Round 13 – West Coast v Port Adelaide: Power leave Eagles with the four points

Round 13

West Coast v Port Adelaide

8.15pm, Saturday 6th June 2026

Optus Stadium, Perth

Port Adelaide’s dynamic mid-forward Jason Horne-Francis’ final quarter goal proved the matchwinner in a gutsy six-point win against a spirited West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium on Saturday night.

The hosts had several chances to steal the game with a 2.6 final term against a tiring Power defence which was superbly led by Esava Ratugolea especially in the first half.

Ratugolea was the interceptor and played that role to perfection as he blanketed Eagle rising key forward Joke Shanahan while teammate Aliir Aliir continued his strong form.

Port Adelaide’s Jordan Sweet came out on top against in-form Bailey Williams and Sweet’s evening could have been even better had Tylar Young’s finger not touched the ball as Sweet snapped for a second goal. Minutes earlier Sweet marked and goaled to put Port 22-points ahead deep in the third quarter.

The battle between the Power’s Zak Butters and Eagle Harley Reid was entertaining.

West Coast 2018 premiership defender Tom Cole loomed as an unlikely hero with two final quarter goals that breathed life into the match. Cole’s teammate Jake Waterman was lively at full forward except for his unusual inaccuracy that arguably cost his team the four premiership points.

Eagles’ defender Reuben Ginbey’s acceleration as one of the game’s premier defenders was for all to see in front of the home team’s faithful. He attacked the ball and body with a Glenn Archer-type vigor, and he kept key Port forward Mitch Georgiades quiet.

That was until Georgiades ran into an open goal from a clever Tom Cochrane kick as Ginbey grabbed at his left leg midway into the third term. The blonde defender took no further part in the game and is likely to miss several games in a blow for his team.

OH WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN FOR WATERMAN

Jake Waterman has had a stellar year as West Coast’s key forward focal point. He was a hero in the Eagles’ epic two-point win at Adelaide Oval earlier in the season but his radar was off target on Saturday night. He still finished with three goals and 11 marks to arguably be West Coast’s best player.

ESAVA THE BRICK WALL

Esava Ratugolea is built like the proverbial brick outhouse, and he used his physique to perfection with telling marks and intercepts. The key defender ex-Geelong Cat finished with 16 disposals and nine marks as his game continues to improve under new Power coach Josh Carr.

WEST COAST            3.0   5.2   8.5   10.11 (71)
PORT ADELAIDE      3.6   6.7   10.9   11.11 (77)

GOALS
West Coast: Waterman 3, Cole 2, Allan, Duursma, Hough, Shanahan, Yeo
Port Adelaide: Horne-Francis 3, Berry 2, Cochrane, Durdin, Georgiades, Marshall, Moraes, Sweet

BEST (Nick’s best)
West Coast: Waterman, Reid McCarthy, Cole, Kelly, Duursma, Yeo
Port Adelaide: Horne-Francis, Sweet, Butters, Burgoyne, Ratugolea, Byrne-Jones, Richards

INJURIES
West Coast: Ginbey (quad)
Port Adelaide: Lai (head knock)

Crowd: 47,479

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