1. Powerful start
Like last year's preliminary final, Port Adelaide hit the ground running, but this time it made Hawthorn pay on the scoreboard. Chad Wingard got it started with a clever snap after winning the hard ball and the Power went on to kick seven unanswered goals. It took just 17 minutes and came 35 seconds quicker than their seven-goal onslaught against Richmond in last year's elimination final. Port had 16 inside-50s and scored on 10 of them, while Hawthorn scored just three times from its 13 entries. Westhoff and Hartlett kicked miraculous goals from the pocket, while Jay Schulz bagged three goals in the quarter in his 100th game for the club, as the Power matched their first quarter record against the Hawks with 8.2 (50).
2. Hawks humbled
Hawthorn hasn't had 12 goals kicked against them in a first half since 2009. The team that did it to them that day in Round 18 was Port Adelaide too. After winning back-to-back flags the Hawks are still the benchmark but the Power showed, with immense tackling pressure, that all the pre-season hype about Port was warranted. It has now levelled the win/loss tally at 2 and put Hawthorn at the same mark. It's going to get very tight at the top with so many quality teams with genuine top-4 hopes. A final quarter flurry almost saw the Hawks pinch it at the death. They had nine scoring shots to one and dominated all the play with 28 inside-50s to five, but just found it just too much to recover from a game-high 58-point deficit during the second quarter.
3. Hinkley's new ruck combo
Ken Hinkley had his first look at his new ruck combo of Paddy Ryder and Matthew Lobbe playing together for premiership points. It was Lobbe's first game for the season after battling a thigh strain and he made a serviceable return. He picked up eight possessions, eight tackles and had 17 hit-outs. He'll certainly be better for the run. More importantly it freed up Paddy Ryder to play up forward and he proved a potent target, kicking two goals. He also played his part through the midfield (21 hit-outs) and with the more games the duo play, the more dangerous they'll become.
4. No Gray, No Wines, No Worries
Midfield dynamos Ollie Wines and Robbie Gray were huge outs for Port Adelaide because of their ability to win contested possession and clearances. It cast doubt over Port's chances, but their midfield stepped up to the challenge with no worries at all. The Power were led by captain Travis Boak who again won the Peter Badcoe Medal. Boak (30 possessions, 15 contested, eight clearances) was simply superb all night and he had quality help from Brad Ebert (25 possessions, 13 contested, five clearances) and Aaron Young (25 possesions, 14 contested, five clearances) who relished the opportunity with more time on the ball. It just shows the depth that the Power have grown over the last few seasons.
5. Rough night
After bagging seven goals last week Jarryd Roughead was kept goalless by Alipate Carlile. It was a tremendous defensive effort from Carlile considering Roughead's six-goal performance in the preliminary final last year. The high-flying Hawk was last kept goalless in Round 17 last year and has only failed to kick a goal four times in the last two seasons.
