Kerr stars as Eagles thrash Power

Daniel Kerr played a starring role as West Coast notched their first win of the AFL
season with a thumping 50-point triumph over Port Adelaide at Subiaco Oval on
Sunday.
The Eagles took a 33-point lead into half-time and were briefly challenged in the
third term when Daniel Motlop's brilliance saw the Power kick back to back goals.
But Kerr exploded to life when the game was on the line, notching 16 possessions,
two goals, three clearances and two inside 50s in the third quarter to ensure the
Eagles held firm for the impressive 19.11 (125) to 10.15 (75) win.
To compound Port's woes, forward Justin Westhoff, who booted two goals, limped off
early in the second half with what appeared to be a serious foot injury.
The win ended the Eagles' four-game losing streak against the Power and left Port
Adelaide's milestone men Chad Cornes (200 games), Shaun Burgoyne (150), Brett Ebert
(100) and Toby Thurstans (100) with little to celebrate.
Kerr finished with 28 touches and four goals, while Adam Selwood, Matt Priddis, Matt
Rosa, Dean Cox, Tyson Stenglein and Chris Masten were pivotal cogs in West Coast
gaining the midfield ascendancy.
Darren Glass, Mark Nicoski, Mitch Brown and Shannon Hurn marshalled the Eagles'
defence with aplomb, while Mark LeCras (three goals) and Quinten Lynch (two) did
their job in attack.
Motlop finished with four goals while Kane Cornes, Steven Salopek and Peter Burgoyne
were prolific without being damaging.
The Eagles dominated the early stages of the match, booting the opening three goals
to take a 15-point lead into the first change, with the Power managing just 1.6 for
the term.
West Coast's smooth ball movement proved a telling factor in the second term as the
home side slammed through five unanswered goals to open up a commanding 40-point
lead in front of 37,826 adoring fans.
But Motlop's freak goal in the dying minutes of the quarter, when he turned Eric
Mackenzie and Stenglein inside out before snapping truly, cut the deficit to 33
points at the long break.
Motlop unleashed two more pieces of brilliance in the third quarter - a goal from
the pocket and a soaring mark - to reduce the gap to 26 points but Kerr swung the
momentum back West Coast's way, with his running goal from 50m after sidestepping
Troy Chaplin giving the home side a match-winning 44-point lead at the final break.