WHEN does Port Adelaide become the measuring stick?
Australian Football Hall of Fame legend Malcolm Blight always has argued the best measure for predicting grand final match-ups in any year is to focus on the percentage column on the AFL ladder.
Why should we break from tradition, particularly when Saturday's Port Adelaide-Richmond match - "contender versus defender" - would in any other season carry grand anticipation as a finals preview?
At the end of round 10, the AFL table has -
PORT ADELAIDE (8-2) 144.7 per cent (ranked first)
RICHMOND (6-1-3) 123.4 per cent (ranked second)
It meets the Blight litmus test.
But who is being measured most in this super heavyweight clash that will shape the top end of the AFL ladder and the still uncertain path to October's finals?
Richmond, the defending champion, has come off the ropes after a scratchy start to the season to throwing knock-out punches to would-be claimants to its premiership crown. The 41-point win against second-ranked Brisbane at Metricon Stadium on Tuesday night has cleared away many doubts on the Richmond players' want to see hub life in Queensland through to October with the reward of back-to-back premierships.
"Richmond has been the best side for the past four years - not just the past four weeks," says Port Adelaide vice-captain Ollie Wines.
And Port Adelaide? Has the stigma - created by tripping up on the road to the top-eight finals in the past two seasons - fallen away to now have the critics (and fans) willing to again trust Port Adelaide?
"We're starting to believe in the system Port Adelaide have ... they're a different side this year than they have been in the past couple," says multi-media critic and 300-game Port Adelaide hero Kane Cornes.
For the fifth time in the past six rounds, Port Adelaide is in a top-of-the-table clash. And this test involves the best-performed team of the past three years (two flags, 44 wins from 59 matches) is the "big one".
ROUND 11
Port Adelaide v Richmond
IN the red corner is the defending champion, Richmond.
In the blue corner is the contender, Port Adelaide with the league's No. 1 ranking for the past 19 weeks.
Let's get ready to rumble.
And it should be Australian football as so many want it to be played - two teams determined to score, two teams with players who draw fans through the turnstiles - or, in 2020, before the television screens.
Richmond's style is well noted - and now well studied, as highlighted by Hawthorn's match-winning tactics in round 3 at the MCG where Richmond lost by 32 points and managed just 5.9 (its second-lowest score this season) despite winning the inside-50 count 43-35.
Richmond has built its premiership image on breaking down an opponent's strengths, forcing the opposition into non-preferred traits and counter-attacking on the inevitable mistakes.
"Our game is a turnover game," says Richmond coach Damien Hardwick. The numbers highlight this with Richmond being the league's best at sourcing scores from turnovers (averaging 63 per cent).
Hawthorn did turn the tables on Richmond by sitting back, forcing Hardwick's men to enter a crowed attack, sometimes with seven Hawthorn defenders against two Richmond forwards. Hardwick's men were repeatedly picked off and beaten on the rebound.
Richmond is not a noted stoppage team, despite having two Brownlow Medallists - the in-form Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin, who misses this match - to set the midfield agenda. Port Adelaide ranks No. 1 for clearances; Richmond is last at 18.
There is a stark contrast to how Port Adelaide and Richmond set up their path to goal where there are genuine match winners to finish the plays.
Port Adelaide key forward Charlie Dixon is silencing his critics with his increasing count of contested marks that today (with 32) lead the league rankings. Richmond has an imposing duo of key forwards in Jack Riewoldt and Tom Lynch, who this week was spared by the AFL match review officer Michael Christian after being hit with a misconduct charge.
In theory, the Port Adelaide midfield - with Scott Lycett again leading the ruck after a three-game break to recover from a knee injury - should be commanding at stoppage. The notable gain in the past two games is the strong defensive game that has emerged from Tom Rockliff with his 25 tackles in his two return matches against Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.
The key for Port Adelaide is translating this anticipated strength at clearances to meaningful inside-50s rather than rebound opportunities for the new-look Richmond defence that has found an answer to moving on from Alex Rance by promoting 20-year-old Noah Balta - "a prodigious talent," says Hardwick.
