1. Port Adelaide finds its power
Things were not looking good for Port Adelaide when it trailed the Demons by as much as 24 points at the six-minute mark of the second quarter. The Power's three-game losing streak must have been fresh in their minds, but to their credit they did not lose hope and battled back into the contest. After such a shaky start, Port booted six goals in 12 minutes in the second quarter to completely turn the game on its head. Having struggled with their ball movement in past weeks, the Power found their groove and it came about because of their dominance out of clearance situations. Led by Brad Ebert (nine), Robbie Gray (eight) and Travis Boak (eight), the Power controlled the flow of the ball and gave their forwards plenty of opportunities to capitalise in front of goal. It was the Power's first win in a month and could not have come at a better time.
2. Schulz is the Power's sergeant
When Port Adelaide has struggled in 2015, key forward Jay Schulz has invariably found the going the tough. Schulz's individual performance is vital to the Power's success rate, with the forward kicking four, five and five goals in his side's three wins before Saturday's game against Melbourne. Schulz had kicked just four goals in Port's five losses. So it was no coincidence that Schulz bagged four majors and the Power had a convincing 61-point win over the Demons on Saturday. Angus Monfries (three), Justin Westhoff (two) and Chad Wingard (two) all chipped in when they needed to, as the Power stormed to an emphatic win.
3. Melbourne's dramatic drop-off
Melbourne was widely lauded for its outstanding effort in a comprehensive 38-point win over the Western Bulldogs last Sunday. The Demons laid 88 tackles to thoroughly outplay the in-form Bulldogs. But after starting so promisingly against Port Adelaide on Saturday, things started to turn sour after quarter time. The Demons allowed the Power to boot 10 goals after the major break, while adding just two in the second half themselves. The Demons laid just 57 tackles for the game and their drop-off in effort was noticeable after half time as they allowed the Power to get things back on their own terms. However, young midfielder Angus Brayshaw can hold his head high, after collecting 21 disposals and laying a team-high eight tackles.
4. Footy in the desert
You would be hard pressed to find a more spectacular backdrop than that of Traeger Park in Alice Springs. The MacDonnell Ranges, at the south-east end of the ground, instantly re-enforces the impression that you're in the middle of the desert in central Australia. The gum trees surrounding the ground also add to that community football feel, while grandstands are few and far between. Instead, spectators were lazing around in the sun on the grass embankments or standing around the boundary edge. In homage to Indigenous Round, Aboriginal flags were also dotted around the ground. However, the crowd of 4866 is the lowest home and away crowd for an AFL game since 1997. The corresponding fixture in round 11 last season at the same venue attracted 5655 fans. The Demons' deal to play two home games in the Top End expires at the end of the 2016 season.
5. Brayshaw’s slow burn continues
Angus Brayshaw hasn’t burst out of the blocks like some first-year players but the No.3 draft pick has put together a consistent and promising debut season so far. During Saturday's 61-point loss to Port, the hard-nosed inside midfielder played perhaps his best game in red and blue, collecting 21 touches to go with eight tackles. As his midfield teammates were steamrolled by a Power outfit that suddenly bounced back to form, Brayshaw stood firm - if he wasn’t Melbourne’s best player, he would have to be very close. It might not be enough to earn a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination, but Brayshaw’s continued improvement across his first nine AFL matches will definitely please Melbourne officials and fans.
