Port Adelaide
55
Match Complete
Melbourne
86
| Fourth Quarter | ||||
| C. Dixon |  | 28:46 | ||
| 26:48 |  | C. Petracca | ||
| 20:32 | | B. Fritsch | ||
| 16:51 | | K. Pickett | ||
| S. Powell-Pepper | | 15:38 | ||
| 10:16 | | C. Oliver | ||
| 7:33 | | C. Petracca | ||
| C. Rozee | | 6:32 | ||
| 5:45 | | T. McDonald | ||
| 1:54 | | E. Langdon | ||
| 7.5 (47) | Third Quarter [+] | 10.9 (69) | ||
| 26:36 | | T. McDonald | ||
| 24:52 | | E. Langdon | ||
| 23:23 | | T. McDonald | ||
| M. Georgiades | | 21:41 | ||
| 20:19 | | T. McDonald | ||
| 18:30 | | M. Gawn | ||
| Rushed | | 14:34 | ||
| 13:26 | | J. Hunt | ||
| 11:07 | | Rushed | ||
| M. Georgiades | | 5:23 | ||
| 5.4 (34) | Second Quarter [+] | 8.4 (52) | ||
| C. Dixon | | 34:31 | ||
| Rushed | | 33:04 | ||
| M. Georgiades | | 2:24 | ||
| 31:13 | | K. Pickett | ||
| T. McKenzie | | 28:22 | ||
| 21:59 | | B. Fritsch | ||
| 17:11 | | C. Petracca | ||
| 16:25 | | S. May | ||
| 10:28 | | K. Pickett | ||
| 7:42 | | C. Petracca | ||
| C. Rozee | | 4:44 | ||
| 3:01 | | Rushed | ||
| 2.2 (14) | First Quarter [+] | 3.2 (20) | ||
| 26:39 | | T. McDonald | ||
| 25:25 | | C. Spargo | ||
| O. Wines | | 23:39 | ||
| K. Amon | | 19:00 | ||
| 16:50 | | M. Gawn | ||
| 11:20 | | L. Jackson | ||
| S. Motlop | | 5:49 | ||
| 2:30 | | Rushed | ||
| O. Wines | | 0:47 | ||
Ben Brown is back in for the Melbourne Demons as they travel to take on the Port Adelaide Power with a top-four spot on the line. Join The Roar for live scores from 7:40pm (AEST) as Round 17 begins.
Two of the so-called ‘Big Five’ in the AFL this year do battle under the Thursday night lights with plenty at stake. For the Dees, defeat could see them, remarkably, drop to fifth on the ladder, having sat pretty on top just a week ago.
The reason for this fall from grace has been shock losses to Collingwood and GWS in their last month, leaving Simon Goodwin’s team with precious little breathing space ahead of the chasing Brisbane and Geelong in third and fourth. Having dominated for so much of the early rounds, a late-season fade would be a bitter pill to swallow.
After weeks of speculation, boom recruit Brown will be back in the forward line, with the Dees hoping he’ll solve their sudden goals drought. They’ve managed just 25 majors in their past three matches as teams have clamped down on the exciting Kysaiah Pickett and kept Tom McDonald under wraps; can ‘Big Ben’ provide the difference?
As for the Power, they’ll be keen to shake the ‘flat-track bullies’ label that has pestered them throughout the year. They’ve beaten up on weaker teams, as they did in Round 16 with a 34-point win over Hawthorn. But in losing to Brisbane (away), Geelong and the Western Bulldogs (both home), Ken Hinkley’s team have so far proved incapable of matching it with their fellow top sides.
Rising star Zak Butters returns, having been absent since Round 4 with a serious ankle injury. A surprise All-Australian squad member in 2020, Butters has become a barometer for the Power, and fans will be hoping his return can help smooth the run to the top four.
