Port Adelaide has continued its scintillating early season form and underlined its status as a premiership contender with a 54-point win over an injury-hit Essendon at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

Zak Butters (36 disposals and one goal), Ollie Wines (38 disposals) and Charlie Dixon (four goals) starred for the Power in their 18.11 (119) to 9.11 (65) win, which followed their 52-point rout of North Melbourne in round one.

While much of the pre-game focus was on Orazio Fantasia’s first game against his former club, the lively forward was relatively quiet and finished with 2.3 and 17 touches. 

Port Adelaide got off to a hot start, kicking two goals in the opening three minutes through Charlie Dixon and Zak Butters.             

Essendon meanwhile struggled to get its hands on the ball. By the time Peter Ladhams rolled through the Power’s fifth unanswered goal midway through the first quarter, Port led the disposal count 62-22, inside 50s 10-2 and the clearances 8-2.

After Cale Hooker stemmed the bleeding with Essendon’s first goal, the Bombers started to work their way back into the contest, but were only able to add 0.4 to go into quarter-time 27 points behind.

The Bombers tried valiantly all day to keep themselves in the game, but were overwhelmed by the Power’s slick ball movement and strong marking tall forwards – particularly Dixon and young forward Mitch Georgiades (four goals).    

Hooker and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti played a lone hand up forward for the Bombers, combining to kick six of Essendon’s nine goals.     

The Bombers’ loss was also compounded by injuries to Dylan Shiel (knee), Jye Caldwell (hamstring) and Sam Draper (leg).

PORT ADELAIDE  6.1   11.6    15.10    18.11 (119)
ESSENDON           1.4    4.7      6.8         9.11 (65)

GOALS

Port Adelaide: Dixon 4, Georgiades 4, Ladhams 2, Motlop 2, Fantasia 2, Butters, Amon, Houston, Lycett

Essendon: Hooker 3, McDonald-Tipungwuti 3, Langford, Snelling, Cox

BEST

Port Adelaide: Butters, Dixon, Georgiades, Wines, Houston

Essendon: Hooker, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Ridley, Merrett, Redman

INJURIES

Port Adelaide: Marshall (back) replaced in selected side by Georgiades

Essendon: Heppell (back) replaced in selected side by Gleeson, Caldwell (hamstring), Draper (leg), Shiel (knee)

SUBSTITUTES

Port Adelaide: Tom Rockliff (unused)

Essendon: Tom Cutler (replaced Jye Caldwell)