The competition’s hottest side the Richmond Tigers travel to face the Port Adelaide Power at Adelaide Oval for a Sunday afternoon elimination final.
Richmond barged their way into the 2014 AFL finals with a 3-point win away from home against Sydney last start.
Port Adelaide finished their season with a showdown against the Dockers at Patersons Stadium for a spot in the top four – a crucial placing they failed to attain.
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The contrast of these sides’ seasons could not be more stark. Splitting the season down the middle clearing shows the massive shifts in form they have experienced.
After 11 games the Power commanded the top of the table with 10 wins and just one loss. At the same point Richmond had registered just the three wins and eight losses.
In the back end of the season, the Tigers dropped just the two games and currently sit on a nine-game winning streak. Port Adelaide managed just the four wins from eleven starts as they slumped out of the top four, and seemingly out of premiership contention.
However, the Power have appeared to regain some form in the past two rounds – their 103-point annihilation of Carlton sent a strong message, and their late fight against the Dockers contained many promising signs.
But can they be the ones that break Richmond’s remarkable streak?
With a 50,000-plus strong home crowd cheering them on, they will start the game as favourites, but Richmond fans have good reason to be confident of an upset.
| Match | Venue | Home vs Away | Result | Disposals | Goals |
| Round 17, 2014 | Etihad Stadium | Richmond defeats Port Adelaide | 126-106 | Boak 39 | Gray 4 |
| Round 7, 2013 | AAMI Stadium | Port Adelaide defeated by Richmond | 73-114 | Martin 33 | Riewoldt 5 |
| Round 23, 2012 | MCG | Richmond drew with Port Adelaide | 106-106 | Cotchin 31 | Riewoldt 6 |
| Round 6, 2012 | AAMI Stadium | Port Adelaide defeated by Richmond | 54-91 | Ebert 30 | Riewoldt 4 |
| Round 10, 2011 | TIO Stadium | Richmond defeated by Port Adelaide | 74-89 | Foley 34 | R. Gray 4 |
The last time these sides met was in Round 17 at Etihad Stadium, a match the Tigers won by 20 points. Since then, the Tigers have made the road trip to Adelaide Oval to face the Crows in a high stakes Saturday night fixture.
If Port fans are banking on the power of the crowd to boost their chances, this unfortunately will only be lessened by the confidence Richmond will draw from their successful trip their just a few weeks ago.
The recent history between these two sides is also no confidence boost for the home side. Port Adelaide’s last win against Richmond came in 2011 at TIO Stadium in Darwin; their most recent win in front of a home crowd was in 2009.
Both sides boast a wealth of talent who could break this game open. Robbie Gray has had a remarkable 2014; the last two weeks he has led from the front, picking up a combined 64 possessions and six goals. His confidence is at a career high and he’ll need to keep this form rolling and have a big impact in the middle as well as on the scoreboard.
Chad Wingard has had a very inconsistent 2014 but has also shown good signs of returning to form in the last couple of rounds. In his short career he has built a reputation as a big game player and he will need to live up to that reputation against the Tigers.
In their last four meetings Jack Riewoldt has caused the Power all kinds of problems. In those four games he’s kicked a combined total of 18 goals with bags of 3, 5, 6 and 4. His ability to hit the scoreboard early, harness some confidence and give his team a boost could be telling.
Trent Cotchin, Brett Delidio and Dustin Martin are all in ripping form for Richmond. If this trio are on-song and can contribute on the scoreboard, it is hard to see Port Adelaide taking control of the match.
Can Port Adelaide be the team to end the Tiger’s dream run?
Or will Richmond, at last, make a splash in September?
Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of the Power for Tigers clash from 3:20pm (AEST) on Sunday.
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