Port Adelaide's make-or-break month begins

The new Port Adelaide of 2013 have their toughest month of football ahead of them. In the first two weeks of a difficult month, Power face Sydney and Collingwood at AAMI Stadium.

Round 13 – Port Adelaide vs Sydney Swans at AAMI Stadium

Port Adelaide faces Sydney at home as the Swans come off their bye, and have been thrown into the deep end for the start of their challenging month ahead.

Sydney return to AAMI Stadium after defeating Adelaide by 77 points in Round 11.

Sydney entered the break showing Australia why they can go back to back in 2013. Port Adelaide have defeated Sydney earlier this year in the NAB Cup but this is now the premiership season.

Port Adelaide can’t have a lapse in determination/concentration if they want to challenge Sydney this Saturday.

Key Matchup: Tom Jonas – Kurt Tippett

The most interesting matchup by far. Jonas has struck good form keeping Jeremy Cameron goal-less up until the fourth quarter last weekend, and has helped the Power put on a clamp on other key forwards this season.

Tippet is a very dangerous forward and will be unpredictable; he now has different team mates on the field and is in a different forward structure.

If Jonas does go to Tippet, he will have a huge responsibility of keeping Tippet quiet.

Players To Watch: Daniel Hannebery and Kane Cornes

Hannebery has been in Brownlow form this season and could tear the Power apart if he is given the chance. He has already collected 40-plus disposals at AAMI this year so the question is can he do it again?

It will be interesting to see what Ken Hinkley does with Cornes considering he can play a ‘run-with’ role but is also leading Power’s disposal tally.

Hinkley can either play Cornes on one of Sydney’s gun midfielders such as Josh Kennedy or Adam Goodes, or let Cornes play in the centre as he did in the GWS game on the weekend, and be the link between the back and the forward line.

In the same fixture last year Port Adelaide were only trailing by three points at three-quarter time but a last-quarter fade out let Sydney roll over them by 22 points.

Even though Port Adelaide have broken their five-game losing streak, chances still look slim for a Port Adelaide upset.

Round 14 – Port Adelaide vs Collingwood at AAMI Stadium

AAMI stadium should be packed for this fixture as all members who attend the game are in the running to win a new Renault. Power will face a Collingwood side who have been in very inconsistent form this year.

Comparing these two teams statically, the game should be close one. These two teams virtually share the same season averages for clearances, inside 50s and contested possessions.

Key Matchup: Heath Shaw – Paul Stewart

Stewart this year has played a defensive forward role tagging the likes of Jack Watts and Callan Ward.

If Stewarts keeps his place in the team it wouldn’t be a surprise if Hinkley placed Stewart on Shaw. Taking Shaw out of the game would be hard, but his influence out of the match would really hurt Collingwood’s defence.

Player To Watch: Brad Ebert

The Collingwood midfield, or Travis Cloke, can be analysed, but with Travis Boak being ruled out for two weeks with a finger injury, Ebert will be acting captain.

He needs to show that he can turn a game around and prove he can be an inspiration for his fellow team mates.

With Boak missing from the midfield, Hinkley should be able to push Brad up from the half back line due to the possibility of Jasper Pittard returning.

Last season when these two sides met an interesting affair occurred with Collingwood only winning two quarters, yet still won the game by four goals at the MCG.

If Collingwood have one of their off days, a predicted Port Adelaide crowd can cheer their team to an upset win.

Port Adelaide will have to be confident and courageous if they want to challenge the opponents they have ahead. A win in the coming month could really inject a lot of self-belief into the players.

We should all expect a spirited fight from the Power as Hinkley promised the club that the players will never give up.