PORT Adelaide, fresh from a thrilling win over North Melbourne last weekend travels to Metricon Stadium for the first time to play the Gold Coast Suns on their home turf.
The Teams
Port Adelaide
Form: W L L L L L L W
Ranked: 15th
Gold Coast
Form: L L L L L L L L
Ranked: 17th
Keys to victory
Port Adelaide beat the Kangaroos through three key factors - intensity, determination and skill. These are fundamental to a winning sports team. The intensity to be at the ball and beat the opposition every minute of the game, determination and resilience to keep battling against the odds and the skill to do that justice through deft ball usage - these are all elements the Power found when it counted against North Melbourne. The players must continue to bring these qualities out on game day.
Walking wounded
Keys to victory
Port Adelaide beat the Kangaroos through three key factors - intensity, determination and skill. These are fundamental to a winning sports team. The intensity to be at the ball and beat the opposition every minute of the game, determination and resilience to keep battling against the odds and the skill to do that justice through deft ball usage - these are all elements the Power found when it counted against North Melbourne. The players must continue to bring these qualities out on game day.
Walking wounded
No injuries were reported from the Power’s win over North Melbourne and Aaron Young, an exciting debutant who has been serviceable in his limited game time for the Power (sub against the Crows and against Richmond and Fremantle) is a chance to return this week. Who he replaces will be an interesting and tough question for the selectors to answer, as will whether to include David Rodan or Tom Logan in the side after good SANFL performances last week.
Before it entered the AFL, and even during its emerging years in the national competition, Port Adelaide had a reputation for being a team that could be down, but never out - an underdog that you could never write off. It recaptured that spirit on the weekend - mounting one of the greatest, if not the greatest comebacks in the club’s AFL history. The team has shown ability to keep ‘in touch’ with any team in the league this year - something it couldn’t manage in 2012 - but it will aim to be leading from the front against the Gold Coast and not resort to late game surges.
Read More: The Crunch
Key match-ups
Gary Ablett v Kane Cornes
If Gary Ablett plays through the middle, expect Kane Cornes to give him some attention. Cornes was back to his negating best against the Kangaroos when Matthew Primus had him play tag to former North skipper Brent Harvey - suffocating his usual influence on the game. Should Kane perform a similar role on the Suns skipper, he will be able to keep up with the Brownlow medallist and hopefully reduce his influence on the game. Can anyone beat Ablett? Probably not, such is his natural talent, but Kane’s experience and tagging ability counts will count for everything should Primus employ those skills.
Read More: Team Effort To Beat Suns Skip
Jay Schulz v Matthew Warnock
Chances are that ex-Melbourne defender Matthew Warnock will go to Jay Schulz at some stage of the game. Schulz was in fine touch against the Roos with seven goals straight and will be dangerous against the Suns. He didn’t front up against Gold Coast in Port’s sole game against the newcomers last year and with number-one defender Nathan Bock out of the Suns line up, Schulz may well find he plays on a Warnock coming into form, or one of the Suns less experienced backs. A massive game beckons.
Read More: The Crunch
Key match-ups
Gary Ablett v Kane Cornes
If Gary Ablett plays through the middle, expect Kane Cornes to give him some attention. Cornes was back to his negating best against the Kangaroos when Matthew Primus had him play tag to former North skipper Brent Harvey - suffocating his usual influence on the game. Should Kane perform a similar role on the Suns skipper, he will be able to keep up with the Brownlow medallist and hopefully reduce his influence on the game. Can anyone beat Ablett? Probably not, such is his natural talent, but Kane’s experience and tagging ability counts will count for everything should Primus employ those skills.
Read More: Team Effort To Beat Suns Skip
Jay Schulz v Matthew Warnock
Chances are that ex-Melbourne defender Matthew Warnock will go to Jay Schulz at some stage of the game. Schulz was in fine touch against the Roos with seven goals straight and will be dangerous against the Suns. He didn’t front up against Gold Coast in Port’s sole game against the newcomers last year and with number-one defender Nathan Bock out of the Suns line up, Schulz may well find he plays on a Warnock coming into form, or one of the Suns less experienced backs. A massive game beckons.
Read More: Schulz bags 7
The History
Port Adelaide lost to the AFL newcomers in their first confrontation last year after an Ablett-inspired surge propelled the Suns into a late game lead - scraping across the line after Justin Westhoff missed a long-range set shot. That loss would still burn in the stomachs of the playing group, coaching staff and supporter base alike. Vengeance for Port Adelaide this weekend would be sweet indeed.
The ledger
Played: 1, Port Adelaide: 0, Gold Coast: 1
The last time
Round 5, 2011 AAMI Stadium - Port Adelaide 15.11 (101) def by Gold Coast 15.14 (104)
Match details
Gold Coast v Port Adelaide
Metricon Stadium, QLD
Saturday 26 May 2012
First bounce: 2.10pm (local time)
Game Day
Broadcast guide
Match centre
Final word
Daring to taking the game on, clever ball use and a full game of intensity will win the Power this game - critical for its season and to square the ledger.
