BELLIGERENTS

PORT ADELAIDE
Year to date: WWLWWWWWWWLWLLLWLL
Last five at ground: WW
Currently ranked: 5th

GOLD COAST
Year to date: WLWLWWWWWLLLWLWLLWL
Last one at ground: WLWWW
Currently ranked: 10th

HEAD TO HEAD
Power 3 v 1 Suns

LAST FOUR
Power 3 v 1 Suns

PLAYBILL

2014 AFL Premiership Season – Round 21
Gold Coast v Port Adelaide
Saturday 16 August
First bounce 2:10pm (AEST) / 1:40pm (ACST)
Hashtags: #AFLSunsPower
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YOU’RE INVITED

PRE-GAME EVENT
Queensland Supporter Group Function
Emerald Lakes Golf Club
Nerang-Broadbeach Road, Nerang (Opposite Metricon Stadium)
Starts from 12:00pm
All members and supporters welcome

POST-GAME EVENT
Emerald Lakes Golf Club
Nerang-Broadbeach Road, Nerang (Opposite Metricon Stadium)
Starts approximately 6:30pm
All members and supporters welcome

TIME MACHINE

Round 21, 2014. The Suns pushed Port Adelaide all the way to the line before the Power turned on the taps thanks to Travis Boak to run out comfortable 17-point winners at AAMI Stadium.

PORT ADELAIDE     7.5     8.9     10.13     16.17     (113)
GOLD COAST          3.5     6.8     12.10     14.12     (96)

Best
Boak, Cornes, Brad Ebert, O’Shea, Trengove, Monfries, Broadbent
Goals
Boak, Schulz 3, Westhoff, Wingard, Heath 2, Brad Ebert, Young, Moore, Cornes
at AAMI Stadium

NUMBER CRUNCH

Points For: Power 99.32 v 88.53 Suns
Points Against: Power 78.37 v 91.05 Suns
Kicks: Power 210.2 v 197.9 Suns
Handballs: Power 168.1 v 150.9 Suns
Disposals: Power 378.3 v 348.9 Suns
Contested percentage: Power 37.63% v 41.59% Suns
Effective disposal: Power 71.5% v 70.6% Suns
Marks: Power 91.6 v 74.1 Suns
Clearances: Power 39.9 v 40.3 Suns
Frees: Power 16.5 v 15.8 Suns
Tackles: Power 71.2 v 67.1 Suns
Rebound 50s: Power 34.6 v 40.2 Suns
Inside-50s: Power 55.2 v 50.7 Suns

*All stats averages per game

FOUR POINTS

White stuff
Expect to see the pacey Matt White come back into the side this week if cleared by the club’s fitness team.

He’ll inject extra running power and a touch more class to a forward line looking to bounce back from a tough couple of weeks at the office.

Aaron Young is also a chance to return this week after being listed for assessment, but could equally come back via the SANFL if cleared to play.

Wet deck
The Power’s form on a sodden deck this year has been poor: losses to the Crows, Bombers and Swans and a win on a damp ground in Canberra against the Giants.

Not that wet conditions should impact a result in Port Adelaide’s favour or not, but it will certainly alter the way the game is played against the Suns – the Power will need to be on its best contested game.

The Suns also enjoy an enviable home record at Metricon Stadium, and will want to keep their finals hopes alive against the Power, so expect a tight arm-wrestle in the wet conditions.

Forcing a result
Port Adelaide led its favourite stats against the Swans - clearances and contested ball - but still lost to the tune of four goals.

What it wasn’t able to do is convert its crucial chances at important points of the game, particularly during the third quarter.

The Power booted five behinds in that term and let its hopes of a boilover against the Swans go begging.

It highlights the need to make its less prolific entries into attacking 50 count – the Power hasn’t been able to hit targets like Jay Schulz as often in this second half of the season, so true kicks when the ball is on the ground are so important.

Given the conditions will likely mean plenty of ball is won at ground level on Saturday, the Power will be wanting to make sure its radar is back at full strength.

Desperate times
This game has plenty riding on it for both clubs – a win will keep the Suns in the hunt for the top eight with two rounds to go, while the Power needs to win each of its last three games to keep itself in the race for the top four.

While the Power is no certainty to take four points to Adelaide, it will be bolstered by the sharp improve in its injury stocks, with Jackson Trengove now back in the side and Matt White’s return imminent.

In contrast, the Suns have lost in-form key defender Steven May with injury and could be replaced by Seb Tape, Clay Cameron or Tom Murphy.

Luke Russell and Michael Rischitelli are also in the mix for the Suns.