PORT ADELAIDE travels to Melbourne to face North Melbourne on Saturday night at Marvel Stadium, with Port looking to retain its spot in the top eight.
The Power are coming off consecutive wins against Essendon at Marvel and Sydney at Adelaide Oval to push their claims of returning to finals action in 2019.
The Kangaroos suffered a disappointing loss to Geelong at GMHBA Stadium last weekend, but have been in good form since Rhyce Shaw has been in charge.
The two sides met earlier this season, with the Power running out 16-point winners on a Friday night in Round 6 at Adelaide Oval.
Ken Hinkley’s men appeared to have the game in their control for the majority of the contest, before the Kangaroos stormed home late with five goals to two in the final term, but it wasn’t enough to overrun the Power.
Travis Boak was brilliant for the home side, collecting 38 touches (15 of them contested), 10 clearances, nine inside 50s and a goal.
Small forward Sam Gray was equally as influential, racking up 28 disposals and booting four goals, while Tom Rockliff (27 possessions) and Ollie Wines (26) were also good for the Power.
Ben Cunnington was impressive for the visitors, having 35 disposals of his own - 21 of those contested.
Youngster Nick Larkey stood tall in attack, booting three goals, while Aaron Hall and skipper Jack Ziebell each kicked two majors.
Port’s win in Round 6 added to its ascendency over the Roos, making it five victories in a row against its Victorian rivals.
The history between the two teams has been fascinating, with North Melbourne winning the first nine encounters, before the next six games were shared three apiece. Despite the Power’s recent dominance, the Roos still hold a 21-13 head-to-head record.
Saturday night’s clash is important for both teams, with the Power looking to cement a spot in the top eight, while North will be looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat.
The final teams will be announced on Thursday evening, with the first bounce of the Round 22 clash taking place at 7.25pm AEST on Saturday night from Marvel Stadium.
The last five games:
2019 Round 6
Adelaide Oval
PORT ADELAIDE 12.16 (88)
NORTH MELBOURNE 11.6 (72)
2018 Round 6
Marvel Stadium
NORTH MELBOURNE 10.9 (69)
PORT ADELAIDE 15.12 (102)
2017 Round 17
Adelaide Oval
PORT ADELAIDE 19.13 (127)
NORTH MELBOURNE 8.9 (57)
2016 Round 17
Marvel Stadium
NORTH MELBOURNE 10.17 (77)
PORT ADELAIDE 16.9 (105)
2015 Round 3
Marvel Stadium
NORTH MELBOURNE 16.9 (105)
PORT ADELAIDE 17.11 (113)