Here's a stat that might surprise you: Port Adelaide kicked five unanswered goals in the opening quarter alone, racing to a 27-point lead before West Coast had found its footing. By the final siren at Mineral Resources Park in Perth, the margin had ballooned to 73 points. The scoreline, 22.8 (140) to 9.13 (67), is the kind of number that grabs attention in the pre-season. But beyond the scoreboard, the real story is what Sunday's AAMI Community Series result reveals about the respective trajectories of these two clubs heading into 2026.
For Port Adelaide, the performance was a declaration of intent under new senior coach Josh Carr, who takes the reins this season after Ken Hinkley's 13-year tenure at Alberton. Carr, a 2004 premiership player with the Power, agreed to a three-year deal as senior coach and has built a coaching panel around former players and experienced assistants including Stuart Dew overseeing the midfield. His side arrived in Perth close to full-strength, and they played like it.
When you dig into the data, the individual contributions were exceptional. Zak Butters collected 36 disposals and kicked two goals, while Mitch Georgiades finished with six majors in a display that will excite Power supporters heading into the regular season. Captain Connor Rozee added 33 touches and six clearances, anchoring a midfield that looked cohesive and physical. As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, mature-age rookie Jack Watkins (20 touches, six clearances) also pressed his case hard for a round-one berth, while Willem Drew's 24 disposals gave Carr further depth to consider.
Context matters here: the Power's season opener against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on March 15 represents a genuine opportunity to bank early points on the ladder. Based on Sunday's display, Port look well-placed for that challenge. Jason Horne-Francis, who has managed a troublesome foot throughout the pre-season, got through the match reasonably well with 13 touches and two goals, an encouraging sign for Carr's selection depth.
Carr himself was measured but clearly encouraged after the game. "I'm excited for the group, excited for the challenges that come our way as a footy club," he said, adding that the pre-season had built genuine confidence across the squad. That kind of careful optimism is appropriate for a coach in his first official match in charge; the real test comes when the premiership points are on the line.
The picture for West Coast, though, is considerably more complicated. Coach Andrew McQualter's side was already missing co-captain Liam Duggan, Reuben Ginbey, Jack Graham, Brandon Starcevich and Tim Kelly through injury before the first bounce. Key defender Harry Edwards then left the field after a first-half concussion, Jacob Newton (two goals) went off with a precautionary ankle concern, and Harley Reid, who finished with 22 disposals, appeared briefly hampered by a leg issue. That is a significant casualty count for a pre-season hit-out.
McQualter acknowledged the result honestly, conceding that his side's skill execution and composure under pressure were below the required level. Yet he also pointed to the promise shown by younger players, and there were genuine positives to extract. Draftee Josh Lindsay was outstanding with 22 disposals and a long-range goal from half-back. Former Brisbane midfielder Deven Robertson contributed 28 disposals in his first outing for the Eagles, and ex-Collingwood player Finlay Macrae also impressed in a West Coast guernsey.
The case of No.1 draft pick Willem Duursma offers a particularly instructive data point. The 18-year-old was busy and involved with 16 touches, but his ball use by foot let him down at critical moments, including a set shot that went out of bounds and a defensive turnover that led directly to a Port goal. These are the learning-curve moments that define whether top draft selections develop as projected. Despite the errors, Duursma is still considered a likely inclusion for the Eagles' round-one clash with Gold Coast on March 15, according to AAP reporting via the Sydney Morning Herald.
Injury-prone midfielder Elliot Yeo, who missed the entirety of the 2025 season, completed the match unscathed with nine disposals, which represents a quiet but important tick for McQualter's plans. A healthy Yeo adds genuine quality to a midfield that will need every available resource.
The honest assessment here is that Sunday's result reflected real differences in list depth, execution, and competitive maturity, not merely a bad day for the Eagles. Port Adelaide are a top-eight contender with a settled, experienced core. West Coast are a club mid-rebuild, leaning heavily on youth and new arrivals, with a significant injury toll already complicating selection. The AFL fixture gives both clubs their round-one tests on the same day, March 15, and the gap in readiness between them appears genuine.
For Carr, this is the beginning of a coaching chapter long in the making. As a 2004 premiership player who has worked through the SANFL, Fremantle, and two stints at Alberton as an assistant, he arrives at the top job with a clear understanding of what Port Adelaide expects. His side showed on Sunday that the transition from Hinkley's era may be smoother than some anticipated. For McQualter, the challenge is to keep development on track while managing an injury list that would test any coaching staff. Pre-season results carry limited predictive weight in the AAMI Community Series, but the structural questions they raise about West Coast's depth are ones that round one will sharpen considerably. Both coaches, and both fan bases, will learn far more in a fortnight's time.