 (94)
Fremantle     4.2   8.2   10.4   11.4 (70)

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Rodan 3, J. Westhoff 2, Tredrea, Boak, Lade, Chaplin, Motlop, M. Westhoff, Pearce, K. Cornes, Ebert
Fremantle: Thornton 2, Mundy 2, Pavlich 2, Solomon, de Boer, Ibbotson, Walters, Pearce

BEST
Port Adelaide: K. Cornes, Rodan, Lade, Chaplin, Thurstans, Cassisi, J. Westhoff, Surjan
Fremantle: Sandilands, Duffield, Schammer, Foster, Broughton, Mundy

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Boak (knee), Gray (illness) replaced in selected side by J. Westhoff
Fremantle: Campbell (concussion), Ballantyne (corked thigh) replaced in selected side by Walters

Reports: Nil

Umpires: McBurney, Avon, Mollison

Official crowd: 18,418 at AAMI Stadium

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.