First quarter: Melbourne 4.3 (27) to Port Adelaide 1.2 (8)
Port Adelaide kicked the first goal of the match via Chad Wingard.
But when Tomas Bugg opened Melbourne’s account at the 11-minute mark, it was the start of three in a row in fewer than five minutes.
Angus Brayshaw booted the red and blue’s second and when Dean Kent crumbed the pack and kicked truly, Melbourne was up by 13 points.
Jeff Garlett looked set to land Melbourne’s fourth, but his dribble kick hit the post. Instead that was left to Bernie Vince who went bang from roughly 50 metres to bring up his side’s fourth.
At quarter-time, Melbourne led by 19 points.
Second quarter: Melbourne 8.5 (53) to Port Adelaide 2.4 (16)
Melbourne continued its outstanding start in the second term, booting four goals to one.
Clayton Oliver opened proceedings when he kicked a soccer goal just 41 seconds in.
Goals to Sam Frost, Brayshaw (his second) and Dom Tyson followed, giving Melbourne a 43-point lead at the 18-minute mark.
Port Adelaide finally landed its second, courtesy of Jared Polec early in time-on, ending an eight-goal streak by Melbourne.
At half-time, Melbourne led by 37 points.
Third quarter: Melbourne 9.9 (63) to Port Adelaide 6.5 (41)
The Power upped the ante in the third term, booting four goals to one.
The home kicked the first three goals of the quarter to reel the margin back to 21 points.
And it wasn’t until the 21-minute mark when Bugg secured his second, giving Melbourne its first major of the second half.
It proved to be the red and blue’s only goal for the third term.
But when Sam Gray quickly replied, the margin was cut back to 22 points at the final change.
Final quarter: Melbourne 13.16 (94) defeated Port Adelaide 8.6 (54)
Although the door was slightly ajar for Port Adelaide entering the final term, it was quickly closed when Jack Watts kicked his first for the night.
Watts threaded through a beautiful set-shot at the six-minute mark, giving Melbourne a 28-point lead.
And that lead could’ve been extended further had the next three scoring shots to Max Gawn, Frost and Jack Viney not been behinds.
Ollie Wines kicked Port Adelaide’s first for the final term at the 16-minute mark, but when Jeff Garlett landed two goals in time-on and Nathan Jones finished with a goal on the siren – Melbourne won by 40 points.
