Port Adelaide’s recent form: WLWWLWLW

Recent results against Sydney Swans:
Round nine, 2008, Sydney Swans 16.9 (105) d Port Adelaide 14.10 (94), AAMI
Round two, 2008, Sydney Swans 22.14 (146) d Port Adelaide 11.12 (78), SCG
Round eight, 2007, Sydney Swans 17.16 (118) d Port Adelaide 13.9 (87), SCG
Round 17, 2006, Sydney Swans 10.17 (77) d Port Adelaide 7.8 (50), AAMI
Round two, 2006, Port Adelaide 15.16 (106) d Sydney Swans 11.14 (80), SCG

Medical room
Port Adelaide
Josh Carr (hip) – available
Jarrad Redden (ankle) – available
Steve Salopek (shoulder) – test
Nick Salter (knee) – 3-4 weeks
Justin Westhoff (foot) – 3-4 weeks
Shaun Burgoyne (knee) – 4 weeks

Sydney Swans
Lewis Roberts-Thomson (hamstring) – test
Leo Barry (knee) – test
Patrick Veszpremi (finger) – 1 week
Brendan Murphy (shoulder) – 4-5 weeks
Lewis Johnston (foot) – 8 weeks
Tim Schmidt (knee) – indefinite
Henry Playfair (hamstring) – indefinite
Campbell Health (knee) - season

Summary

The Sydneysiders, who have replaced North Melbourne as Port Adelaide’s modern-day bogey team, have claimed four of the past five games played between the two sides.

The Power have found it particularly tough going at the SCG, having lost their past two fixtures at the venue by an average of eight goals.

Port Adelaide’s run and gun style is capable of matching it with the best sides in the competition, but the Swans’ won a premiership through denying opposition teams the chance to assert their own game plan.

The Power spent the summer becoming harder and tougher and having fallen well short against St Kilda will be keen to test themselves against the contested-possession kings.

Key match-up
Kane Cornes v Brett Kirk
The Power tagger was visibly off-colour last week after struggling with the effects of a shoulder injury and alleged virus. Kirk, on the other hand, was at his busy best gathering 21 disposals and laying 12 gutsy tackles. Kirk, Adam Goodes and Ryan O’Keefe are likely to head Choco’s list of must-stop players on Sunday and Cornes will make it a miserable day for whoever he goes to at the opening bounce.

Kick it to me
It was Warren Tredrea at his very best against the Tigers last week. The in-form veteran hauled in 11 marks, 20 possessions and fell just one goal short of equalling his career-best return of eight against Carlton in 1998. Tredrea has thrived playing closer to goal in the absence of the injured Justin Westhoff and poses a serious threat to the Swans on the small SCG surface.

Somebody stop me
Adam Goodes is averaging just 20 touches a game this season, but his past two weeks suggest he’s nearing a return to peak form. The Brownlow medallist has picked up 53 possessions in the past fortnight and has also pushed forward for five goals. Goodes has failed to trouble the Power in recent hit-outs between the two sides, but will be out to impress in the AFL’s Indigenous Round.

At the selection table
Steve Salopek was put through a vigorous fitness test with assistant coach Adam Kingsley during Wednesday’s main training session. The defensive playmaker has done everything asked of him since dislocating his shoulder, but the club could take a conservative approach given his injury history.

Josh Carr also pushed his case for selection on Wednesday. Carr has spent two weeks on the sidelines with a hip injury, but would be a solid inclusion against the hard-bodied Swans. Big men Matty Westhoff and Toby Thurstans are also knocking on the door, but it’s hard to see them squeezing into the side this week.

It’s not generally known that…
Midfielder Danyle Pearce has sent the ball inside 50m on 45 occasions to rank fourth in the AFL behind St Kilda’s Jason Gram (56), Carlton’s Chris Judd (50) and Geelong’s Steve Johnson (49).

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club