Adelaide Oval
First bounce 4:10pm (ACST)
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YOU’RE INVITED

Official Port Adelaide pre-game event
March from the Mall
Cnr Rundle Mall and Stephens Place
Adelaide SA
Meets: 2:30pm
Departs: 2:50pm
Official Port Adelaide post-game event
Willliam Magarey Room
Riverbank Stand
Level 3, Adelaide Oval
Commences after the conclusion of the game
Selected players and officials in attendance

TIME MACHINE

Second Semi Final, 2013. Despite leading at half time, Geelong stormed back into the lead late in the second semi final against the Power at the MCG last year. While Port Adelaide surged late, it was unable to get over the line and was bailed out of its first finals campaign since 2007.

PORT ADELAIDE      3.2     7.5     8.5     12.8     (80)
GEELONG               2.2     3.6     8.12   13.18   (96)

Best: Boak, Trengove, Westhoff, Carlile, Monfries, Schulz, Broadbent
Goals: Westhoff 3, Schulz 2, Brad Ebert, Monfries, Lobbe, Logan, Gray, Broadbent, Hartlett
at the MCG

MATCH NOTES

ANZAC ROUND
Port Adelaide will commemorate ANZAC Round with the presentation of the Peter Badcoe VC Medal and a number of other activities at the ground including the pre-bounce service of a Minute of Silence and the Last Post. RSL volunteers will also be collecting for the ANZAC Appeal around the ground and the club will also have the display of several military vehicles in the Southern Plaza and near the East Gate.

MUST SEE
Tickets are selling quickly for this game, so non-ticketed spectators considering attending this blockbuster are encouraged to Visit Ticketek online to gain entry to the match. The club's Essential Gold West membership is also a great value option that gives unreserved access to the Western Stand for all remaining nine home games including Sunday's match with Geelong.

MEDICAL ROOM
Port Adelaide has cleared Jackson Trengove, Chad Wingard and Jay Schulz for action while Steven Motlop may return for Geelong. However Andrew Mackie is an outside chance to return from a hamstring injury for the Cats. Motlop was described as 'impressive' for the Cats in the VFL last week and appears to be recovered from the knee injury that hampered his pre-season.

NUMBER CRUNCH

Score: Power 566 v 512 Cats
Kicks: Power 1117 v 1061 Cats
Handballs: Power 792 v 756 Cats
Marks: Power 505  v 478 Cats
Disposals: Power 1909 v 1817 Cats
Contested possessions: Power 723 v 734 Cats
Frees: Power 81 v 83 Cats
Tackles: Power 363 v 372 Cats
Clearances: Power 178 v 177 Cats
Inside-50s: Power 282 v 285 Cats
Rebound 50s: Power 166 v 163 Cats

FINAL SAY

Port Adelaide hasn't beaten Geelong since the 2007 home-and-away season - that's ten matches - and the odds are stacked against the Power again this weekend.

Geelong, like North Melbourne, has been a persistent thorn in Port Adelaide's side for many years and its difficult to find ways of smashing down the imposing record of recent success the Cats have build against the Power since the 2007 AFL Grand Final. 

But it's not impossible.

Curbing the influence of key play makers like Joel Selwood, Jimmy Bartel and Steve Johnson will be crucial for the Power. This danger trio is capable of turning the game against opposition sides, kicking goals and providing the run and carry and setup capability for the Cats going forward.

Shutting them out of the game is essential and the Power has several options capable of the task - Brad Ebert, Dom Cassisi and Kane Cornes are all in good form.

The big danger will be big forward Tom Hawkins, who booted five goals against the Hawks. Alipate Carlile will shape as the likely go-to man for him. He kept Josh Kennedy honest last week and was Mr Efficiency himself with 17 touches at 100% effective use.

It's a big task, but Carlile is a seasoned campaigner when it comes to the competition's top forwards.

Victory won't merely come down to being able to curb the impact of opposition stars; Port Adelaide must impose its own brand of football on the game.

Names like Travis Boak, Robbie Gray, Hamish Hartlett and the Power's continually improving engine room need to fire on all cylinders; Geelong won't relent on Sunday afternoon.

Port Adelaide needs to perform well against sides like Geelong and when you also take into account the fact this is the first of a brutal April/May calendar, which features home games against 2013 grand finalists Hawthorn and Fremantle, the Power must get its eye in against the Cats on Sunday.

Combined with the importance of the weekend as a whole to this club, one with a significant roll call of ex-players and officials who've serviced the national armed forces, the club will want to deliver a result everyone involved with it can be proud of.
 

ODDS

Power 2.10 v  1.75 Cats