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Port Adelaide have refused to let inaccuracy damper a well deserved, and very important, 31-point win over Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Collingwood Magpies 9.8.62
Port Adelaide Power 13.15.93
An intriguing matchup awaits, as a potentially surging Collingwood Magpies outfit host the Port Adelaide Power in Friday arvo footy at the ‘G. Join us on The Roar for live scores and a blog from 1:45pm AEST.
Collingwood – the hosts in this encounter – have had a strange 2017 season so far. They’ve sung “good old Collingwood, forevvvvver” five times, while losing seven matches.
Before their bye, they were having a good – very good, maybe – couple of weeks, winning three of their last five matches.
The wins, against Hawthorn, Brisbane and Fremantle, allowed the Pies to surge back into finals contention.
The loss – a narrow loss against a brilliant Demons outfit – came in a game which they probably shouldn’t have lost, but one in which they certainly weren’t disgraced.
In fact, their only other loss was a single-digit loss to GWS. Good few weeks, then.
The Pies opponents, in Port Adelaide, have in contrast had an excellent – if somewhat lacking – season so far.
The team from South Australia have won seven games, and lost five. They’ll certainly be a good measure for the Pies to tell how their good their form has been, and vice versa.
Since returning from their China trip, Port have smashed Hawthorn, comfortably beat Brisbane, narrowly lost to Geelong and were smashed by Essendon. A mixed bag, then.
Of the several big factors that’ll make or break this match, it’s the midfield battle and the scoring battles that’ll be imperative.
The midfields – Collingwood’s with the class of Treloar, Pendlebury, et al, and Port’s with Ebert, Wines and others – are relatively evenly matched, and will be reliant on good games for two of the competition’s most rapidly improving ruckman – Brodie Grundy and 200th-gamer Paddy Ryder.
We’re in for a midfield treat, then. Scoring-wise, it’s Port – the competition’s most stringent defence, and second most potent offence – up against Collingwood – a team who’s offensive power has been questioned this season.
Collingwood’s forward line of Darcy Moore, youngster Callum Brown and Alex Fasolo, amongst others, will need to be on point tomorrow if they’re any chance of winning.
Collingwood have made two changes for today’s match. Tyson Goldsack and Ben Reid return to the senior team after lay offs with injury. A duo of defenders – Matthew Scharenburg and Josh Smith – have been omitted for the clash.
Port, for their part, have also made two changes. Jared Polec and Matthew Broadbent – out with hamstring and ankle injuries respectively – have been replaced by Jasper Pittard and Matthew White.
Prediction
The market, albeit narrowly, suggest Port are going to claim the four points in this encounter. That’s certainly very likely – and probable – but I’m going to tip against the grain, and say Collingwood are going to get up for this one.
A reckless tip? Perhaps, but it is not the craziest. Collingwood’s fans will be right behind them – a loss today would probably make finals too difficult a hurdle for the Victorian team to muster – and there’s a good chance that this year’s whirlwind results will on display here.
Collingwood to win, then, by less than a goal.
Collingwood by 4 points.
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