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The opening round of the AFL season returns to Melbourne, with Etihad Stadium the venue for our Sunday night clash between the Carlton Blues and Port Adelaide Power. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:30pm AEST.
For both clubs, last season surpassed expectations by making the finals.
Carlton had Mick Malthouse as coach for the first time in 2013 and although though they weren’t always consistent, the Blues were able to pull off enough wins to keep themselves in finals contention.
Of course, it still took a Bradbury-esque performance to make the finals; making their way in when Essendon’s supplements program saw the Bombers banned from September.
But far from making up the numbers, the Blues proved themselves worthy finals combatants as they knocked off Richmond in their elimination final before going down to Sydney in the semi-finals.
The Blues lost Eddie Betts under free agency during last year’s trade period, but pulled off something of a coup when Dale Thomas left Collingwood to join the Blues.
Sam Docherty also joined the club from Brisbane, while Andrejs Everitt was traded in from Sydney in the final seconds of the trade period.
Port Adelaide’s campaign was similar. The Power, picked by many to struggle before the 2013 season, were a revelation.
Ken Hinkley took the coaching reins and made an immediate impact as the Power surged forward throughout the season. And having made the top eight, they pulled off an away win against Collingwood before a loss to Geelong in the second week ended their season.
There were few major changes to the Port list over the off-season but the Power were one club to reap a benefit from the Brisbane exodus, securing the services of Jared Polec.
But overall, the Power line-up won’t be significantly different to last year’s squad.
Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd won’t be there for the Blues, but there’s still plenty of power in the midfield.
Marc Murphy will be the engine room in the centre, while Kade Simpson and recruit Dale Thomas’ contributions will also be critical to their chances.
The ruck pairing of Matthew Kreuzer and Robbie Warnock will also be keen to give the Blues first use of the ball as often as possible.
The Power will be looking to continue Chad Wingard’s meteoric rise to super-stardom. Former Bomber Angus Monfries had a new lease of life last year, and will be keen to continue that form as the new season gets under way.
The Power also have a strong looking forward line, with Justin Westhoff sure to get plenty of the ball; and there’s always the chance of some heroics from Jay Schulz.
The Blues have had the advantage over the Power in recent seasons; winning five of the last six clashes between the two sides, including both games last year. And the Blues have the home ground advantage this time round.
But with both clubs having been unpredictable and enigmatic last season, anything could happen.
Join us here on The Roar from 7:30pm as we bring you the action and be sure to post your thoughts below.
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