Editor
The Port Adelaide Power and the Richmond Tigers are knocking on the door of the eight, and they go head to head in a Friday Night belter. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:50pm (AEST).
Port Adelaide are still in a massive dogfight to prove that their stellar 2014 campaign was more than just a flash in the pan.
At 6-7, everything needs to go right for Port from here, especially after they tripped up badly before the bye, falling to the then 2-10 Fremantle Dockers by 17 points.
Port Adelaide have made a nasty habit of falling to lesser sides over the last two years, with last week’s loss along with two losses in two seasons to Carlton and a big loss to Brisbane last year examples of the Power getting derailed.
Port would be confident of touching up the Tigers on their home turf, but will this be another case of the Power getting caught by a trap game?
Richmond’s season got off to a disastrous start at 1-6, although a miracle one-point win over the Sydney Swans has sparked some kind of revival.
The Tigers have won five of their last six games, although the last four wins have come against Fremantle, Gold Coast, Brisbane and Essendon – this year’s bottom four.
At 6-7, Richmond are a chance at featuring in September for the fourth straight year, although they do sit two games and roughly forty percentage points outside the top eight.
Tonight will be a huge test in more ways than one.
Home ground advantage will be confusing in this match.
Port Adelaide have lost four of seven games at the Adelaide Oval this season, and while Richmond have won in Perth this year their two heaviest losses of the season have been on Friday night games interstate.
Prediction
It’s do or die for both clubs tonight, so expect them to leave absolutely nothing on the park.
Port Adelaide have accounted for Richmond already this season, and on their home deck should have the class to do it again.
Power by 26 points