Geelong Cats vs Port Adelaide Power: AFL live scores, blog

Gary Rohan returns for his first game of the season for Geelong as they bid to end Port Adelaide’s four-match winning streak at their GMHBA Stadium fortress. Join The Roar for live scores and rolling coverage from 1:45pm (AEST).

After the shakiest start to the 2022 season, Port Adelaide have righted the ship. Five losses to begin the campaign have been followed by four straight wins and a chance today to potentially move into the top eight and begin a charge towards finals play.

The turnaround has been one founded in pressure numbers and defensive attitude, something that was clearly missing across the opening weeks of the season. Finally we are beginning to see the best of Port and they may need it today up against the classy, yet to this point of the season, inconsistent Geelong.

Recent losses to Fremantle and St Kilda are far from embarrassing, yet on both occasions the Cats were seemingly in control and let things slip; unable to then wrestle back momentum and re-establish a lead. As such, Chris Scott’s team find themselves in danger of slipping out of the eight this week or next, should the wins not flow and they will be unlikely to take a confident Port lightly, despite the obvious advantage of GMHBA Stadium.

Team news sees Patrick Dangerfield named for Geelong despite spending much of the week ill and Gary Rohan also back into the team. Gryan Miers is given a rest and Port Adelaide have omitted three players in the form of Orazio Fantasia, Xavier Duursma and Martin Frederick, with Duursma remaining on the emergency list and still a chance to play pending a late change.

Prediction

Whilst the bookies feel the home ground advantage will be a key factor in this one, Geelong’s home stadium has not been the fortress it once was of late.

Port Adelaide will be looking to seize a rare win at the cattery and winning the contest will be their number one priority heading into the match. St Kilda provided a blueprint for other teams in their win against the Cats last week; resisting the temptation to bomb long entries into the Geelong defence and thus allowing their intercept marking game to flourish.

Lowering the eyes and keeping the Cats’ back six honest will be key on the narrow ground, should the Power have hopes of snatching the four points today.

Geelong by eight points.

Game information

Opening bounce: 1:45pm (AEST)
Venue: GMHBA Stadium, Geelong
TV: Fox Footy
Live stream: Kayo Sports, Foxtel Now, Foxtel Go
Betting: Cats $1.42, Power $2.90 (odds via PlayUp)

Geelong

B: T. Stewart, S. De Koning, M. O’Connor

HB: J. Kolodjashnij, M. Blicavs, J. Bews

C: M. Duncan, C. Guthrie, Z. Tuohy

HF: I. Smith, J. Cameron, G. Rohan

F: T. Stengle, T. Hawkins, B. Close

FOLL: R. Stanley, B. Parfitt, J. Selwood (c)

I/C: Q. Narkle, T. Atkins, P. Dangerfield, Z. Guthrie

EMG: M. Knevitt, C. Stephens, F. Evans, G. Miers

IN: Rohan, Bews

OUT: Miers, Knevitt

Port Adelaide

B: T. Jonas (c), A. Aliir, D. Houston

HB: R. Burton, T. Clurey, D. Byrne-Jones

C: K. Amon, W. Drew, T. Dumont

HF: Z. Butters, M. Georgiades, C. Rozee

F: R. Gray, T. Marshall, S. Powell-Pepper

FOLL: S. Hayes, O. Wines, T. Boak

I/C: S. Motlop, J. Finlayson, K. Farrell, L. Jones

EMG: X. Duursma, O. Lord, T. Schofield, M. Frederick

IN: Jonas, Dumont

OUT: Frederick, Duursma