THE NAB Cup opening weekend closes with a three-way clash between Port Adelaide, St Kilda and the Crows at AAMI Stadium on Sunday 17 February.

See how Port Adelaide shapes up in its first hit out against AFL opposition this Sunday. Buy your tickets here

The Teams

Port Adelaide
Last year: Played and won games against Carlton and Fremantle, but lost to Adelaide and West Coast by a combined margin of six points.

St Kilda
Last year: Lost to eventual AFL premiers Sydney and NAB Cup finalists West Coast in a pre-season campaign which was famously washed out in round two when the Saints were due to play Essendon at Wangaratta.

Adelaide
Last year: Prevailed over the Power by one point in their opening NAB Cup clash and went on to win the pre-season competition overall.

Last time

The Power has played St Kilda twice in pre-season competition – in 1998 (a loss) and then winning over the Saints in the 1999 NAB Cup semi final.

NAB Cup Semi Final, 1999: Port Adelaide 10.11 (71) def St Kilda 7.7 (49) at the MCG

Port Adelaide has played the Crows in every opening NAB Cup round since 2010, however has only prevailed in one of the three encounters between the sides in pre-season competition since then. The clubs are tied on four wins apiece in the NAB Cup.

NAB Cup Round 1, 2012: Port Adelaide 0.2.5 (17) def by Adelaide Crows 0.2.6 (18) at AAMI Stadium

Past 2: Power 1 v Saints 1
Past 8: Power 4 v Crows 4

The fine print

NAB Cup Round 1
Port Adelaide – St Kilda – Adelaide Crows
Sunday, February 17
AAMI Stadium
West Lakes, South Australia
First bounce: Port Adelaide Game 1 v Saints 5:15pm (SA time); Game 2 v Crows 6.20pm
Broadcast: FOX FOOTY Live at 5.10pm (SA Time)
LIVE WIRE: Starts at 5:15pm
Twitter: #PAFClive #NABCUP

The Rules

The NAB Cup traditionally plays host to a number of rule modifications for the League to determine their suitability to the premiership season.

In 2013, the opening round of the NAB Cup will be played as per the Laws of Australian Football with the following variations:

Match duration: 2 x 17.5 minute halves plus ‘time on’ (6 minute half time break); 20 minute breaks between games.

Interchange: 6-man bench with no substitutes
Supergoals: Nine points for goals kicked from outside the 50 metre arc
50 metre penalties: Options for a player receiving a fifty metre penalty into space within the attacking fifty metre arc to either take the full penalty, or, take a set shot for a nine-point goal fifty metres from goal.
Out of bounds: Free kick awarded against the player who last kicks (assuming no contact made) or walks the ball over the boundary line.
Umpires: Boundary and goal umpires to award holding and high contact free kicks and Umpire coaches are permitted to communicate with on-field umpires.

Crystal Ball

With large squads, short match durations and the shroud of uncertainty surrounding the pre-season form of the 18 clubs, the opening round of the NAB Cup is typically hard to predict.

Port Adelaide will be keen to impress early in 2013 under Ken Hinkley and with up to 34 players allowed in the opening round squads, there will be plenty of opportunity for untried players to prove their worth, particularly the club’s four rookies Darren Pfeiffer, Danny Butcher, Kane Mitchell and Justin Hoskin if selected.

Stay tuned to portadelaidefc.com.au after 2.30pm (SA Time) Thursday for the announcement of the club's NAB Cup Round 1 squad

The loss of Nick Salter to the club’s long-term injury list will provide one of these rookies an opportunity to be elevated to the senior list and there is no better environment to demonstrate ability than the NAB Cup.

It will also serve as a good opportunity for players to ‘get their eye in’ for the season proper and with names like Jay Schulz, Angus Monfries, Jasper Pittard, Hamish Hartlett and Brad Ebert all impressing during last Friday’s intra-club trial, Sunday’s games will give Power supporters their first glimpse into the standard of the side against AFL opponents.

After last year’s disappointing loss to the Crows in the dying moments of the game, the Power will look to go one better and take out both matches this weekend.

Look the part at AAMI Stadium this Sunday and get your Official ISC on-field supporter gear from the Power Megastore – the only place where 100% of profits stay with the club.