Essendon VFLW have fallen to Port Melbourne 0.7 (7) to 9.0 (54) in their opening round clash at the NEC Hangar on Saturday.

The Bombers were prominent in the contest early but found themselves unable to get scoreboard reward for their work despite winning both the disposal and inside 50 counts.

Trailing by just seven points at the main break, the Dons struggled to limit an efficient Port Melbourne side after half-time, evidenced by the Borough’s 100 per cent accuracy in front of goal.

Dangerous forward Olivia Manfre almost conjured an early contender for goal of the season from the boundary line to get her side going but was quelled by some desperate keeping on the goal line.

Ultimately, Port Melbourne timed a run late to boot five goals in the final 10 minutes, ballooning out the margin to 47 points right on the final siren.

Despite the result, the home opener provided an opportunity for the Dons to field 11 new players after a busy off-season of recruiting.

Among the new faces was Ruby Mahony, who flourished as an inside midfielder with 22 touches, nine clearances and eight tackles, while AFLW draftee Chloe Adams marked her first competitive outing for the club with 20 disposals and eight tackles of her own.

The Bombers will take on Williamstown in round two at the NEC Hangar next Saturday, kicking off at 12:05pm AEDT.