BELLIGERENTS
PORT ADELAIDEYear to date: WWLWWWWWWWLWL
Last five at ground: WWWWL
Currently ranked: 2nd
ESSENDON
Year to date: WLWLLLWWLWWLWL
Last five at ground: not played
Currently ranked: 10th
HEAD TO HEAD
Power 14 v 10 Bombers
LAST FIVE
Power 1 v 4 Bombers
PLAYBILL
2014 AFL Premiership Season – Round 16Port Adelaide v Essendon
Saturday 5 July
First bounce 7:10pm (ACST)
Hashtags: #AFLPowerBombers
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YOU’RE INVITED
Official pre-game eventMarch from the Mall
Cnr Stephens Place and Rundle Mall
Adelaide SA
Meet: 5:30pm | Depart: 5:50pm
All welcome
Official post-game event
William Magarey Room
Level 3, Riverbank Stand
Adelaide Oval, North Adelaide
Commencing after the game
Selected players and officials in attendance
All welcome
TIME MACHINE
Round 15, 2013. Despite four goals from former Don Angus Monfries and exciting long bombs from Hamish Hartlett, the Power fell short to Essendon at Etihad Stadium after a strong start.PORT ADELAIDE 4.3 5.4 9.7 12.16 (88)
ESSENDON 3.2 9.5 13.7 18.10 (118)
Best: Brad Ebert, Monfries, Lobbe, Hartlett, R. Gray
Goals: Monfries 4, R. Gray 3, Wingard, Hartlett 2, Trengove
at Etihad Stadium
NUMBER CRUNCH
Points For: Power 1521 v 1153 BombersPoints Against: Power 1072 v 1099 Bombers
Kicks: Power 3003 v 3220 Bombers
Handballs: Power 2368 v 2305 Bombers
Disposals: Power 5371 v 5525 Bombers
Contested percentage: Power 37.14% v 33.97% Bombers
Marks: Power 1324 v 1606 Bombers
Clearances: Power 564 v 529 Bombers
Frees: Power 219 v 210 Bombers
Tackles: Power 1006 v 909 Bombers
Rebound 50s: Power 467 v 462 Bombers
Inside-50s: Power 808 v 726 Bombers
FOUR POINTS
Injury hitsThe news on the injury front for Port Adelaide is double edged. The loss of key backs Jackson Trengove and Alipate Carlile will leave some big shoes to fill for whichever in-form defenders rise from the SANFL ranks into the AFL team this weekend. Dom Cassisi is also a chance to return from minor knee soreness this weekend and provide his steady influence in defence. Mark Baguley is being forecast as a possible inclusion for Essendon after missing their loss to the Cats last Friday. Selection will be very interesting.
On the rebound
Port Adelaide’s Round 15 loss to the Crows has brought it back to the pack. Shaken from its top ranking, the Power must regroup and hit the ground running on Saturday night if it wants to keep pace with the old guard surrounding it on the ladder – Hawthorn is top, Sydney is third, and Fremantle and Geelong are just one win behind in fourth and fifth. Good sides bounce back, as said by Ken Hinkley after Sunday night’s loss, so the 22 players who take the field this weekend will be keen to make amends on the weekend.e
One bad quarter…
... is all it takes to let a game slip. The Power looked in control of the Showdown up to half time, but failed to press its advantage on the scoreboard. A goal-less third quarter in contrast to Adelaide’s three-goal effort from nine scoring shots put the ball firmly in the Crows’ court and they ran the game out to the end. Ken Hinkley used it to show how teams can’t let up, and the football world used it to show no game, in this tightest of leagues, is ever a certainty.
Crowd’s back
Technically, Port Adelaide hasn’t lost an AFL ‘home’ game at the Adelaide Oval; its loss to the Crows officially listed as an ‘away’ fixture. The record books show the Power has lost once at the Adelaide Oval this year and the playing group will be keen to ensure it stays that way. With its home crowd to converge on the Adelaide Oval again – expect a bumper showing upward of 45,000 – at least the familiar environment, including the now traditional run-out to ‘Not Giving In’ and ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ before the first bounce, will give the Power faithful their sense of home ground advantage back.