Game information
Opening bounce: 7:40pm (AEST)
Venue: Adelaide Oval
TV: Channel Seven, Fox Footy
Live stream: Kayo Sports, Foxtel Now, Foxtel Go
Betting: Power $1.72, Demons $2.16 (odds via PlayUp)
Teams
Port Adelaide
B: 17 Tom Clurey, 12 Trent McKenzie, 21 Aliir Aliir
HB: 3 Ryan Burton, 1 Tom Jonas (c), 33 Darcy Byrne-Jones
C: 14 Miles Bergman, 16 Ollie Wines, 15 Karl Amon
HF: 20 Connor Rozee, 4 Todd Marshall, 6 Steven Motlop
F: 19 Mitch Georgiades, 22 Charlie Dixon, 18 Zak Butters
FOL: 29 Scott Lycett, 10 Travis Boak, 28 Willem Drew
I/C: 2 Sam Powell-Pepper, 5 Dan Houston, 32 Sam Mayes, 40 Jarrod Lienert
EMG: 27 Joel Garner, 36 Boyd Woodcock, 38 Peter Ladhams, 45 Martin Frederick
IN: Tom Clurey, Zak Butters
OUT: Kane Farrell, Riley Bonner
Melbourne
B: 14 Michael Hibberd, 1 Steven May, 8 Jake Lever
HB: 29 Jayden Hunt, 35 Harrison Petty, 3 Christian Salem
C: 10 Angus Brayshaw, 5 Christian Petracca, 15 Ed Langdon
HF: 30 Alex Neal-Bullen, 25 Tom McDonald, 4 James Harmes
F: 6 Luke Jackson, 50 Ben Brown, 31 Bayley Fritsch
FOL: 11 Max Gawn (c), 13 Clayton Oliver, 7 Jack Viney
I/C: 9 Charlie Spargo, 23 James Jordon, 24 Trent Rivers, 36 Kysaiah Pickett
EMG: 18 Jake Melksham, 22 Aaron vandenBerg, 32 Tom Sparrow, 44 Joel Smith
IN: Ben Brown
OUT: Tom Sparrow
Willie
Roar Rookie
the wheels completely fell off my tipping across the weekend. The way I'm going, North will get up.
1dog
Roar Rookie
I was told if you’re batting tooo hard it may affect your eyesight. Maybe that’s why I can only listen nowadays
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
That could have been my problem too.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
He may have an eyesight problem. I got long-distance glasses at 35 and all of a sudden l became a batsman. Same with marking a footy. It all happened too late.
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
coach or players? I thought port were outmanned
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
I reckon leave it way was last night, and hope Brown can get better. He seemed to misjudge his timing a bit last night getting too far under ball
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
you can't be serious. How could the tipster of our generation pick Port?
dab
Roar Rookie
Pick Melbourne's worst player(s). Stop when you think a player was ok. I picked 1 (one), at a stretch I can do two. This is the profile of a Melbourne win. When that number is greater than 4, Melbourne lose. Geelong has a similar pattern. Brisbane and the Doogs can carry 6 or 7 players who are having an off day.
dab
Roar Rookie
The AFL media machine and others are focusing on Port losing, not Melbourne winning.. Tis good.
dab
Roar Rookie
I too am a vanders fan. He is a player that can lift a side.
DTM
Roar Rookie
Anyone else like me to put the kiss of death onto a team by picking them to win?
Willie
Roar Rookie
That's it. The last time I pick Port to beat a team above it on the ladder.
King Charles da Tird
Guest
Great game
JB
Guest
Port have a win/loss record of W4 - L22 against Top 8 sides since 2016 Clearly something needs to change if they're going to become a serious about their intent to win 3 premierships in the next 5 years
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
When you don't have a CHF you don't win games of footy, that's what I'm learning
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Ring Ring, Ring Ring..Clarko, how you doing...
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
Because of that premiership your club won in living memory.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Big numbers are not part of Jackson's role. The blocks, the tap ons, the bringing the ball to the ground and the 6 handballs tell a more accurate story. He is something special. Brown was excellent too, playing high and creating stacks of space for McDonald. Fritsch is a very likely candidate for an AA squad.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Whoops, correction! I had them by 30 points. Hey Tractor, cheer up. It's more fun if you support your team.
DEESNUTSRBIG
Guest
Tomlinson who? Petty has already gone way past him. No injuries for the best 22 is making a big difference. It is a pleasure watching this team finally fit, working hard and taking things seriously after 2 forgettable seasons.