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Ports jump out to an early lead in Esperance and Districts Football League thanks to Kangas recruits

Kalgoorlie Miner
Cameron Symonds kicked five goals for Ports.
Camera IconCameron Symonds kicked five goals for Ports. Credit: Kelsey Reid

The Esperance District Football Association season might be only two weeks old, but Ports have already emerged as early premiership frontrunners.

Wooden spooners in 2019, Ports surged home after quarter-time and pulled off a brilliant come-from-behind victory against reigning premier Gibson at Ports Football Oval on Saturday, winning 11.10 (76) to 9.4 (58).

Gibson played ominously well early, leading 4.1 (25) to 1.2 (8) at quarter-time against a Blues line-up stacked with Goldfields Football League talent.

But Ports needed little time to re-assert themselves, narrowing the margin to five points at half-time and two points at three-quarter-time.

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And with momentum on their side, the Blues sealed victory by booting 5.2 (32) to 2.0 (12) in a dominant final term.

Kalgoorlie City spearhead Cameron Symonds tallied five goals, while locals Jacob Buckley and Harley Brown, Kambalda’s Jye County and Jake Turner, and Kangas’ Alex Stewart and Dylan Clarke were also influential.

Travis Stewart (three goals), Trey Hallam (two) and Ben Staunton (two) booted multiple goals for the Tigers.

Esperance, meanwhile, held their nerve against a fast-finishing Newtown Condingup side to win 9.9 (63) to 7.6 (48).

The Bulldogs established a 16-point buffer in the first term and maintained the same lead at half-time, before slotting 4.2 (26) to 2.1 (13) during what proved to be a match-winning third quarter.

Newtown Condingup threatened to haul in the deficit by winning the final stanza in impressive fashion, but ultimately fell short.

Reece Griffiths (two goals), Brendon White (two) and Braydon Wood (two) hit the scoreboard regularly for Esperance. The Lions’ Corey Dempster (three goals) was just as impressive in attack.

After two rounds, County sits atop the goal-kicking charts with eight majors, on the back of his seven-goal haul in the season-opening fixture.

Symonds (five goals) rocketed to second place after his Ports debut, level with Gibson’s Travis Stewart.

Esperance will host Ports at Esperance Football Oval on Saturday, while Gibson play Newton-Condingup at Gibson Football Oval. Both games will start at 2pm.

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