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AAP
AAP
Steve Larkin

Marinoff stars as Adelaide down Port in AFLW

Adelaide star Ebony Marinoff boots her side into attack during their AFLW win against Port Adelaide. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)

Adelaide's Ebony Marinoff has produced another dominant display to lead her side to a 14-point win against Port Adelaide in their AFLW season opener.

The brilliant Marinoff collected a game-high 29 disposals in the Crows' 7.7 (49) to 5.5 (35) victory at Alberton Oval on Saturday night.

Adelaide's co-captain, renowned as among the competition's premier players, propelled her side inside the attacking 50m zone eight times, won five clearances and laid 10 tackles.

"She's an unbelievably consistent performer," Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke said of Marinoff.

"Since she has been in the competition, she hasn't finished outside the top three of our b and f (best and fairest award), so that speaks to what we're going to get week-in, week-out."

Adelaide's Jessica Allan booted two goals and ruled the rucks with 30 hitouts while teammates Anne Hatchard (22 disposals, 12 tackles, one goal) and Madison Newman (19 possessions) were also standouts.

The Crows were never headed but Port, winners just three times in their initial two AFLW seasons, showed pluck against the three-time premiership winners.

"We took some steps forward and then there's some things in our control that we can address, I think pretty quickly," Power coach Lauren Arnell said.

"The Crows kicked 7.7, we gave them 5.2 from our defensive 50 stoppage (goals), so sloppy."

Port's 50-gamer Ashleigh Saint (15 touches, one goal), Abbey Dowrick (14 touches, one goal), Sachi Syme (18 disposals) and Shineah Goody (one goal, 15 possessions) all battled gamely.

But Crows star Marinoff was unable to be controlled - the five-time All Australian set the tone for Adelaide with a commanding first quarter.

Marinoff gathered eight disposals featuring three inside 50s to help her side create a 12-point advantage at quarter time, 3.1 to 1.1.

Jessica Allan.
Adelaide's Jessica Allan flies high during the Crows' win over Port. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)

The Power closed the gap in the second term with majors to Shineah Goody and Gemma Houghton, punctuated by a goal from Adelaide's Allan from a ruck infringement.

The Crows held an eight-point buffer at halftime, 4.4 to 3.2, and stretched their lead to 15 points early in the third quarter when Chelsea Biddell marked and goaled.

But the Power struck against the tide when Dowrick sprinted into an an open goal from a rare attacking foray.

The Crows, despite having 20 more inside 50s than Port at three-quarter time, led by only 10 points, 5.7 to 4.3.

Ruck Allan's second goal gave the Crows a 16-point break just two minutes into the final term and settled the result before a crowd of 5194 spectators.

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