The Sydney Swans have suffered a heavy 66-point loss to Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The Swans were completely outplayed by the Power who set the tone of the match from the first bounce, kicking 3.3 in the opening term. Conditions were challenging for both teams with rain and strong winds throughout the duration of the game.
The Swans provided some resistance in the second quarter to limit Port's scoring but couldn't take advantage of any attacking plays early in the second. Port then booted five unanswered goals in the third term and blew the game wide open.
Post-match Head Coach Scott Gowans didn't shy away from his frustration of the team's performance saying it was a 'step backwards'.
"It was a very disappointing display to be honest, that is not the way we want to perform. It's one of those ones where you do need to go away and collect your emotions." Gowans said.
"I said to the girls after the game that I want to take the learnings as well but that was a big step backwards for us.
"It's going to happen as part of the process but we felt we let ourselves down in the things we stand for as a group and want to stand for to be really good. Credit to Port Adelaide though, they played terrific, one thing we spoke about was trying to spread our way from the contest, they didn't allow us to do that."
One of the few positives for the Swans was the performance of number one draft pick Montana Ham who returned from a knee strain to top the disposals with 20 and looked classy and energetic at every contest.
Gowans praised the leadership from the 18-year old in just her second AFLW game.
"If you think about it, it's a young girl showing the way to the other girls and it should be the other way around. We need to get our senior players to lead the way a little bit more."
Next up for the Swans is a Grand Final Eve 'home' fixture at Punt Road Oval in Melbourne on Friday night against another expansion team, Hawthorn.
Gowans said his side need to bring intensity as that was something that let the team down against Port Adelaide.
"One thing that needs to lift is our intensity and that's mindset not talent so we would expect the team we pick next week to show that intensity and give the great effort we want to execute our game plan," Gowans said.
"You make your own luck from that contest, effort and intensity point of view and I think we got a lesson today that if we do not bring that, we can be very ordinary."
PORT ADELAIDE 3.3 3.4 8.6 10.8 (68)
SYDNEY 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.2 (2)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Ewings 3, Perry 2, De Melo, Halfpenny, Teakle, Surman, Dowrick
Sydney: Nil
BEST
Port Adelaide: Ewings, Dowrick, Phillips, Yorston, Foley, Tahau
Sydney: Ham, Heads, Lochland, Morphett
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Sydney: Nil
