WHY does it seem the footy gods want to make Port Adelaide games more dramatic than they need to be?
Last week, the Showdown presented a rival amid significant crisis. This week, it is Carlton travelling away from the noise of an internal review that seems to carry the future of contracted coach David Teague.
And there is a club hero, former captain Marc Murphy, to honour in his 300th AFL game - and final outing for the Carlton Football Club, the team he opted to represent when father-son options could have taken him elsewhere (father John is a former captain and Hall of Fame inductee of the Fitzroy Football Club).
Beware opponents who know the best response - and release from emotional strains - when under pressure is on the football field.
As Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley noted last week: "We all understand what some of these moments can do for a team. It can galvanise you. It can pull you together.
"When you haven't got too much going on that can make you feel comfortable, you can still play football together - so we need to be ready for their absolute best."
At least no-one should say Port Adelaide has coasted to September with false confidence built on easy wins - even if much of the supporter base would like to sit through a game without biting fingernails, reaching for Mylanta to soothe an uneasy stomach or thrusting the remote control across the lounge room.
Port Adelaide closes its home stand - for the home-and-away series, at least (COVID permitting) - at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon against non-contender Carlton in the penultimate round before top-eight finals.
Port Adelaide is seeking its first consecutive top-four finishes since its run of four straight between 2001 and 2004 and first 16-win season since 2004, with one game still to play before finals.
But it will be hard-earned by the strain of injury during the winter and the pride of fired-up opponents, such as Carlton this weekend.
"That is outside our control," Hinkley says of the footy gods' behaviour. "Last week we talked about what we could control and what we had to focus on.
"We have a great opportunity this week to lock in a top-four position on the ladder. That has to mean a lot to us as a football club.
"We respect that Carlton has a lot of things - that are outside our control - on the agenda. We know, after celebrating Travis Boak's 300th, what Marc Murphy's 300 milestone means to the Carlton Football Club. We respect that.
"This week means we do get (past another hurdle). First thing, you want to qualify for finals - we did that a few weeks back. Then you want to qualify as high as you can - and this week we get our chance to lock in a top-four position. Then next week (against top-four rival, the Western Bulldogs) we are hopeful of qualifying higher again (perhaps top two). But we need to get this week done first ....
"It is step by step and when the opportunities present, we try to maximise them. But things happen in this competition that don't go to script."
Port Adelaide beat Carlton by 28 points in round 5, on April 17, at the MCG. The barometer notes Port Adelaide lost the clearances 36-31 but won the contested possessions 135-141. The task of matching and beating Carlton's stoppage kings in Sam Walsh and Patrick Cripps is eased by a deeper midfield mix at Port Adelaide.
"The (rotations) are certainly back to what we had at the start of the year because of the players we have back in the side," Hinkley said. "Obviously, with Zak Butters back in the team and Robbie Gray and Connor Rozee moving into pretty good form and Xavier Duursma ...
"And we have grown (Rising Star nominee) Miles Bergman and that has helped us to add another string in the bow of that midfield.
"We have a lot of people who go through there. Willem Drew, Boak, Ollie Wines are pretty consistent. We have two rucks (Scott Lycett and Peter Ladhams) and we can potential use a third ruck (with Charlie Dixon or Aliir Aliir). We have a lot of depth through our midfield.
"And we need that because the competition demands you have to play for 120 minutes and you need people to be as fresh as they can be for those 120 minutes."
Port Adelaide will close its Adelaide Oval calendar with uncertainty on where and when matches will continue - or if the pre-finals bye will exist this season. But Hinkley has a simple theme: "Tell me where we play, when we play, and we will be there to play."
This week it is Adelaide Oval, 4.05pm Saturday.
BIRD SEED
(the little stuff that counts most)
Port Adelaide v Carlton
Where: Adelaide Oval
When: Saturday, August 14, 2021
Time: 4.05pm (SA time)
Last time: Port Adelaide 15.6 (96) d Carlton 9.14 (68) at the MCG, round 5, April 17, 2021
Overall: Port Adelaide 20, Carlton 13, one draw.
Past five games (most recent first): W W W W W
Scoring average: Port Adelaide 100, Carlton 90
Drawn game - Port Adelaide 15.19 (109) drew with Carlton 16.13 (109) at Football Park, round 4, April 16, 2005.
Tightest margin - Port Adelaide by three points (64-61) at the Gabba, round 7, July 19, 2020; Carlton by one point (104-103) at Football Park, round 23, August 31, 2013.
Biggest margin - Port Adelaide by 103 points (140-37) at Adelaide Oval, round 22, August 22, 2014; Carlton by 91 points (169-78) at Princes Park, round 6, April 15, 2000.
By venues - Adelaide Oval (3-0); Football Park (8-1-7); Princes Park (3-1); MCG (3-1); Docklands (2-4), Gabba (1-0).
By States - SA: 11-1-7; Victoria: 8-6; Queensland: 1-0.
