PORT ADELAIDE faces a side it has only a 50% overall record against on Sunday when it comes up against Greater Western Sydney. 

The Giants have won the last three clashes between the sides, including the last encounter by 31 points in Round 4, 2017 in Canberra. 

The Power won four of the first five contests before that, including two by more than 50 points but last beat the Giants in Round 20, 2015 at Adelaide Oval. 

Port Adelaide has won seven of eight games at Adelaide Oval this season, with its only loss occurring against Geelong in Round 5. 

GWS has only won twice in seven attempts at Adelaide Oval including in Round 11 this season against the Crows. 

Interestingly both of those wins in Adelaide came in games held in the Sunday twilight timeslot. 

Sunday’s match will pit the league’s two best clearance teams against each other. Port Adelaide is ranked first, averaging 41.2 clearances per game, just ahead of the second-placed Giants (39.7) 

The Giants enter the game in good form, having won five of their past six matches, while the Power has won seven of its last nine, with the losses to Hawthorn and Fremantle coming by a combined total of just 12 points.

The teams

Port Adelaide has made two changes to the side which lost to Fremantle with injury forcing one of them. 

Paddy Ryder’s hip flexor injury sees him sit out the game while Riley Bonner has been sent back to the SANFL to find form. 

Jasper Pittard replaces Bonner while fellow backman Jarrod Lienert will make his AFL debut. 

Injury has also affected the Giants with veteran Ryan Griffen ruled out with hamstring soreness. 

But the Giants have a very able replacement in former Tiger Brett Deledio who will play after missing ten weeks with injury. 

The last word

Ken Hinkley

“They’re really really strong.

“Both sides are missing a ruck, both our midfields are strong, it’s a really good game – a cracking game.”

“We’re playing a side this week that we know if we don’t hit the scoreboard a bit better than we did (last week) we’re going to be up against it because we know they will.

“It’s the business end of the season and I think we’ve got five and six on the ladder here so it’s as close as it gets, it’s as big as it gets, we look forward to it.”

Leon Cameron 

"We were really rapt with our win (against Richmond) and we understand it keeps us in the hunt for a possible finals appearance, but we're not silly. 

"We know that we were beaten by West Coast (in Round 16) and we went from sixth to 10th. 

"We live in that dangerous part of the ladder hovering around sixth to 10th, if you lose one week you drop out, if you win you might get back in, and we run that gauntlet. 

"Our guys know that Port Adelaide have only been beaten once at home this year (by Geelong in Round 5), and we know that if we don't bring our best footy they'll beat us. 

"Port will come back from Perth disappointed in their performance and they'll come out and hit us 100 miles an hour on Sunday."

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