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AAP
Sport
Steve Larkin

Brisbane coach perplexed by heavy AFL loss to Port

Recruit Jason Horne-Francis has starred in Port Adelaide's runaway win over Brisbane in Adelaide. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan is baffled by a lack of effort from his players in their 54-point hammering from Port Adelaide.

The Power's pair of prized recruits made instant impacts with Jason Horne-Francis best-afield and Junior Rioli slotting three goals in the 18.18 (126) to 11.6 (72) triumph.

"Our list management team should be feeling pretty good today," Port coach Ken Hinkley said.

Horne-Francis was superb with 25 disposals featuring 10 inside 50s, 11 score involvements, seven clearances and a goal.

And he sparked a match-winning Power surge in the third term: after trailing by 12 points at halftime at Adelaide Oval, they booted eight goals to one in a decisive third quarter.

Horne-Francis, the 2021 No.1 draft pick who controversially walked out on North Melbourne after one season, inspired the blitz with a dozen touches and five inside 50s for the term.

"He was a really solid player for us," Hinkley said.

"I feel like he's a really solid person and he is home, he's happy - they are things that help make you become a good footballer."

Ex-West Coast Eagle Rioli was an ever-present attacking threat alongside Todd Marshall (four goals, eight marks) and Charlie Dixon (3.3, 10 marks).

The lacklustre Lions were lucky to lose by only 54 points, according to their bewildered coach Fagan.

"For some reason or another the effort wasn't there ... all the things that we pride ourselves on were non-evident," he said.

"You have got keep cool heads sometimes when you lose a game of football like that, analyse properly what happened.

"There's the game statistics that tell you what happened but there's also what is going on in people's minds.

"Were we as ready as we should have been ... responsibility for that sits on my shoulders as much as it sits on the players so I will have a review of myself first."

Brisbane led by 18 points in a second stanza punctuated by a blow-up from Port's Charlie Dixon.

An abusive Dixon gave away consecutive 50m penalties, leading to a Daniel Rich goal - the first of six majors for Brisbane in the quarter.

But Horne-Francis then stole the spotlight, assisted in midfield by Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines (29 disposals) and Zak Butters (24 touches).

Power backmen Ryan Burton (24), Darcy Byrne-Jones (27) and Aliir Aliir (seven marks) nullified Brisbane's forwards with ex-Hawk Jack Gunston and Zac Bailey scoring two goals apiece.

Brisbane's hyped debutant Will Ashcroft, last year's top draft pick, snapped a classy goal among his 13 touches and former Western Bulldog Josh Dunkley was solid with 19 touches.

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