St Kilda beat Port to break Adelaide Oval drought

St Kilda have snapped a long-standing hoodoo with a gritty 17-point win over the Power at Adelaide Oval, claiming a vital 13.11 (89) to 10.12 (72) victory in Round 4 to secure their place inside the top eight on the AFL ladder.

The Saints burst out of the blocks with six first-quarter goals to stun the home crowd and led by as much as 31 points in the second term.

While Port Adelaide wrested back momentum after halftime and threatened to overrun the Saints in the final quarter, crucial late goals from Jack Sinclair and Lance Collard sealed the win for the visitors.

The result marked St Kilda’s fourth win from 20 games at Adelaide Oval, while it also ended a dire run of 14 losses from their past 15 clashes with the Power.

Sinclair was among St Kilda’s best, while Jack Macrae provided a steady hand in midfield and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was prolific early, driving the Saints forward with his pace and precision.

Jack Higgins chipped in with three goals, while Mitch Owens added two.

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Port Adelaide were well served by Jason Horne-Francis, who was arguably the best player on the ground with 28 disposals and three goals.

Mitch Georgiades also impressed with three majors, and Ollie Lord added another three in a spirited effort.

Despite their dominance in the third term and a late surge in the fourth, the Power couldn’t land the knockout punch, with poor conversion and defensive lapses proving costly.

The win marks a significant breakthrough for Ross Lyon’s men and sets up an intriguing Round 5 clash, while Ken Hinkley’s side is left to regroup after letting a golden opportunity slip at home.

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