BEFORE the game between Richmond and Port Adelaide at Darwin’s TIO Stadium last Saturday night, the only people talking up the battling South Australian club as having any sort of advantage over the in-form Tigers were the Power players themselves.

The odds were against the 'visiting' Port Adelaide team snapping a five-game losing streak at a venue where it had lost in its past four attempts, and the Tiger faithful didn’t seem too fazed by the club’s decision to 'sell' a home game and improve its bottom line.

However, after the fact, it was a different story.

Richmond’s shock 15-point loss prompted questions as to whether the Power, who had previously played six games in the unique Darwin conditions compared to Richmond’s none, did actually hold an advantage, and whether the result would have been different if the game had been played at the Tigers’ 'real' home, the MCG.

It is impossible to measure intangibles such as know-how, but Port Adelaide’s preparation for the game suggested the club had learned something from its previous bad experiences in the slippery, energy-sapping conditions.

The Power, who have committed to playing two away games in Darwin each season for the next three years, arrived in the Top End a day earlier than in the past and completed their final training session at TIO Stadium.

The club organised sweatbands and even gloves for players who requested them, with most choosing to wear at least one sweatband on their wrist during the game.

In contrast, none of the Richmond players sported wristbands or gloves.

The Power’s approach appeared to pay off, with their players handling the ball far better than their opponents.

"A lot of our players have been up here before and, for the players who haven’t, we just gave them a word of advice and told them what the conditions could be like," Power midfielder Danyle Pearce said after the game.

"It got slippery there early and you could see the balls slipping through hands, missed marks and stuff like that.

"It was great that our boys dropped fewer marks, fumbled a lot less and got the four points."
 
Coach Damien Hardwick lamented Richmond’s ball use and handling skills after the game, but refused to blame his team’s unfamiliarity with the venue as an excuse.

The Tigers, who attempted to simulate the conditions by training in heat chambers in the lead-up to the clash, had planned a dress rehearsal for their trip to Darwin with a game against the Indigenous All-Stars at the venue in February.

However, inclement weather meant the match did not go ahead.

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on afl.com.au.