WHILE Port Adelaide thrashed Carlton by 90 points when the sides last played in Round 5, 2017, since 2013 the Power only holds a narrow advantage, winning four games to three. 

Recent games between Port and Carlton tend to be either very close or a complete blowout with three games decided by less than a goal and two by 90 points or more. 

The Power has won 16 of the 31 clashes involving the clubs and there was also a draw in 2005. 

It will be just the third time the sides have met at the MCG, with each having one win at the venue. 

Carlton has won each of the two matches the sides have played in Melbourne in the last three years by a combined margin of just six points. 

Port Adelaide enjoys playing at the MCG having won three of its last four matches at the home of football. 

The only time the sides met in Round 15 was in Port’s premiership year in 2004 when Warren Tredrea booted six goals at Football Park in an 83-point victory. 

Carlton’s Kade Simpson will become just the fifth Blue to play 300 AFL games on Saturday while emergency Darcy Lang will record his 50th AFL game if he comes into the side. 

The teams

Port Adelaide has made two changes to the team which beat Melbourne last week with Tom Jonas to sit out the game against the Blues with an ongoing hamstring complaint and Darcy Byrne-Jones omitted for breaching club standards. 

Jack Hombsch has been named to replace Jonas while former Demon Jack Trengove will make his Power debut. 

Carlton has made five changes with Dale Thomas out suspended, Lachie Plowman and Matthew Kreuzer injured, Lochie O’Brien being managed and former Power player Cam O’Shea omitted from the team which lost to Collingwood last week. 

Into the side comes skipper Marc Murphy along with Jarrod Pickett, Andrew Phillips, Levi Casboult and Nick Graham. 

The last word

Ken Hinkley

“Their form has been really solid without winning in the last month.

“They had the first half against Freo, which obviously was pretty disappointing for them, but other than that I think they’ve had Collingwood, Sydney and Geelong so they’ve played three really good teams and really pushed them to the end.

“We know we’re going to have to be at our best, as you have to be every week whether it’s Carlton or any other team, you have to be at your best.

“(Kade Simpson) has been such a durable player and he’s worked through some pretty tough times so I hope he has a great 300th game but just doesn’t play too well.

“I think it’s reasonable that you’ve got a warrior of your football club who has been such a good servant that you want to give everything that you possibly can.”

Brendon Bolton

"The last month has been pretty consistent against Sydney, Geelong, Collingwood but the half against Fremantle was unacceptable.

“They’re a quality football side, you can’t underestimate that.

“They’re a dangerous opposition, there’s no doubt about that, they’re big bodies around the contest.

“Powell-Pepper, Wines, Boak, you know them all and if they get clean ball they can get it into isolated one-on-ones in Dixon and Gray.

“We know offensively and in and around the contest they’re powerful but we need to bring similar defensive efforts that we did last week against Collingwood and that gives ourselves a chance.”

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