SOME scripts recycle perfectly. "A champion team will always beat a team of champions," was the theme at Alberton in 1951 when Port Adelaide prepared to host Geelong at Adelaide Oval in the championship clash of the SANFL and VFL premiers.
Almost 70 years later, same place, same time, the same script is in play for an AFL final between Port Adelaide and Geelong, minor premiers in each of the past two national league seasons.
Port Adelaide returns to AFL finals action for the first time since 2017. And what has changed since the elimination final loss to West Coast in double extra time at Adelaide Oval - and through those two seasons in "no man's land" just outside the AFL top eight?
"I have a better team," says Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley.
Many pundits will say he needs it to overcome the parade of champions his top-ranked Port Adelaide team will face in this Thursday night qualifying final.
Brownlow Medallists Patrick Dangerfield and Gary Ablett. Coleman Medallist Tom Hawkins. Six-time All-Australian Joel Selwood. Key defender Harry Taylor. Newly crowned All-Australian Cam Guthrie.
A team of champions ...
Hinkley not only has a better team, with its own crew of highly regarded players last week honoured by the All-Australian selectors: Coleman Medal runner-up Charlie Dixon, young defender Darcy Byrne-Jones and ever young midfielder Travis Boak, the vice-captain to the AFL Team of the Year.
Hinkley has a better team with a better game plan - a deeper playbook that has spared Port Adelaide from being cast as a one-trick pony, as was said in 2017. The notable strength in the 2020 model of Port Adelaide is a midfield that gains significant territory - and protects its defence far better.
By the numbers, Port Adelaide has top ranking in some significant key performance indicators - best defence; most time in forward half (confirming stronger protection of the defence); most turnovers created in the forward half and biggest gap on inside-50s when compared with its direct opponents.
How the script has changed from the seasons in which Hinkley and his Port Adelaide players only heard about disposal efficiency and turnovers.
For the record, Port Adelaide during its 17 home-and-away matches this season ranks seventh of 18 on disposal efficiency, improved from 14th in 2019; and fourth-best on turnovers, up from 11th last season.
This system has been two years in the making. It now faces the biggest test in a home final against a team that has troubled Port Adelaide for a long, long time.
When you look at their profile, they play a really good game. It's a contest game. It's a forward-half game. Their best players are in really good form. So there's a lot going right for them.
Former St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt
There is much dirty water to clear off each team's chest.
Port Adelaide is playing its first AFL final since that 2017 double extra-time elimination final at Adelaide Oval against West Coast was won on midfielder Luke Shuey's goal after the siren from a contentious free kick.
Port Adelaide is seeking its first major round victory since the 2014 semi-final comeback against Fremantle at Subiaco Oval in Perth.
Port Adelaide has since the revival began in 2013 won just two of 10 matches against Geelong - both wins at Adelaide Oval in 2014 and last season.
Geelong is dealing with the vast difference in its home-and-away record and finals results since winning the 2011 AFL grand final - 134-56 win-loss with two draws (69 per cent winning rate) compared with 4-11 (27 per cent). It has not won consecutive finals since winning three in a row for the 2011 premiership.
And there is that long-standing question of how Geelong cannot find its clutch after a bye, particularly the pre-finals bye as noted in the past three major rounds (lost to Collingwood in qualifying final last year; Melbourne in elimination final in 2018 and Richmond in qualifying final in 2017).
Port Adelaide reached the final stretch of the compressed home-and-away series seeking respect. By winning five consecutive games after the Geelong defeat - to hold off the challenges to its top ranking - and to finish with an assertive win against top-eight rival Collingwood certainly gave Port Adelaide credibility in the premiership race.
Your numbers stack up, your form has been great, you've been top all season, you're playing at home, you're in your own bed ...
Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon
The winner advances to a preliminary final - at Adelaide Oval for the first time if it is Port Adelaide; perhaps Adelaide Oval if it is Geelong while the Victorian club is denied any field in Melbourne.
The loser embraces the double-chance from a top-four finish to "host" a semi-final.
QUALIFYING FINAL
Port Adelaide v Geelong
MINOR premier v the 2019 holder of the McClelland Trophy.
Coleman Medallist Tom Hawkins v the runner-up for the AFL leading goalkicker award, Charlie Dixon.
