LAST TIME: Hawthorn 16.12 (108) d Port Adelaide 9.8 (62), round 11, 2012 at AAMI Stadium
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Port Adelaide travels to Launceston desperate to restore some pride after its humiliating loss to Greater Western Sydney last week, which led to the sacking of coach Matthew Primus. But caretaker coach Garry Hocking will have his hands full merely containing the damage, up against a Hawthorn team that is not only much better but also stung by its last-gasp defeat by Geelong last round.
THE FOUR POINTS
HAWTHORN
1. The Hawks' last trip to Tasmania was in round 10, when Lance Franklin booted 13 goals in a 115-point belting of North Melbourne. The superstar looks set to return from a hamstring injury on Sunday after four weeks off. The win over the Kangaroos started an eight-game winning streak. Can this journey, on the back of a two-point loss to Geelong, spark a similar run?
2. Jack Gunston continued his good form in Franklin's absence last week, adding another four goals to the 10 he'd booted in the previous three weeks. The 20-year-old is a difficult match-up, because he's just as damaging at ground level - where he reads play beautifully - as he is as a marking target. He also rarely misses a set shot. Gunston should be confident of making an impact even when Franklin is back, given he'd averaged a tidy two goals per game in the four matches before the Coleman medallist went down.
3. Inspirational Hawthorn skipper Luke Hodge will play his 200th game against the Power in his third week back from a knee injury. The 28-year-old played around 70 minutes' game time against Geelong and Essendon, and was subbed off at three-quarter time in both matches. Hodge told AFL.com.au this week he's ready to play 90 to 100 minutes on Sunday, meaning he should avoid the red vest.
4. The Hawks have won nine of their past 10 matches at their 'home away from home', Aurora Stadium. That loss was to the Sydney Swans in round five this season. Port hasn't been one of the nine victims, having last travelled to Launceston in 2008. Hawthorn won that one, but the Power won the two meetings at the venue before that.
PORT ADELAIDE
1. The obvious unknown for the Power is how they'll respond to interim coach Hocking. When Mark Williams was sacked in 2010, the side went on to win five of the remaining seven games under Primus. Hocking inherits a side that's probably in worse shape than the one Primus did in 2010. While both sides had five wins when the interim coach took over, this year's Power has had its confidence shattered by the miserable loss to the Giants on Saturday.
2. It was hard to pick out one positive from last week's game for the Power, but Hamish Hartlett's return from injury was pleasing. On a dark day for every player, Hartlett included, he at least found plenty of the ball. He was playing loose at times and still turned the ball over like his teammates, but he got through his comeback game and will hope to build against the Hawks. At his peak, Hartlett can open up sides, but we just haven’t seen that sort of football from him nearly as much as has been needed. A huge test for him this week.
3. One of the wins the Power managed after Williams was sacked in 2010 was against an in-form Hawthorn outfit. They trailed at every change but stormed home to win by eight points. It's hard to see this Power unit showing such fight, especially given the Hawks' current form. It's nearly impossible to see anything other than a comfortable Hawthorn win in this one, but can the Power use the ultimate underdog tag to their advantage?
4. With David Hale and Jarryd Roughead in top form at the moment, the responsibility will fall on the Power's ruckmen to put in far better performances than they have recently. Port's ruck stocks have struggled to gain ascendency all year, but last week they failed to even compete. With Brent Renouf out for the season due to a knee injury, it's up to either Matthew Lobbe or Jarrad Redden to restrict Hale and Roughead's influence on Sunday.
The views in this story are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
