Preview: Port Adelaide v Hawthorn
VENUE & TIME: AAMI Stadium, Sunday 2 August, 3.10pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 19, Port Adelaide 13, Hawthorn 6
LAST TIME: Port Adelaide 17.13 (115) def Hawthorn 12.13 (85), Round 4, 2009 at MCG.
WALKING WOUNDED: Chad Cornes (knee), Travis Boak (thigh), Troy Chaplin (shin) and Jacob Surjan (calf) were hurt during the Showdown and will be tested this week, while the club says Dean Brogan has a corked thigh and will be assessed as well. Daniel Motlop has another month on the sidelines with a broken foot while Michael Pettigrew has strained a hamstring but was unlikely to be considered for this clash. For Hawthorn, Garry Moss' knee will be tested this week while Stuart Dew (hamstring) is 2-3 weeks away and Mark Williams (knee) is at least a month from resuming. Trent Croad remains on the long-term injury list with a foot problem while Tim Boyle (knee), Rick Ladson (knee), Mitch Thorp (foot/shoulder) and Clinton Young (hip) are planning for 2010.
FORM: Port Adelaide has been solid at AAMI Stadium this season but not last weekend when they were embarrassed by Adelaide in Showdown XXVII. After leading at quarter time, the Power were totally outplayed, losing by 70 points.
The Round 17 clash between last year's grand finalists was one of the best games of the season with Hawthorn on top for most of the contest before Geelong came storming home to win after the siren by one point. The Hawks have won two of their past three games and are challenging for a place in the eight.
WHO'S HOT: Kane Cornes' tagging role against Scott Thompson was one of the few respectable efforts for Port in Showdown XXVII. In his post match media conference, Power coach Mark Williams said: "I think if everyone does their job like Kane does we win", suggesting he was one of the few players to hold his head high last week. There's no surprise Lance Franklin's return to form has played a part in the Hawks' recent resurgence. Against Geelong he kicked 5.2 and collected seven marks and 20 possessions.
WE THINK: The ladder has Hawthorn and Port Adelaide separated by less than three per cent but their recent form has them poles apart. The Hawks are on the rise with a fighting win over the Roos, a convincing victory against the Magpies and then a nail-biting loss to the Cats suggesting the reigning premiers are back in town. Hawthorn has Franklin and Jarryd Roughead competing hard, Sam Mitchell controlling the midfield and overall, the 'unsociable football' which made them an effective force in 2008 is back. All of these factors will be of concern for Port. The Power beat the Lions in Round 14 but nothing since has suggested they are finals bound. Their second-tier players don't back up the team's veterans regularly enough and a lack of supply has seen Justin Westhoff and Brett Ebert - two of the team's key forwards - lose confidence and touch. The victor in this game has a chance to slip into the eight, or at least continue to pressure Essendon, whereas the loser will have no margin for error in the final month of the home-and-away season. With so much at stake this should be a nail-biter but don't count on Port to sustain their hunger and intensity for four quarters - they haven't done it all year. Hawthorn by 50 points.