BELLIGERENTS
PORT ADELAIDELAST MATCH: First Semi Final: Port Adelaide 15.15 (105) def Fremantle 11.17 (83)
HAWTHORN
LAST MATCH: First Elimination Final: Hawthorn 15.14 (104) def Geelong Cats 10.8 (68)
HEAD TO HEAD
Port Adelaide 16 v 12 Hawthorn
LAST FIVE
Port Adelaide 1 v 4 Hawthorn
THIS YEAR
Port Adelaide 1 v 0 Hawthorn
PLAYBILL
2014 AFL Second Preliminary FinalHawthorn v Port Adelaide
Melbourne Cricket Ground Brunton Avenue, East Melbourne
Saturday 20 September
First bounce: 4:45pm (AEST)/4:15pm (ACST)
Hashtags: #AFLHawksPower #AFLFinals
Broadcast: Channel 7, FOX Footy, FIVEaa, 891 ABC Adelaide, Triple M
BUY TICKETS
YOU’RE INVITED
Pre-Match EventBells Hotel
157 Moray Street, South Melbourne
10:00am – 2:00pm
All welcome, meal and drink specials available for lunch
March to the ‘G
Birrarung Marr (adjacent Federation Square on the Yarra)
Batman Avenue, Melbourne
Meet: 3:00pm
Depart: 3:20pm for 3:45pm arrival
TIME MACHINE
Round 10, 2014: In front of a record South Australian AFL match crowd, Port Adelaide stormed out of the blocks to lead the Hawks by 23 points at half time and withstood a second half comeback from the reigning premiers to chalk up a 14-point win courtesy of two crucial goals to Hamish Hartlett and 'steadiers' from Kane Mitchell and Jay Schulz.PORT ADELAIDE 4.2 8.3 11.7 15.10 (100)
HAWTHORN 2.3 4.4 10.6 13.8 (86)
portadelaidefc.com.au's best: Polec, Boak, Ebert, Cornes, Wingard, Wines
Goals: Monfries 4, Wingard 3, R. Gray, Hartlett 2, Boak, Polec, Mitchell, Schulz
at the Adelaide Oval
FOUR POINTS
The biggest stage, the greatest challengeHawthorn at the MCG is arguably the biggest challenge in football, particularly in a final.
The Hawks are seasoned, experienced campaigners, have won two flags under senior coach Alastair Clarkson and will be a brutal challenge on Saturday afternoon.
Port Adelaide has played at the MCG just once this year, but has four finals worth of experience in the legs of many players this weekend courtesy of the club’s 2013 campaign and wins over the Tigers and Freo.
The Power wasn’t overawed last time and is better for the last 24 games since its defeat by Geelong in last year’s semi finals.
It’s hard, contested game will be essential against the Hawks and there is no question that, should the Power not bring its best, Hawthorn will control the game.
Full strength game breakers
Port Adelaide should go into the game unchanged with Tom Jonas likely to be declared fit despite a minor corked hip, and Hawthorn could welcome back Cyril Rioli to the side.
With the Power’s Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard putting on a show last week on the back of strong performances down back and through the middle in the second half and Rioli adding more spark to Hawthorn’s line-up, this could be a hot final with plenty of spills.
Fast and furious
Port Adelaide and Hawthorn play a similar, attractive game style: Fast, ambitious and uncompromising when it’s switched on.
Both sides are the two highest scoring clubs in the League and are defensively strong teams to boot.
Expect to see both bring their best game and strongest attack for what is one of the most evenly matched games of the year.
Everything to play for
Playing in its first preliminary final since 2007, Port Adelaide isn’t the favourite this weekend.
It confronts a brown-and-gold side fighting for a third consecutive grand final appearance and is a lauded premiership fancy.
The Power has been living life on the edge for several weeks now and has everything to play for – few expected it to get this far in 2014, many expected Port Adelaide to miss the finals all together.
Full strength game breakers
Port Adelaide should go into the game unchanged with Tom Jonas likely to be declared fit despite a minor corked hip, and Hawthorn could welcome back Cyril Rioli to the side.
With the Power’s Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard putting on a show last week on the back of strong performances down back and through the middle in the second half and Rioli adding more spark to Hawthorn’s line-up, this could be a hot final with plenty of spills.
Fast and furious
Port Adelaide and Hawthorn play a similar, attractive game style: Fast, ambitious and uncompromising when it’s switched on.
Both sides are the two highest scoring clubs in the League and are defensively strong teams to boot.
Expect to see both bring their best game and strongest attack for what is one of the most evenly matched games of the year.
Everything to play for
Playing in its first preliminary final since 2007, Port Adelaide isn’t the favourite this weekend.
It confronts a brown-and-gold side fighting for a third consecutive grand final appearance and is a lauded premiership fancy.
The Power has been living life on the edge for several weeks now and has everything to play for – few expected it to get this far in 2014, many expected Port Adelaide to miss the finals all together.
But the only expectation Port Adelaide has of itself is a premium performance on Saturday afternoon - lose, and there's no tomorrow.
So with a legion of around 20,000 True Believers set to converge on the MCG and coming by car, bus, plane and train to see their team play, it will be the archetypal Port Adelaide passion that this playing group employs to give its first chance at a Grand Final appearance since 2007 a real tilt.
So with a legion of around 20,000 True Believers set to converge on the MCG and coming by car, bus, plane and train to see their team play, it will be the archetypal Port Adelaide passion that this playing group employs to give its first chance at a Grand Final appearance since 2007 a real tilt.
