A midfield masterclass from Zak Butters has inspired Port Adelaide to a four-point victory over Melbourne in an AFL thriller.
Port Adelaide and Melbourne — going by Yartapuulti and Naarm for Sir Doug Nicholls Round — delivered on the billing as the two top four sides played one of the games of the season thus far, the Power running out 11.14 (80) to 11.10 (76) winners.
Butters gathered 41 disposals, kicked two goals and had a dozen score involvements in the Power's stirring win.
The dynamic 22-year-old's Friday night feats were instrumental in Port's seventh win in a row - they take second spot on the ladder from the Demons ahead of weekend games.
The Demons simply couldn't control Butters, who also had nine clearances and eight inside 50s, as they slipped to their third loss of the year on a rain-soaked Adelaide Oval.
Butters' midfield mate Rozee (31 touches, 11 inside 50s), Dan Houston (33 disposals) and Willem Drew (22, 10 tackles) were busy while young forward Ollie Lord and Jeremy Finlyason slotted two goals each.
Naarm backman Steven May was superb with his 23 disposals including 15 rebounds from his defensive 50m zone.
Demon on-baller Clayton Oliver (28 possessions), forward Bayley Fritsch (two goals), Tom McDonald (two goals) were prominent and Lachie Hunter gathered 24 disposals but was reported for a high bump on Port's Connor Rozee.
The Power's pivotal pair Butters and Rozee engineered a fast start with the duo collecting 23 disposals between them to help their side to a 3.2 to 1.2 advantage at quarter-time.
Port stretched their break to 25 points midway through the second term but two timely strikes from Demon Fritsch reduced the margin to 14 points at half-time.
Butters' influence extended into the third quarter with a goal before the Demons rallied.
As Yartapuulti's ex-captain Travis Boak was substituted — the 336-gamer was crunched in the lower back in a marking contest in term two — the visitors piled on four goals in eight minutes to take a five-point lead.
Naarm capped their dominant quarter with two more majors, the last from a dubious ruck free to Brodie Grundy put the visitors 17 points up.
Yartapuulti's Butters goaled after the siren but the Demons held an 11-point advantage, 10.7 to 8.8, at three quarter-time.
The only Demon downer in their 7.2 to 3.1 quarter was the report of Hunter, whose right hip collected a sliding Rozee in the head on the outer wing.
In a frenetic finale, Power forward Jeremy Finlayson goaled after being awarded a free kick when struck high by Jacob van van Rooyen some 60 metres behind play.
Fourth-gamer Lord returned Port the lead with a close-range checkside before Naarm's McDonald regained it for his team with a cool set shot with eight minutes left.
But with four minutes to go, Port's brilliant Rozee snapped the match-winning goal as his club held on for an eighth win of the year.
