GOLD COAST and Port Adelaide will meet in China for the second time on Saturday afternoon and the Suns will be hoping the result is vastly different this time around.
When the sides last met in Shanghai in Round 8 last season, the Power won by 72 points.
The Port Adelaide side also smashed the Suns by 115 points in Round 23 at Adelaide Oval – keeping them to their lowest score of just 20 points and inflicting their heaviest loss.
In all, the Power has won the last eight matches between the sides after losing their first meeting back in 2011.
More worrying for the Suns is that in each of their last five games against Port, they have failed to kick more than ten goals.
This is the fifth AFL Premiership match played outside of Australia, with three of those at Westpac Stadium in New Zealand.
The teams
Port Adelaide has for the first time this season named an unchanged line-up to the side which narrowly beat Adelaide in a thrilling Showdown last week.
Karl Amon, Dom Barry, Jack Trengove and Trent McKenzie were taken to Shanghai as emergencies but Trengove and McKenzie have returned to Adelaide to suit up with the Magpies.
The Suns have made just the one change with Sam Day out suspended for striking Neville Jetta.
Small forward Jacob Heron will make history for the Gold Coast when he becomes the first player to debut overseas.
The last word
Ken Hinkley
“I reckon they’ll be pretty fired up
“I think they’ll have a bit of venom to represent their footy club in a better fashion than they did on the scoreboard (last year).
“I’m sure they represented their club well off the field but in AFL football it’s all about the game and the result.
“I know (Sun’s coach) Stewy (Dew) and (captain) Steven May and they’ll be fiercely competitive about trying to make sure they take the win home.”
Steven May
"It probably was a little bit of a novelty factor last year because it was such a big historic moment, but we are here for the four points.
"We're certainly motivated by our embarrassing performance last year.
“It wasn't good enough and with preparation, it's our second time here, it's only natural that we know what to expect now.
"We've been traveling a lot this year so it's kind of normal for us. It's another away trip, just a few more hours.”
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