BELLIGERENTS
Pre-season to date: LW
ST KILDA
Pre-season to date: LL
PLAYBILL
AFL Trial Game
?Port Adelaide v St Kilda
Saturday 8 March
First bounce 12:30pm (SA)
SANFL League Trial Game
?Port Adelaide v South Adelaide
Saturday 8 March
First bounce 9:45am (SA)
?Hashtags: #pafclive
Tickets at the gate: $10 members, $15 non-members, children under 18 free.
Join the club as an 11-game reserved seat or Essential Power member to guarantee your place at the historic first Showdown at the Adelaide Oval on March 29 at weareportadelaide.com.au or by calling 1300 GO PAFC (1300 467 232).
TIME MACHINE
NAB Cup Round 1, 2013. The last time these two sides met in a pre-season matchup saw the Power comfortably get over the line against the Saints at Football Park.
The scores: Port Adelaide 1.9.2 (65) def St Kilda 0.2.3 (15) at Football Park.
VERSUS
There is such a narrative to this weekend’s game at Alberton Oval and so many reasons to get down to the home of Port Adelaide to watch it unfold.
When considering where to start, the most obvious point is that this is the first time Ken Hinkley and Alan Richardson have gone head-to-head in an AFL game since the latter departed the coaching directorship role at the end of 2013 to become the Saints’ senior coach.
That highly-publicised departure will be revisited on Saturday with this trial match.
Although it isn’t a real game, it is the final opportunity for both sides to test their best sides before the start of the season proper - itself another point of significance.
It is also the first AFL trial match held at Alberton since the Power hosted Melbourne in 1998. It’s an unparalleled opportunity to see a near-full strength Port Adelaide take on a competitive AFL opponent in the picturesque surrounds of the Oval.
With a trial game between the Magpies and Panthers played as a special morning curtain-raiser to the main stage show, it’s sure to be a bumper day of action at Alberton.
NUMBER CRUNCH
The Hinkley-Richardson matchup will be an interesting one to start the season for Port Adelaide. Richardson, having worked as part of the team that established the Hinkley game architecture last year, will know how much Port Adelaide prides itself on achieving a tough, hard, contested game style. With that in mind, and coming off a surprise loss to the GWS Giants last week, the Saints will focus on winning the contested ball consistently throughout the game. As a result, and given the Power’s own strong wins in this area against Essendon (up 17 at the close of play) the scene is set for an old-fashioned hit out worthy of Alberton Oval.
NEW MAGPIES HATCH
This will be the first time Garry Hocking helms the Magpies League side against an SANFL opponent. The Panthers will be led in 2014 by former Power defensive coach Brad Gotch, who will make his League coaching debut this year as well. It will be the first opportunity for the new-look Magpies - which will play in a training jumper while the proper prisonbars are finalised for 2014 - to take on a League-standard opponent.
SUN WORSHIP
The forecast is for a sunny Saturday with a top of 30 degrees and winds between 15 and 20 kilometres per hour. A cracking day for the whole family - but don’t forget to slip, slop, slap!
FINAL SAY
Both teams will be wanting a good hit out on Saturday and with two games for just $10 as a member, it’s the perfect way to kick off your season early.
