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Couch Companion returns for the Power’s clash with reigning premiers Hawthorn.

This is the place to share the highs and lows of the match with your fellow Power fans as we watch it unfold together on the TV.

If you’re looking for score updates, use AFL.com.au’s live match centre but if you’re looking for some opinions on the game, or have a lot to say yourself but no-ones at home to listen, this is for you.

Your contributions will be used before the game and throughout the match as it unfolds. Just email the Couch Companion here, and refresh this article to see the latest updates.

See the last Couch Companion from the clash with West Coast in Round 2…

PRE-GAME

Couch Companion: Interesting line-ups when you go through the two 22s. Hawthorn have three ruckman lining up in Robert Campbell, Brent Renouf, and Simon Taylor. They’re missing regular backmen in Stephen Gilham, Grant Birchall and of course Trent Croad, while Campbell Brown has been named up forward.

CC: I haven’t heard anyone in the media this week mention the biggest talking point from the last time the two teams played (down in Tassie)… I’m sure I don’t have to remind most Power fans of what it was. The other Mark Williams might get a response to his unreturned phone calls some time during the game. To be fair though, it was very sporting the way Alastair Clarkson handled it in the media at the time. Funny how we remember those things though.

CC: It will be great to see Hamish Hartlett out there, the Power's highest ever draft pick. There's a fantastic pic of him with Mark Williams during training at the MCG on Friday on the club's Twitter page - www.twitter.com/pafc

CC: A late change for the Power Shaun Burgoyne’s out (he was struggling with a knee during the week). David Rodan’s in.

CC: The coverage has started. This is the first time Channel 10 have covered one of our games since the 2007 grand final!

Semaphore Boy: lets hope our boys go in with more discipline than was shown last week, go power semaphore boy FIRST QUARTER

CC: Ball is really going from one end to the other isn’t it. Both defences looking on top. Anthony Hudson seems to know his stuff, one of the decent commentators I reckon.

CC: PEARCEY! Great goal, thanks to the Carr intercept in the midfield. We’re moving it around well.

CC: How’s the long Tredrea left foot kick to Ladey! One of Tredders absolute best parts of his game these days is his ability to find the right option when he gets the ball outside 50. He loves playing on quick, smart enough to know what Ladey can do when it comes in high and long.

CC: Boy Hamish Hartlett, what a start. Avoided two tackles with all the composure and awareness in the world to then handball on neatly.

CC: Tredders – already set one up and now kicked one himself. How easy did he run onto that the great man. Hartlett involved two, getting it over traffic to Carry. We’re three goals to one up.

CC: Gee that movement around the 50m arc that led to the Rodan goal is what we have to appreciate about football today. Channel 10 had a few wide shots and you could see there must have been 14 Hawks in our forward 50m. We were composed, we didn’t bomb it in, we worked it around 60m out and got it to our preferred kicker in Nathan Krakouer and he was able to pinpoint the pass.

CC: That Franklin goal really, really hurts. I noticed Tredders was telling the umpire he didn’t blow the whistle for the mark he took from Logan’s kick so he played on and Logan was caught running into open goal.

Quarter time: Port Adelaide 4.3 (27) lead Hawthorn 2.2 (14).

CC:We controlled that quarter. We had more of the ball, seemed smart, planned and structured in the way we moved it around and tackled well when we didn’t have it. Can’t ask for much more than that. Our goalkickers were Pearce, Lade, Tredrea and Rodan. And Hamish Hartlett, our highest ever draft pick, with seven disposals made a stunning start. I have a feeling I’ll be able to write more about him later.

SECOND QUARTER

CC: It still feels very wrong watching Stuart Dew kick a goal against us.

CC: People wonder about that free kick… Tredders would have to get the least free kicks of any forward in the history of the game. Never complains, just gets on with it. Great to see him get one and even better to see him kick through the middle so confidently. Overall though, they’re moving the ball out of our forward line a little too easily with all their numbers back there and we can’t get our game going as well as we did in the first quarter.

