There were promising signs for a young Crows side but they couldn't get the job done in a 37-point loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday evening.

The young Crows showed plenty of encouraging signs with No.6 draft pick Josh Rachele leading the way with three goals.

Matt Crouch also got through unscathed after missing all of last year with groin issues, while Reilly O'Brien was dominant in the ruck. But Rory Laird sat out the second half with a hand injury.

Port Adelaide's Robbie Gray left the field in the second quarter and spent the remainder of the match on the bench with ice applied to right thigh.

That was the only downside of an otherwise impressive performance with Mitch Georgiades booting four goals and recruit Jeremy Finlayson adding three.

Rachele will quickly become a fan-favourite at the Crows after another impressive performance.

The No.6 draft pick backed up his three goals from last week's practice match with another three in a lively performance up forward. He also laid nine tackles in an eye-catching display. 

ADELAIDE                2.1      5.4.     8.5    11.8 (74)
PORT ADELAIDE     1.5      4.5.     12.7   17.9 (111)

GOALS
Adelaide: Rachele 3, Hinge, McHenry, O'Brien, Himmelberg, Fogarty, Pedler, Gollant, Soligo
Port Adelaide: Georgiades 4, Finlayson 2, Rozee 2, Boak 2, Duursma, Amon, Butters, McEntee, Houston, Marshall

BEST
Adelaide: O'Brien, Rachele, Sloane, Schoenberg, Keays, Crouch
Port Adelaide: Butters, Rozee, Burton, Wines, Boak, Georgiades

INJURIES
Adelaide: Laird (hand)
Port Adelaide: Gray (hamstring)

Reports: Nil