The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

Port Adelaide Power vs Hawthorn Hawks Highlights: AFL live scores, blog

1st June, 2017
Venue: Adelaide Oval
Time: 7.50pm (AEST)
TV: Channel 7, Fox Footy (live)
Betting: Port Adelaide $1.20, Hawthorn $4.75
Head-to-Head: Port Adelaide 18, Hawthorn 14, 0 draws
Last Meeting: R16, 2016, Hawthorn 15.11 (101) def Port Adelaide 12.7 (79) by 22 points at the Adelaide Oval.

Teams


Port Adelaide Power
B: 33 Darcy Byrne-Jones, 17 Tom Clurey, 36 Jack Hombsch
HB: 5 Matthew Broadbent, 42 Tom Jonas, 8 Hamish Hartlett
C: 7 Brad Ebert, 16 Ollie Wines, 21 Jared Polec
HF: 24 Jarman Impey, 39 Justin Westhoff, 2 Sam Powell-Pepper
F: 46 Sam Gray, 22 Charlie Dixon, 12 Jackson Trengove
R: 4 Paddy Ryder, 9 Robbie Gray, 1 Travis Boak (c)
I/C: 11 Aaron Young, 15 Karl Amon, 29 Jasper Pittard, 41 Brendon Ah Chee

Hawthorn Hawks
B: 8 Taylor Duryea, 6 Josh Gibson, 30 Kaiden Brand
HB: 5 Ryan Burton, 15 Luke Hodge, 9 Shaun Burgoyne
C: 20 Dallas Willsmore, 17 Daniel Howe, 31 Ricky Henderson
HF: 3 Tom Mitchell, 19 Jack Gunston, 16 Isaac Smith
F: 28 Paul Puopolo, 2 Jarryd Roughead (c), 27 Tyrone Vickery
R: 7 Ben McEvoy, 26 Liam Shiels, 22 Luke Breust
I/C: 11 Brendan Whitecross, 21 James Sicily, 37 Blake Hardwick, 46 James Cousins
Can Port Adelaide get a much-needed win at home against the Eagles? (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Editor
1st June, 2017
194
3476 Reads

The Port Adelaide Power return to the Thursday night spotlight for the second consecutive week when they host the Hawthorn Hawks. Join The Roar for all the live scores and commentary from 7.50pm (AEST).

After two mediocre seasons, Ken Hinkley’s side look to have turned the corner in 2017, with their percentage of 144.4 second in the competition behind crosstown rivals Adelaide proof that, on their day, there are few sides that can match them.

Their trademark running game is back in full swing this year, with Jared Polec’s form turnaround pivotal to that, and with Charlie Dixon putting together some good form up forward, Port look as lethal as they’ve been since coming within three points of a grand final berth in 2014.

But while Dixon has been a star with 20 goals, he became the villain last week in the Power’s thrilling two-point loss to Geelong. Having taken a strong mark inside 50, he took longer than the allocated 30 seconds lining up for what would have been the game-sealing goal, allowing the Cats to take it up the other end for Patrick Dangerfield to snap the winning goal.

The defeat was Port’s fourth loss this season to fellow top eight contenders, having previously been defeated by Adelaide, GWS and West Coast. While they have inflicted plenty of pain on some of the lesser teams in the competition, they are yet to prove themselves a genuine top-rung side against the very best the league has to offer.

But with a strong backline led by the consistent Jack Hombsch and the rejuvenated Tom Jonas, a midfield full of tough-as-teak bodies like Ollie Wines, Brad Ebert and skipper Travis Boak, and Robbie Gray and Jarman Impey roving around the likes of Dixon and Jackson Trengove up forward, the Power are firing on all cylinders even with the talismanic Chad Wingard still on the sidelines with a calf injury.

Once upon a time, knocking over Hawthorn would have been a sure-fire way for the Power to prove their premiership credentials, but those days are gone.

However, the Hawks are still not to be trifled with even as their era of dominance crumbles around them, with last week’s stirring comeback victory over fellow battlers Sydney a reminder that they still know how to win.

Advertisement

Much has been made of the decline of Hawthorn’s senior core, but they played crucial roles at the SCG, with Shaun Burgoyne starring through midfield, Luke Hodge typically courageous and composed across half-back, and Jarryd Roughead bobbing up late for the winning goal with a clutch set shot from outside 50.

With the likes of Ryan Burton, Blake Hardwick and last week’s debutant James Cousins all showing signs that they are ready to form the basis of Hawthorn’s next finals side and Tom Mitchell racking up the stats in the centre, Hawthorn’s form doesn’t depend solely on their veterans as it appeared to be earlier in the season.

Prediction
After some questioned whether they would so much as win a game after their 0-4 start to the season, the Hawks have won three of their last six, and in an even season, finals are not completely out of the question.

But up against a Power outfit still smarting from their last-minute loss to Geelong, and with a home crowd to be riding every bump along with them, the Hawks look as unlikely to win as they have looked in a long, long time.

In the likely event they slide to 4-7 after this, it will just about consign Alastair Clarkson’s men to their first quiet September since 2009.

Port Adelaide by 41.

Fun fact: A famous name at Alberton, Brad Ebert has missed only one game since crossing over from West Coast at the end of 2011, and the Port vice-captain will be rewarded for his durability when he runs out on Thursday night for his 200th game. Coincidentally, the only game he’s missed was in Round 17 last year, the week after playing, you guessed it, Hawthorn.

Advertisement

Can the milestone man inspire his charges to another percentage-boosting win? Or will it be the Hawks’ mix of young and old that steals the show for an upset win? Tune into The Roar’s live blog from 7.50pm (AEST), and leave us your thoughts in the comments section below.

close