CC: That Hamish Hartlett lace-out pass to Ebert went sooo fast over 50m. It was, well, a Dew bullet (wish I could think of someone else). He is definitely the best thing of the day so far. Back in front!

Half time: Port Adelaide 6.4 (40) lead Hawthorn 5.6 (36)

CC: What a tactical game this is. Clusters, flooding, zoning, call it what you like, it’s had all of it and more! We found our way through Hawthorn’s set-ups in the first quarter but not so much in the second. We were forced wider and made more errors and to be honest could easily have been behind at half time. Still, the efforts have been excellent. We are missing some decent players in the Burgoyne brothers and Dom Cassisi (making Kane Cornes acting captain today) but we are putting pressure on the Hawks and are right in it.

THIRD QUARTER

CC: Two goals to one so far this quarter, Hawthorn in front now. The ground seems to be a bit less congested… players tired not running back as much? Not sure.

CC: Oh Warren, I am a fan! Four goals… only two more to go for his 500th AFL goal!

CC: That Hodge / Logan battle has been one of the highlights of the match. Fascinating tactically too. Good to see the commentators giving the Junkyard Dog some credit too.

CC: TREDDERS! That’s 499! And five today. The game’s gone up a notch here and we’re revelling in it. The commentators better work out he’s on 499 quick!

CC: Feeling for Tommy Logan. Just took mark of the year over Hodge, who he has pantsed today. Missed the simple set shot and they get a kick in goal. This is one awesome quarter of football.

Cam from Perth: i know he missed the shot but i dare someone to tell me that is not one of the best marks you will ever see!

Three quarter time - Port Adelaide 10.6 (66) level with Hawthorn 9. 12 (66)

FINAL QUARTER

CC:Robbie Gray’s magnificent set-shot from the opening centre bounce sets the scene for the final term. It was finished by a great team goal that Brogan kicked along the ground after turning over the ball that Franklin marked. We’ve missed some shots too – the Pearce kick on the run, Gray’s snap, Chad’s snap and now Rodan on the run.

CC: Tredrea 500! Could there have been a more fitting way for the great man to nail his 500th in the AFL and sixth today. A gutsy mark in the goalsquare with pressure on then the trademark play on and goal from the goal line. We’re on top, 17 points in front.

cam from perth: 500 goals and not a blink from the commentators CC: I hope they’re embarrassed Cam. Don’t they have researchers, statisticians and the like all working in the background to give them info?

CC: Ladey goals after Matt Thomas marked Dew’s kick-in. Who else was thinking of Dew’s ill-fated kick in against Brisbane in 1997 when Malcolm Blight said straight after that things have a way of repeating themselves. Apparently he was talking about Dew’s goals in the Hawks grand final.

CC: Turns out Malcolm was right, things do repeat – Chad intercepts another Dew kick-in and Ebert goals. Gotta be the sealer. What an awesome final term… could be ten goals up instead of five.

Final score: Port Adelaide 17.13 (115) defeated Hawthorn 12.13 (85)

CC: Best win we’ve had since 2007 obviously and stacks up against all the best ones from that year. We completely dominated that final term, kicking seven goals to two and could have had more. Tredders’ six goals was my highlight but the efforts of Tom Logan on Luke Hodge, and Kane Cornes on Sam Mitchell were outstanding. The defence led by Carlile and Chaplin was sensational, the pressure we put on Hawthorn was first class, and the tactics employed broke down Hawthorn’s game. Putting Chad Cornes and Brendon Lade up forward at times caused problems for the undermanned Hawks defence. The decision making of Salopek and Krakouer running off half back was first class. With the Burgoynes out, David Rodan, Danyle Pearce and Travis Boak led the midfield beautifully. Hamish Hartlett’s debut was one of the classiest you’ll ever see. And don’t worry about the Ch10 commentators, he doesn’t only use it well in space, he can win the ball in tight and uses his body.

CC: Nothing like hearing our song sung with huge gusto. Great celebration scenes here as Hartlett gets drenched in Powerade in the middle of the ciricle. Hudson said: “the passion was with Port today” and it is showing.