Hawkins with 42 of Geelong's 182 goals this season (23 per cent contribution) - 6.2 against Port Adelaide in that last encounter with Tom Jonas' defensive unit at Metricon Stadium on August 14.
Dixon with 32 of Port Adelaide's 168 (19 per cent).
So who has kicked the other 136 goals in Port Adelaide's rise to the top of the AFL ladder for the first time since 2004? The main contributors are -
Robbie Gray, 15
Zak Butters, 11
Todd Marshall, 10.8 in 12 matches
Justin Westhoff, 10.7 in 12 games
Steven Motlop, 10
Brad Ebert, 9
Ollie Wines, Travis Boak, Mitch Georgiades each 8
Sam Powell-Pepper, 7
Charlie gets a lot of attention for being Charlie, and everyone goes to Charlie. But when they go to Charlie usually something else happens for other people.
Charlie has been willing to take that heat and it's significant when you've got more options in your forward line that people can recognise.
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley
This time - in stark contrast to the August 14 clash at Metricon Stadium - it cannot be a game that is measured as a shoot-out between the key forward who topped the Coleman Medal table, Tom Hawkins and Charlie Dixon.
This time it is about Port Adelaide channeling the war themes of General Douglas MacArthur to break the supply lines to "Hawkins Island" where Hawkins kicked six goals after silver-service delivery across open space on the Gold Coast.
Port Adelaide midfielder Tom Rockliff, who will play his first AFL final after working in more than 200 senior games with Brisbane and Port Adelaide, perfectly assesses the shadow the round 14 clash puts on this qualifying final:
Geelong were outstanding the way they took us on. They transferred the ball from our front half to their forward half really well. There is no doubt we have to tinker with a few things.
Hawkins had a lot of good opportunities one-on-one inside-50. So we have to slow down their ball movement.
We have to go about it a little differently as well. We have to make sure we maintain possession a little bit more than we did that night. We didn't find any marks coming out of our back half; we know how good they are aerially in defence and we did not give Charlie many opportunities.
So we feel we are in a much better position now than we were at that time. We did not have our best night; they had an outstanding night and that is a credit to them how well they played and took our game off us.
So we just have to go out there and play Port Adelaide footy that has held up well all season.
For all the questions Port Adelaide carried on its status in the premiership race - despite ranking No.1 all through the home-and-away season - the bookmakers are holding enough money to list Ken Hinkley's team as the favourite.
Before the ball gets to Hawkins or Dixon, there are the questions of which midfield creates the most-telling opportunities on a field that rewards centre clearances and which defence rebounds with greater power?
Port Adelaide lead ruckman Scott Lycett has been in extraordinary form during the second half of the home-and-away season, working through both the pain barrier and outsmarting his rivals. Last time, the hit-outs played clearly to Port Adelaide's advantage with the Lycett-Peter Ladhams tandem working a 29-19 advantage on Rhys Stanley and Mark Blicavs. But Geelong won the clearances 31-30 with Blicavs scoring six himself while former Port Adelaide captain Travis Boak (game-high seven clearances) appeared to be working a lone-hand resistance movement at the stoppages.
The most-impressive part of Geelong's game was the work of the Harry Taylor-led defence, not just - as Rockliff noted - in cutting off plays to Dixon but also its pristine movement from the back half of the field. Tom Stewart, Zach Touhy and Sam Menegola were far too damaging, pulling apart the forward-half pressure that has defined Port Adelaide this season.
There is a page for Dan Houston, Darcy Byrne-Jones, Xavier Duursma, Hamish Hartlett and Ryan Burton to add to the Port Adelaide playbook.
How Port Adelaide proves it has learned the lesson - and adjusted - will be the key watching point of this final.
FINAL COUNT
FOR the second time Port Adelaide and Geelong clash in an AFL qualifying final - again in Adelaide, but at Adelaide Oval rather than Football Park. Port Adelaide is the minor premier again; Geelong is ranked fourth, again.
The 2004 match-up at West Lakes marked the first Port Adelaide-Geelong AFL final.
Port Adelaide was seeking to overcome the "chokers" tag after dropping the 2001 qualifying final to Brisbane in Brisbane, 2002 to Collingwood at Football Park and 2003 to Sydney at West Lakes.
