THE chance to stitch up top spot will have plenty of appeal for Magpie fans, but Port Adelaide's coach Garry Hocking will simply look for another strong four-quarter performance and result against South on Saturday.

Belligerents

PORT ADELAIDE 
Year to date: LWWWWWWWLWLW
Last five at ground: WLWWW
Currently ranked: 1st

SOUTH ADELAIDE
Year to date: WWWWLWLLLWLWLL
Last five at ground: WLLWL
Currently ranked: 5th

HEAD TO HEAD
Magpies 247 v 98 Panthers

LAST FIVE
Magpies 5 v 0 Panthers

PLAYBILL

SANFL IGA League – Round 15
South Adelaide v Port Adelaide
Saturday 2 August
First bounce: 2:10pm
Hashtags: #southport
Academy: 11:25am
Broadcast: RPH Adelaide, 1197am, RPH Digital
Tickets: $14 general admission, $8 concession, children under 18 years free
SEE PORT PLAY NORWOOD FOR JUST $30 PLUS MEMBER PACK

TIME MACHINE

Round 7, 2014 In a battle for top spot, the Magpies looked the goods early before the Panthers reeled in margin to just 11 points at half time. But Port was too good as it stormed to a 60-point victory on the back of triple hauls to Jake Neade and John Butcher.

PORT ADELAIDE         4.4     6.5     13.9    18.14    (122)
SOUTH ADELAIDE      1.0     5.0     7.1     10.2     (62)

portadelaidefc.com.au's best: Moore, Heath, Summerton, Butcher, Neade, Flynn
Goals: Butcher, Neade 3, Amon, Ah Chee, Young, Moore, Biemans 2, Haren, Stewart
at Alberton Oval

FOUR POINTS

Swooping on opportunity
Having sat on top of the ladder for the best part of three months, Port Adelaide continues its run to the end of the minor round with everything to play for;  a win this weekend will officially qualify the Magpies for finals and will also lock away a double chance if the Redlegs lose to North. 

With the Eagles and Sturt having favourable late draws, Port can't afford to relent this weekend and needs another big result at a ground it typically plays well at.

Supreme machine
Is Andrew Moore in line for a call up at AFL level? 

It's the question many fans asked after an emphatic performance against the Crows last Saturday. 

Kane Mitchell also put in one of his most impressive efforts for the club in the SANFL to put his hand up for a recall. 

Either way, the Magpies aren't likely to suffer badly if changes are made at the selection table this week. 

With the club's injury list whittling down and the all-but-confirmed return of Angus Monfries and Alipate Carlile to the Power, it's likely there will be class either retained, or brought into the side. 

The midfield, when firing, is crucial to Magpie success, and will be so again at Noarlunga on Saturday.

Beware the cut cats
South Adelaide's place in the top five is on the brink, and it needs to get back to its early-season form, which saw it head the table and play challenging football that was tough to defend. 

Big ruckman and former Power player Daniel Bass will be tested for a return this week as will Peter Rolfe, but the Panthers' injury list remains long. 

It's going to be important for the Magpies to start well against a team whose coach knows the Port game plan well - expect the black and white to be on high alert early.

Score fast, score freely
With plentiful options up forward - Butcher, Shaw, Harvey - and a midfield with capable goal kickers like Steven Summerton, Sam Gray, Karl Amon and Brendon Ah Chee, there's no shortage of scoring opportunity around the ground.  

The performance against the Crows saw the Magpies recapture that entertaining form that characterised its early season - fast running, contested football - and it got the emphatic result it wanted. 

Now it needs to produce that each and every week for the rest of the year, and avoid falling into the piecemeal trap that saw it falter against North and West earlier this winter.

Nothing short of a four-quarter effort will be acceptable to Garry Hocking.