Port Adelaide, Gold Coast share spoils in AFLW thriller

Port Adelaide AFLW player Gemma Houghton.
Port Adelaide's Gemma Houghton opened the scoring in a topsy-turvy AFLW thriller against Gold Coast. -AAP Image

Gold Coast have denied Port Adelaide their second win of the season in an AFLW thriller at Alberton Oval that ended in a 7.3 (45) to 7.3 (45) draw.

Battling tough conditions and wild winds, the Suns opened the game strongly, ending the first quarter 4.1 to the Power's 1.0, despite Port Adelaide's Gemma Houghton scoring the first goal of the game within 30 seconds of the start.

Niamh McLaughlin got boot behind ball shortly afterwards to score Gold Coast's opener, and the dominant visitors added three more before the break.

But the tables turned in the second quarter, with Port Adelaide keeping Gold Coast scoreless and registering four goals of their own, including one from Ebony O'Dea for the second of her career.

The tables turned again after the main break, with the Power held scoreless by the rising Suns in a third quarter that ended with only a point separating the sides.

A behind from Gold Coast's Tara Bohanna levelled things early in the fourth quarter, before goals from Gemma Houghton and Julia Teakle - her third of the match - gave the Power a solid lead heading into the final minutes.

But still the roller-coaster ride wasn't finished, the Suns hitting back through Darcie Davies before Jacqueline Dupay levelled the scores with a dramatic late goal.