It was secure at half-time when Port Adelaide led 11.4 (70) to 3.5 (23). With four goals, Byron Pickett gave a preview of the form that earned him the Norm Smith Medal as best-afield in the 2004 AFL grand final.
Port Adelaide-Geelong finals
2004 qualifying final - Port Adelaide 18.9 (117) d Geelong 9.8 (62) at Football Park
2007 grand final - Geelong 24.19 (163) d Port Adelaide 6.8 (44) at the MCG
2013 semi-final - Geelong 13.18 (96) d Port Adelaide 12.8 (80) at the MCG
SELECTION TABLE
Port Adelaide
FROM the 22 who proved they were up to finals pressure in the home-and-away season closer against Collingwood, 19 remains with senior coach Ken Hinkley strengthening the line-up by:
REGAINING second-year midfielder-forward Zak Butters, who has seeded his two-match suspension for the bump on North Melbourne midfielder Jy Simpkin.
BOLSTERING the defence with the return from injury of half-back Ryan Burton (quad) and key defender Tom Clurey (hamstring).
Burton will be playing his seventh AFL game of an interrupted season - and first since the North Melbourne clash in round 16 on September 6. Clurey was sidelined from the Monday night clash with Collingwood at the Gabba last week.
On the recall of injured players in major finals, Hinkley said: "There’s always risk when you bring people back who’ve had a recent injury but there’s always a risk when you play. If they’re a part of your best team you put them in the side and they make us better."
Making way are defenders Riley Bonner and Jarrod Lienert and small forward Boyd Woodcock.
In: Burton, Butters, Clurey
Out: Bonner, Lienert, Woodcock
"(Zak Butters) is one of those blokes you just let him play footy. The excitement and energy he brings to the team is phenomenal."
Port Adelaide key forward Charlie Dixon on second-year midfielder-forward Zak Butters.
Geelong
WITH a full squad on the selection whiteboard, Geelong premiership coach Chris Scott has regained ruckman Rhys Stanley and inside midfielder Tom Atkins.
Stanley has recovered from a groin injury that has sidelined him since the round 14 clash against the Western Bulldogs; Atkins was managed out of the home-and-away season closer against Sydney.
This duo forces the exit of ruckman-forward Esava Ratugolea and St Kilda recruit Jack Steven.
In: Atkins, Stanley
Out: Ratugolea, Steven
BIRD SEED
(the little stuff that counts most)
Where: Adelaide Oval
When: Thursday, October 1, 2020
Time: 7.10pm (SA time)
Last time: Port Adelaide 4.7 (31) l to Geelong 14.7 (91) at Metricon Stadium, round 12, August 14 this year
Overall: Port Adelaide 10, Geelong 23, one draw
Past five games (most recent first): L W L L L
Scoring average: Port Adelaide 80, Geelong 100
In finals: Port Adelaide 1, Geelong 2
Drawn game: Port Adelaide 10.18 (78) drew with Geelong 12.6 (78) at Football Park in round 10, May 13, 2000
Tightest winning margin - Port Adelaide by four points (116-112) at Football Park in round 10, May 30, 2004; Geelong by one point (70-69) at Kardinia Park in round 14, July 6, 2003.
Biggest winning margin - Port Adelaide by 75 points (129-54) at Football Park, round 8, May 18, 2002; Geelong by 119 points (163-44) at MCG, grand final, September 29, 2007.
By venues - Adelaide Oval (2-3), Football Park (6-1-5), Kardinia Park (2-12), MCG (0-2), Metricon Stadium (0-1).
By States - South Australia (8-1-8), Victoria (2-14), Queensland (0-1).
FORM LINES
Port Adelaide
WWBWWLWWWLWWLWWWW
SINCE being tested by the 10-goal loss to Geelong in round 13, Port Adelaide has responded - rather than crumbled, as some pundits questioned. There have been five consecutive wins to ensure Port Adelaide finished the season having held top spot every week of the 18-round AFL home-and-away series.
Notable in the five-week run to the minor premiership was the miserly tone of the Port Adelaide defence that has given up 58 points to Hawthorn, 47 to Sydney, 42 to North Melbourne, 29 to Essendon and 45 to Collingwood.
In these five matches, Port Adelaide has scored 359 points (average 72) and conceded 221 (average 44).
