IT only counts for four premiership points, just like every other match, and by finals time it’s part of the memories and statistics of another long, action-filled season, but there’s something very special about round 1 each year.

The build-up is intense and builds in excitement as devoted fans count down the days to the start of another season, debate their club’s likely ‘best team’, and live the dream of what may lie ahead.

Who will play in Round 1? Can any of the draftees force their way into the side? How will the recruits fit in? What new positional roles might the coach have in mind? Can we win the flag this year?

It’s on again now at Alberton as Port Adelaide fans look forward to the season-opener against Fremantle at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Over 21 years in the AFL, the Power has had 169 players. 47 of those players have not savoured the special excitement of a round 1 match, a further 34 have played in the season-opener only once, and only eight have played 10 or more times in the first game of the season.

Predictably, Kane Cornes, the club’s AFL games record holder, heads the list with 13. Remarkably, he played the season-opener 13 years in a row from 2003 to 2015.

Others in this exclusive club are Peter Burgoyne (12), Brendon Lade (12), Dom Cassisi (11), Chad Cornes (11), Travis Boak (10), Warren Tredrea (10) and Justin Westhoff (10).

Peter Burgoyne played the first 10 season-openers and 12 of the first 13, missing out in 2007 with a thigh injury. It was the only game he missed for the season.

Boak and Westhoff have played the last 10, and on Saturday will be looking to match the 11-in-a-row record of Chad Cornes, who was a fixture in the round 1 side from 2000,

Kane Cornes has been Port’s leading possession-winner seven times in ound 1, with Peter Burgoyne (3) and Brad Ebert (2) the only other players to have done so more than once.

Cornes’ 39 possessions against North Melbourne at Football Park in 2010 is a club-best in round 1 and one of four 30-possesion round 1 games for the four-time club champion.

Sam Gray’s 37 possessions against St Kilda at Adelaide Oval in Round 1 2016 is next best on the list, while Brad Ebert is the only other Power player with more than one 30-possesion game in round 1. He’s had two – 30 against Melbourne at the MCG in 2013 and 34 against Fremantle at Subiaco in 2015.

Two players have kicked six goals for Port in an AFL season-opener – and remarkably they did so in the same game when Warren Tredrea and Stuart Dew bagged six against Essendon at Football Park in 2004.

This is one of only two times in Port’s AFL history when two players have kicked six goals in the same game. The other one was when Chad Cornes and Brett Ebert kicked six against Melbourne at Football Park in Round 17 2007.

Jarrad Schofield (1999) and Westhoff (2014) kicked five goals in a round 1 game, while Robbie Gray has kicked four goals twice in 2014 and 2016.

Brad Ebert has polled Port Adelaide’s most Brownlow medal votes (10) in round 1 matches with three votes in 2013 and 2015, and two votes in 2012 and 2016.

Kane Cornes also polled four times for a total of seven votes, while Hamish Hartlett (5), Boak (4), Schofield (4) and Wines (4) are the only other Port players to have polled more than once in the medal in round 1 games.

Port boast an aggregate 11-10 win/loss record in 21 round 1 matches.

At home they have had six wins and four losses, and five wins and six losses away.

Port’s highest score and biggest win in a round 1 match came together in the premiership year of 2004, when it recorded 23.20 (158) against Essendon’s 8.14 (62) at Football Park to win by 96 points.

This result avenged Port’s biggest round 1 loss, which was 94 points to Essendon at Docklands in 2000.

Port’s lowest round 1 score was 7.11 (53) against Fremantle at Subiaco in 2005 when it lost by 35 points.

Since Ken Hinkley took charge at Port in 2013 the club has enjoyed a 4-1 win/loss record in round 1.

The Power beat Melbourne by 79 points at the MCG in Hinkley’s first game at the helm, beat Carlton by 33 points at Docklands in 2014, lost to Fremantle at Subiaco in 2015, beat St Kilda by 33 points at Adelaide Oval in 2016, and defeated Sydney by 28 points at the SCG in 2017.

What will this Saturday and Fremantle at Adelaide Oval have in store?

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