Port Adelaide’s Jeremy Finlayson has kicked five goals in a 55-point belting of Hawthorn which creates a club record AFL winning streak.
The second-placed Power’s 23.13 (151) to 14.12 (96) rout at Adelaide Oval on Saturday is their ninth consecutive victory, bettering their eight straight wins in the seasons of 2002, 2003 and 2014.
Port also logged a series of scoring benchmarks against the Hawks, who were woeful in the first half and trailed by 82 points at the long break.
The Power romped to 9.3 at quarter-time, their biggest score in an opening term at Adelaide Oval, and their highest opening in any game since 2009.
Port booted another seven goals in the second quarter for a 16.9 (105) total, their highest halftime score ever, surpassing the previous best of 15.5 (95) against Richmond in 2002.
The Power’s 82-point halftime lead was also a record for Ken Hinkley’s club. Midway through the third term, the hosts were 96 points up.
But the Hawks stemmed the bleeding by kicking eight of the last 10 goals of the game.
“We played all parts of the game incredibly brutal, it’s definitely as good a half as I have seen us play for a long, long time,” Port coach Ken Hinkley said.
“To expect that to continue on was probably me being a bit greedy in some ways, I just couldn’t expect that from the boys.
“We just spent all the petrol in the first half when we were just so ferocious.”
The only bright spot in Hawthorn’s dismal first half was Luke Breust kicking his 500th career goal, joining Leigh Matthews, Jason Dunstall and Jarryd Roughead as Hawks to reach that milestone.
“We got completely blown away by a very good side in the first half,” Hawks coach Sam Mitchell said.
“At halftime, there’s two ways you go.
“And the spirit of the group and the energy, and commitment and belief – tick … really pleased with the spirit and energy we played with in the second half.”
Port’s Finlayson booted four goals in the opening quarter and his five for the match equalled his career-high.
Fellow forwards Todd Marshall (five goals) and Junior Rioli (four goals) also matched their career-best hauls.
Port’s midfield duo of Connor Rozee (29 disposals, 13 inside-50s, one goal) and Zak Butters (26 touches, one goal) continued their fine form and halfback Dan Houston’s 20 disposals featured two long goals.
Hawthorn’s Breust finished with five goals in a standout display for his 16th-placed club and Mitch Lewis slotted three majors.
Hawk on-baller James Worpel gathered a match-high 35 disposals while former Power pair Jarman Impey (33 touches, one goal) and Karl Amon (25, one goal) battled gamely against the Port tide.
Australian Associated Press