BELLIGERENTS
PORT ADELAIDEYear to date: WWLWWW
Last three at ground: LLL
Currently ranked: 1st
GWS GIANTS
Year to date: WLWLLL
Last five at ground: LLLLL
Currently ranked: 14th
HEAD TO HEAD
Power 2 v 1 Giants
PLAYBILL
2014 AFL Premiership Season - Round 7GWS Giants v Port Adelaide
Saturday 3 May
First bounce 2:10pm (AEST) / 1:40pm (ACST)
Hashtags: #pafclive #aflgiantspower
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YOU’RE INVITED
Official Port Adelaide pre-game eventKingston Hotel
73 Canberra Avenue
Griffith ACT
Commences: 11:30am
NSW/ACT supporters group post-game event
Kingston Hotel
73 Canberra Avenue
Griffith ACT
Commences after the game
TIME MACHINE
Round 12, 2013. Port Adelaide easily accounted for the Giants at the Sydney Showgrounds - its first win at the venue - with Travis Boak, Angus Monfries and Jay Schulz all scoring three goals each.PORT ADELAIDE 6.5 12.7 17.9 19.11 (125)
GWS GIANTS 1.1 1.5 3.10 6.14 (50)
Best: O'Shea, Wingard, Boak, Monfries, Ebert, Jonas
Goals: Boak, Monfries, Schulz 3, J. Butcher, Logan, O'Shea 2, Cornes, Wingard, Hartlett
at Spotless Stadium
MATCH NOTES
Medical roomThe return of Angus Monfries was imminent last week and will be reality this weekend. One of the Power's most dangerous players, Monfries was on track for a best on ground performance for the Power against North Melbourne before being cruelly struck down by a hamstring injury while chasing a loose ball near the goal line in that game. He's important for the Power both as a goal kicker and a midfield option. Similarly, Jeremy Cameron and Lachie Whitfield will both be considered at the GWS selection table on Thursday and are just as important for their side. With two relatively full-strength teams to line up, this battle is set to be a cracker.
Capital punishment
Remember the last time Port Adelaide won at Manuka? We don't either. The Power has thrice played in the nation's capital - all against the Kangaroos - and has never come away with the four points. That poor record comes in spite of several sizable leads at the ground, including a 40-point half time lead over the Roos in the Power's most recent match at the ground back in 2005. It will be something this generation of Port Adelaide players will want to make amends for.
Rain dance
It will be cold, inhospitable and rain-drenched at StarTrack Oval on Saturday, with a forecast maximum of 11 degrees, punters at home will see the players decked out in jackets when sitting on the bench. The conditions means a closer, potentially scrappy contest will prevail to add a little extra uncertainty on what the game might throw up.
NUMBER CRUNCH
Points For: Power 673 v 515 Giants
Points Against: Power 426 v 590 Giants
Kicks: Power 1334 v 1188 Giants
Handballs: Power 965 v 894 Giants
Marks: Power 605 v 431 Giants
Disposals: Power 2299 v 2082 Giants
Contested possessions: Power 862 v 867 Giants
Frees: Power 97 v 107 Giants
Tackles: Power 415 v 446 Giants
Clearances: Power 219 v 257 Giants
Inside-50s: Power 331 v 322 Giants
Rebound 50s: Power 205 v 225 Giants
FINAL SAY
This game is poised to be a real arm wrestle.
The conditions will be a significant leveller and the ever-improving Giants have shown glimpses of the powerhouse side they can become this year.
Port Adelaide will prepare for this game in the same way as it does every other, but there are disadvantages and deficits that it will need to make up for, namely this playing group's unfamiliarity with the ground - only Dom Cassisi and Kane Cornes have played at Manuka before.
The Giants have big guns like Jeremy Cameron and seasoned campaigners like Heath Shaw adding valuable experience to their side.
Combined with the young talent laced in its lineup, the only question the football world is asking is when, rather than if, the Giants will turn their brilliant potential - exemplified against Sydney in Round 1 - into consistently destructive performances.
Port Adelaide's strength is in its ability to cover the ground quickly to set up its forward movements from clearance wins, and it will look to replicate that again on StarTrack Oval.
Also important is its even spread of contributors, with a number of midfield candidates capable of playing through the middle of the ground as well as its potent forward mix of Jay Schulz, Justin Westhoff, Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard which will also welcome back the return of Angus Monfries as a handy forward-mid.
Jeremy Cameron and Jonathon Patton will give the Power's defence a workout - expect them to get attention from Jackson Trengove and Alipate Carilie on the weekend.
Trengove has been his usual solid self, but Carlile is a talking point for the Power following last week's herculean effort against Tom Hawkins on the back of his solid effort against the Eagles' Josh Kennedy the week before.
With support from versatile running backs Jack Hombsch and Matt Broadbent, the visitors will look to cover the dangerous mix of young Giant forwards with its dynamic defensive mix.
CURRENT ODDS
Power 1.04-11.00 Giants
