Port Adelaide is within one win of the top eight after capitalising on other results going its way and recording a 55-point win over the GIANTS at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
Losses for eighth-placed Richmond (9-7), ninth-placed St Kilda (9-7) and 10th-placed Western Bulldogs (8-8) opened the door for the Power, who remain 12th but improve to 8-8 with a percentage boost after their 12.12 (84) to 3.11 (29) win.
The excitement for the Power, who started the 2022 season with five straight losses, may be tempered with a daunting month ahead. Port has four games against top-eight sides – Melbourne, Geelong, Collingwood and Richmond.
But Port held up its end of the bargain on Saturday night against the 13th-placed GIANTS as Connor Rozee dazzled with four goals from 24 possessions, while Zak Butters returned from a two-game absence due to a knee injury with a team-high 26 disposals.
The Power were dominant with 400-307 disposals and 65-37 inside 50s, with their trademark pressure on show with 19-8 tackles inside 50.
They shared the load, but Sam Powell-Pepper (25 disposals and 10 marks) and Travis Boak (24 disposals, including 12 contested possessions) were among their main ball winners.
Jeremy Finlayson impressed in his makeshift ruck role facing his former club for the first time, with 22 disposals including a joint game-high 12 contested possessions and nine inside 50s with 13 hit-outs and five clearances.
The GIANTS barely put up a fight and their poor evening was further soured with a worrying hamstring injury to veteran Phil Davis.
GIANTS co-captain Stephen Coniglio continued his excellent form with 32 possessions with a game-high seven clearances, while Josh Kelly (27 disposals) and Harry Himmelberg (22 disposals for 461 metres gained) were both good contributors.
Rozee's hot first half – that included three goals and six score involvements – set up the win as the Power jumped to a 38-point half-time advantage fuelled by a dominant 36-16 inside 50s.
Todd Marshall and Kane Farrell booted two goals each for Port, while Jesse Hogan was the GIANTS' only multiple goalkicker in a game that fizzled out.
The GIANTS threatened to offer a challenge in the second half but kicked only one goal – via Toby Greene – from six scoring shots in the third term.
The goals dried up in the second half before a late Power surge, with Rozee grabbing his fourth major late in the fourth quarter to put the icing on the cake.
PORT ADELAIDE 4.2 8.6 9.9 12.12 (84)
GIANTS 1.4 2.4 3.9 3.11 (29)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Rozee 4, Marshall 2, Farrell 2, Bergman, Dixon, Powell-Pepper, Georgiades
GIANTS: Hogan 2, Greene
BEST
Port Adelaide: Rozee, Butters, Finlayson, Boak, Powell-Pepper, Aliir
GIANTS: Coniglio, Himmelberg, Kelly, Hogan, Cumming
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
GIANTS: Davis (hamstring), Kennedy (concussion)
SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Jed McEntee (unused)
GIANTS: Xavier O'Halloran (replaced Davis in the third quarter)
