Port upset Carlton with big AFL win

2 Jun 2012, 11:28 pm   -   Source: AAP

Port Adelaide have thrashed Carlton by 54 points at home to post their third consecutive AFL victory.

Emerging star Hamish Hartlett inspired lowly Port Adelaide to a 54-point thrashing of Carlton as the Blues' AFL form dip became a dive on Saturday night.

Port triumphed 14.15 (99) to 6.9 (45) at AAMI Stadium, with Jay Schulz and Hartlett each kicking three goals.

Hartlett produced a highlight trio of running long goals and pipped fellow onballer Matthew Broadbent (two goals) for best afield honours.

The Blues were overly reliant on skipper Chris Judd for midfield drive and couldn't find a multiple goalkicker in crashing to their third defeat in four matches.

Port's upset victory before 24,746 spectators was their third win a row and fourth this season - one more than they managed last year.

Schulz set Port on the path to victory with a dominant first half, potting his side's initial two goals and setting up another to help create a 12-point break at quarter-time.

Carlton goalsneak Jeff Garlett booted the first goal of the second stanza but the Blues would muster just two more for the match.

After Garlett's strike, the Power went on an unheralded scoring spree in heavy rain, reaping the next five goals to establish a match-defining 32-point advantage at halftime.

Port ensured they marked midfielder Travis Boak's 100th AFL game with a win by suffocating the Blues as the visitors tried to challenge in the third term.

Port only mustered one goal in the third, but Carlton could manage just the one major themselves to still trail by 33 points at the last change.

The result was confirmed some five minutes into the last term when Broadbent kicked his second goal, with Hartlett later adding an exclamation mark when booting his third major from outside 50 metres.

Two of Hartlett's goals came when the smooth-moving onballer was pressed near the boundary line, and the other a 65-metre bomb from inside the centre square.

The Blues, who meet Geelong on Friday night, were without ruckman Matthew Kreuzer, who was a late withdrawal with hamstring tightness.

Port Adelaide coach Matthew Primus praised the work rate of his players.

"It's about the second time this year we have played a real consistent brand of footy over four quarters," Primus said.

Carlton coach Brett Ratten said his side lost confidence throughout the game.

"Port were all over us early and just got great momentum through the midfield - and they made the scoreboard tick over," Ratten said.

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