1. Where are the leaders at Port Adelaide?
When it was hot early, the Power's biggest names were nowhere to be seen in what must be a worrying sign for coach Ken Hinkley. Captain Travis Boak and fellow midfield gun Hamish Hartlett couldn't get near the footy and shared just four touches in the opening term. Defender Jackson Trengove didn't bother the stats sheet, and Matthew Lobbe couldn't handle Shane Mumford. Robbie Gray, Ollie Wines, Jasper Pittard and Justin Westhoff fought a losing battle against the odds but their efforts weren't matched by enough of their teammates, and until Hinkley's experienced players can stand up when the game is on the line, this Port side isn't a finals contender.
2. Record-breaking GIANTS
The home side kicked their highest-ever first quarter score (6.6), and also beat their previous best first half total with their 14.10 (94) against Port, and it quite easily could have been so much more. Beating the 10.4 (64) they kicked against the Western Bulldogs in round 23, 2014, GWS dominated the inside 50s (44-15), contested possessions (70-54), clearances (27-15) and disposals (192-149). The home side booted the last six goals of the second term to lead by 61 points at the major break and eclipsed their highest score of the season, which they registered at the same ground against Geelong in round two. The second half wasn't as slick and although GWS blew plenty of easy chances to make a three-figure victory, they still managed their highest total (151 points) and their 86-point win was the biggest in the club's history.
3. The 'deliberate effect'
There is no doubt the strict enforcement of the deliberate out of bounds rule in 2016 is speeding up the game, but it's also led to many players forgetting to play the footy in sometimes-farcical fashion. During the second term, GWS defender Heath Shaw punched the ball out of danger inside Port's forward 50, but instead of chasing it down and trying to hit up one of his goalkickers, Brad Ebert tried to place a bump on Joel Patfull so he could usher the ball over the line. That allowed the GIANTS to swoop, gather possession and go the length of the ground to score one of their eight goals for the quarter. It was a piece of play that summed up Port's horrible day.
4. Robbie's Brownlow chances in danger?
Not much went right for the Power in Canberra and the frustration looked to have gotten the better of Robbie Gray when he dropped GWS co-captain Callan Ward with a rib-tickler behind play. The clash left the tough-as-nails GIANT doubled over in pain and when the siren sounded minutes later, he headed straight for the Port star to remonstrate. A melee erupted in front of the grandstand that brought the crowd to life and Gray copped their wrath for the rest of the match. Ward recovered to be one of his side's best with 24 touches and two goals, and while Gray is unlikely to miss games, his bank balance is certain to take a hit.
5. Charlie's shocker in the nation's capital
If Port's day was a severe disappointment, Dixon's personal game was a shocker. The power forward kicked just one goal from eight possessions opposed to GWS co-captain Phil Davis but that was the least of his worries. Dixon gave away six free kicks against the GIANTS and capped his horror performance by being reported for a cheap shot on Davis off the ball late in the final quarter. One would hope for Charlie's sake that he wasn't seated anywhere near coach Ken Hinkley on the flight back to Adelaide.