Geelong
WLWBWWWWWLWLWWLWL
GEELONG put hooks on its top-four status with a six-game winning streak between rounds 10 and 16, a sequence that included wins against fellow top-eight finalists St Kilda (by 59 points), Port Adelaide (60 points) and the Western Bulldogs (11 points).
The only loss in the past month has been to defending AFL premier Richmond that held Geelong to its lowest score (31 points) of the season.
At its last start, Geelong was taken to the edge by non-finalist Sydney with a six-point match at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast.
ANNIVERSARY NOTE
October 1
PORT Adelaide has a triple treat of champagne memories from matches on October 1, three of which are remembered for delivering premiership glory to Alberton.
1955
Port Adelaide 15.11 (101) d Norwood 5.8 (38) at Adelaide Oval
INJURY threatened to derail Port Adelaide's premiership defence when the 1955 SANFL top-four finals series opened with a 24-point loss to second-ranked Norwood in the second semi-final.
Captain-coach Fos Williams recalled from the bush - where they were on coaching duties at country clubs - both rover Ray Whitaker and ruckman Peter Marrett. Whitaker had retired from SANFL football in 1953, despite being a State player in the national carnival that season - and in 1950 when Port Adelaide refused to clear him to VFL club Richmond (with club chairman Arthur Swain famously saying, "Why should we produce young footballers in the district, nurse them through the colts and then see them spirited over the border without something in return?"). Marrett also had left Alberton at the end of the 1953 season to coach the East Gambier Football Club.
Port Adelaide rebounded by beating Sturt by 20 points in the preliminary final and overwhelmed Norwood by 63 points in the grand final at Adelaide Oval. The roll to six consecutive flags was on.
1988
Port Adelaide 12.12 (84) d Glenelg 8.7 (55) at Football Park
JACK is back! Six years after leaving Port Adelaide to take up the challenge at VFL club Collingwood, John Cahill returned to Port Adelaide - via SANFL club West Adelaide - to immediately arrange the Thomas Seymour Hill premiership trophy finding its well-worn spot at Alberton. The list of grand final torment to Glenelg was extended without captain Russell Johnston leading the Port Adelaide ruck battery. Johnston sat out the grand final to complete his five-game suspension for a heavy bump on Sturt centreman Carl Dilena at Football Park during round 19. The victory became the third of what would be five grand final triumphs against Glenelg in this grand era of SA league football - 1977, 1981, 1988, 1990 during the AFL turmoil and 1992. Bruce Abernethy was recognised as best-afield with the Jack Oatey Medal.
1995
Port Adelaide 13.16 (94) d Central District 6.10 (46) at Football Park
JOHN Cahill equalled Jack Oatey's record of 10 SANFL premierships as a coach. A year after dethroning Woodville-West Torrens with AFL boss Ross Oakley in the Football Park blue boxes surveying what Port Adelaide would bring to the national league, Cahill and his players answered the demand of club management to keep dominating the SANFL to ensure Port Adelaide entered the AFL with a premiership-winning culture. "This was," says captain Tim Ginever, "the flag that cemented the football dynasty under Jack Cahill (after flags in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1994). It left people in no doubt we were the right club to enter the AFL. And the roll call of premiership players in 1994-95 is of great Port Adelaide heroes - Paul Northeast, Scott Hodges, Darren and Rohan Smith, Brian Leys, Stephen Carter, Darren Mead, Greg Anderson, Michael Wilson ... and who could forget George Fiacchi and Roger Delaney."
QUOTES OF THE PRE-GAME
"Darcy Byrne-Jones has had a little word to me. He's played one final ... he said it's going to be hot early."
Port Adelaide midfielder Tom Rockliff on taking advice from Darcy Byrne-Jones, who played his first AFL final in his 43rd match. Rockliff is one of nine players to pass the 200-game milestone before playing in a final.
"We should not dismiss the possibility maybe they just had a bad day last time."
Geelong premiership coach Chris Scott on Port Adelaide.
"Port Adelaide are playing really good footy. There's a reason why they've been top all year. Some of the media don't rate them, but if I was them, I'd love being underdogs."
Norm Smith Medallist and 2004 AFL premiership hero Byron Pickett.
TIP
Port Adelaide by six points
