- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Port Adelaide will be out to prove they are a legitimate premiership contender when they meet reigning premiers Hawthorn at the Adelaide Oval tonight. We’ll have live scores and a live blog from 7:40pm AEST.
The previous five meetings have all gone convincingly the way of Hawthorn, however for the first time since Round 4, 2012 the Hawks will start as underdogs. History may also be against them as they lost a close encounter to the Eagles on that occasion.
Port Adelaide are the current flavour of the month as they have made the newly redeveloped Adelaide Oval their ‘Portress’.
They are undefeated in Adelaide this season and will look to continue their hot streak at home this week against a depleted Hawthorn side, which is battling a growing injury list.
On the discipline front Jarryd Roughead will miss this game after taking a one-match suspension. Cyril Rioli (hamstring) and Josh Gibson (pectorial) will both miss, however in some positive news for the Hawks Luke Hodge is all but certain to make his return.
Brad Sewell, Liam Shiels, Alex Woodward, Jonathan Ceglar, Ben Ross and Tim O’Brien are all in the mix to make up the final part of the Hawthorn team for tonight’s game.
For Port, Matthew Lobbe could return if he can overturn calf soreness, but if he doesn’t get up for this game Brent Renouf is a possibility. Tom Jonas is still a week away from playing, while Campbell Heath could crack the side after (27 disposals, 11 marks) in the SANFL.
Three Quick Facts
1. This is a battle between the AFL’s two highest scoring teams; Hawthorn are ranked first with 19 goals a game and the Power second, with 17 a game.
2. To highlight the change at Alberton, just four meetings ago the Hawks obliterated the Power by a club-record 165 points in Round 21, 2011. Hawthorn booted 31 goals to Port’s five.
3. Both these teams are among the stingiest in the league. Only West Coast have conceded fewer points this season (576), with the Power (599) conceding just one point less than the Hawks (600).
Prediction
It’s an interesting one to predict. Hawthorn showed against the Swans that they can be solid even without a few of their first-choice players.
However their injury toll looks a bit too high for them to overcome the Power away from home, though I do expect a tight affair.
Port by 10
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.