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AAP
AAP
Steve Larkin

New leaders shine as Port crush West Coast

Zak Butters (R) was a powerful force as Port delivered a swift rebuke to West Coast's revival hopes. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)

Port Adelaide's Connor Rozee and Zak Butters have started their leadership reign with aplomb in a 50-point hammering of West Coast.

New skipper Rozee and fresh vice-captain Butters were among the stand-outs in Port's 16.24 (120) to 10.10 (70) win at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Rozee gathered 27 disposals and two goals while Butters, who also collected 27 touches and a goal, was typically creative.

"Zak and Connor both delivered ... 14 score involvements for Connor, 12 for Zak," Port coach Ken Hinkley said.

"I thought they went in arm-in-arm as they've done their entire time at Port Adelaide.

"They have got a long, long way to go on their journey.

"But ultimately, as young leaders, they displayed football form first, and then leadership comes along with it, so good on them both."

The duo's midfield mates Jason Horne-Francis (20 disposals, two goals), Willem Drew (16 touches, two goals) and Ollie Wines (23 possessions) helped overwhelm the Eagles in the season-opener for both clubs.

Port spearhead Charlie Dixon kicked 3.3 and recruits Ivan Soldo (two goals, 28 hit-outs), Esava Ratugolea and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher were all solid.

IVan Soldo wins a ruck duel.
Port recruit Ivan Soldo (L) had a powerful game on debut for his new club. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)

West Coast were well served by Jack Petruccelle (three goals) while Elliot Yeo (20 disposals), Jayden Hunt (20) and ruckman Bailey Williams (13 hit-outs, seven clearances) battled hard.

The Eagles' hyped No.1 draftee Harley Reid made a bright start in his debut premiership game with eight disposals and a hand in a goal-scoring chain in the first quarter.

The 18-year-old finished with 16 disposals, five clearances and four inside-50s.

"It's a lot of attention on Harley throughout pre-season. He's probably used to it but I think he's at home when he's on the ground and playing footy," Eagles coach Adam Simpson said.

"He's a good kid. He's pretty resilient and I thought he was pretty good today. It looks like he picked up the pace of the game pretty well."

Port's Dixon kicked two early goals as his side led 3.6 to 3.1 at quarter-time, after the Eagles were gifted a major by a boundary umpire error when Jake Waterman collected the ball clearly outside the line before passing to Petruccelle.

Dixon's influence continued in the second quarter when he scored the first of four consecutive Port goals which broke the game open.

Harley Reid on the ball.
A strong performance from Harley Reid was a silver lining for West Coast. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)

The Power surge created a 31-point halftime advantage, 9.10 to 5.3, and their lead increased to 43 points early in the third, but just when the Eagles appeared down for the count, they briefly rallied.

West Coast stalwart Jack Darling goaled, co-captain Liam Duggan followed with a classy finish and fellow skipper Oscar Allen then hit the post with a set-shot which would have reduced the deficit to 24.

Instead, the visitors trailed by 32 points after a third term punctuated by an injury to Port's Jed McEntee, who was concussed when his head hit the ground after a marking collision with the Eagles' Williams.

Port, before a home crowd of 34,078 spectators, then outscored the visitors five goals to three in the final quarter.

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