Match preview: Port Adelaide v Brisbane Lions
The Power take on the Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night
TWELVE is the magic number of wins required to secure finals action this season.
Port Adelaide only has eyes for September and the lowly Lions in sight for win number eight.
The Power put themselves back in contention with an emphatic victory over the Bombers and will be determined to stay in the hunt with another solid performance against premiership foes Brisbane.
Port Adelaide's recent form: beat Essendon by 31, lost to Carlton by 39, lost to Hawthorn by 34, lost to Geelong by 56 and lost to the Swans by 31.
Recent results against the Brisbane Lions:
Round eight, 2006 Lions 22.15 (147) d Port Adelaide 10.18 (78), AAMI
Round 21, 2005 Port Adelaide 11.15 (81) d Lions 7.9 (51), Gabba
Round 2, 2005 Port Adelaide 11.9 (75) d Lions 11.7 (73), AAMI
Grand Final, 2004 Port Adelaide 17.11 (113) d Lions 10.13 (73), MCG
Round 11, 2004 Lions 18.15 (123) d Port Adelaide 12.14 (86), Gabba
Strengths:
Two weeks ago the Power delivered on the forward line potency that promised so much earlier this season.
Warren Tredrea, Brett Ebert and Robbie Gray all bagged four, while six of their teammates also registered majors.
Port Adelaide generated its devastating run through the midfield and quick ball movement allowed the Power forwards to capitalise on the team's dominance across the ground.
The Lions defence is still under construction, with full-back Daniel Merrett, Jason Roe and Jed Adcock all yet to reach the 50-game-mark.
If the Power bring their A-game to the Gabba, the Lions will struggle to contain Port Adelaide's effective forward combination of smalls and talls.
Potential weaknesses:
The problems arise for the Power when the team brings it's B-game.
As encouraging and impressive as the win over Essendon was, the Power need to well and truly exterminate any doubts over their consistency with another committed effort.
It was only three weeks ago Mark Williams suggested the team was mentally soft and it will take more than one game to convince some people otherwise.
They're sweating on:
Port Adelaide has enjoyed reasonable success away from AAMI Stadium this season winning three out of a possible five.
During the next four-week block the Power face three more interstate trips and will need to keep their good away record intact to achieve the goal of September action.
Not many teams have positive ledgers at the Gabba, including the Power, who have beaten the Lions on their home turf just three times in the club's existence.
The boys from Alberton will head to Brisbane full of confidence, with the perfect opportunity to knock off a Lions team in free-fall.
Dangermen:
Justin Westhoff: Westhoff's teammates believe the 19-year-old was unlucky not to receive his own NAB AFL Rising Star nomination with a four-goal performance against Carlton in round 11. The beanpole forward has caused headaches for opposition coaches, booting nine goals in just three games of AFL. Westhoff has super-quick hands, excellent poise and at 199cm will trouble the inexperienced Lions defence.
Darryl Wakelin: After holding Essendon superstar Matthew Lloyd to just one goal in round 12 Wakelin faces the even bigger task of containing the Lions king Jonathon Brown. Brown destroyed the Power last season, kicking seven goals alongside the injured Daniel Bradshaw, who finished with six. Wakelin is the biggest, strongest and most experienced member of the Power defence and will need to be on his game to restrict the influence of the Brisbane match winner.
Peter Burgoyne: The elusive midfielder was back to his stunning best against Essendon, shaking the tag of Damien Peverill to rack up 25 possessions. Burgoyne rarely missed a target, delighting teammates up the ground with his pinpoint accuracy. Pitted against 2004 premiership opponents Simon Black, Nigel Lappin and Luke Power, the silky-skilled 29-year-old will be determined to recapture the form he displayed on that historic September afternoon.
Its not generally known
Dom Cassisi was ranked sixth in the AFL for possessions last week with a career-high 32. Roos 11 marks against Essendon was also the fifth highest tally by any player in round 12.
