Port Adelaide welcome back skipper Connor Rozee for their clash with the side who knocked them out of finals last year – GWS Giants.
The Power (8-4, 111.7%) bowed out of the 2023 premiership race in straight sets, with the Giants landing the killer semi-final blow.
But in their first meeting since that day in September, GWS (7-5, 112.7%) aren’t in the best form after losing four of their past five matches.
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Lose on Sunday and the Giants will find themselves outside the top eight for the first time this year.
While Rozee’s return is a boost for the Power, they’ll be without big man Charlie Dixon – with Ollie Lord coming into the young attack end.
For the Giants, Jacob Wehr and James Peatling have been omitted as Josh Kelly and Jack Buckley return.
The match gets underway at 4pm AEST from ENGIE Stadium.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504), streaming on Kayo or via Hubbl, from 3:50pm AEST.
QUARTER BY QUARTER MATCH REPORT
Mitch Georgiades gave Port Adelaide the perfect start away from home as the Power jumped to the early advantage.
But from there, the match descended into an “arm wrestle” as neither side could break free.
Toby Greene had a tough opening term after coughing up an off-the-ball free kick, and then had his goal overturned on review.
Replays determined Port’s Darcy Byrne-Jones got a foot to Greene’s snap, but Fox Footy’s commentators weren’t convinced.
“What? Really?” Dermott Brereton said.
“I didn’t see a deviation,” Brad Johnson added.
Despite keeping the Giants goalless for the first time this season in an opening term, Port Adelaide had their own concern with star Zak Butters.
The Brownlow Medal contender appeared to slap opponent Tom Green in a move that cost him a free kick.
“I think Zak Butters will have some explaining to do throughout the course of the week,” commentator Nick Dal Santo said.
“It’s an open hand. A palm that comes off the shoulder and hits Tom Green in the face so they’ll have a very, very close look at that.”
At the first break it was the Power leading 21-6.
The second term belonged to the Giants as Callum Brown kicked two goals in the space of two minutes.
Brandon Zerk-Thatcher then had a moment to forget when he looked to play on after taking a big contested defensive mark – and was pinged for holding the ball.
Harvey Thomas took full advantage to kick the goal and push GWS’ lead out to 32-25.
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