There are milestones by the handful in this game. For Port Adelaide, there is captain Tom Jonas with his 150th, vice-captain Ollie Wines with his 150th and ruckman Scott Lycett with his 100th. The virtual run through banner will need to be creative.
BEYOND HALFWAY
FOR the past 50 years, round 11 has generally marked the halfway point of the home-and-away season. This is by the 22-round format devised in 1970 when the VFL had 12 teams and there was a genuine concept of playing every rival twice, once at home and once away. Eleven at home, 11 away.
The COVID-tested 2020 format is 17 qualifying rounds with neutral grounds in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia redefined as "home" or "away" to decide who gets the black shorts and - more importantly - who has the LED advertising signage to promote the club sponsors.
And at the start of these challenging times, many Port Adelaide fans were curious (even fascinated) on how many home games they would see at Adelaide Oval - eight or nine? Answer: It's complicated.
Port Adelaide reaches round 11 on Saturday night with its fourth home game at Adelaide Oval after playing Adelaide, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs (for a 2-1 win-loss record). Four out of 11 at Adelaide Oval ...
Seven on the road.
At the "home away from home" in south-east Queensland, the AFL has assigned two of the seven games played at the Gabba and Metricon Stadium since the return from the 12-week lockdown as "home" matches for Port Adelaide (against West Coast in round 4 and Greater Western Sydney in round 6, both at Metricon Stadium).
So Port Adelaide will finish round 11 having six "home" matches on its season record - and five "away" games, all in south-east Queensland.
There are six matches still to play before the top-eight finals, starting with Geelong at Metricon Stadium in Friday Night Football on August 14 followed by clash with Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval in round 13 - the Sir Doug Nicholls Round - on Saturday, August 22.
This will take the in-season tally to five at Adelaide Oval, five at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast and two at the Gabba in Brisbane.
How many of the remaining six will be at Adelaide Oval? Again, it's complicated.
There is a potential bye to load into the floating and ever-flexible program. Crowd capacity is being cut. State governments are being tested by health officers.
Sydney is a lock-out, along with Melbourne. Tasmania and Perth are uncertain. Darwin is off the agenda while the AFL is needing to manage costs.
It truly is a year for one game at a time ...
And what does home-State advantage mean in the finals this season?
SELECTION TABLE
Port Adelaide
SCOTT Lycett resumes after a three-game absence with a knee injury - and Port Adelaide pairs the West Coast premiership ruckman with emerging talent Peter Ladhams for the first time in more than a year.
Lycett and Ladhams last combined as a ruck duo in round 15 last season in the home loss to the Western Bulldogs. Lycett had 43 hit-outs, Ladhams had 15 and scored a goal. Lycett had 80 per cent game time; Ladhams, 71 per cent.
Veteran utility Justin Westhoff falls out of the 22 to allow for the Lycett-Ladhams tandem.
Port Adelaide has recalled defender Jarrad Lienert to replace Sam Mayes, who will sit out this match to serve his one-match ban as ordered by AFL match review officer Michael Christian for the high bump on Western Bulldogs midfielder Josh Dunkley.
Former vice-captain Brad Ebert will miss his second consecutive game while dealing with the concussion-like symptoms noted the day after the win against Carlton. He passed a concussion test on Thursday and is being ear marked for the away clash with Geelong on Friday, along with midfielder-forward Steven Motlop (ankle).
In: Lienert, Lycett
Out: Mayes (suspended), Westhoff
Richmond
MIDFIELDER Josh Caddy returns to cover the absence of Richmond dual premiership captain Trent Cotchin.
Opportunist forward Daniel Rioli replaces Jack Higgins in the Richmond attack.
Caddy resumes after being on the sidelines with a hamstring injury that has cost him the past three games. Rioli played in seven of Richmond's first eight matches and has missed the past two AFL rounds.
Cotchin is remaining in the Queensland hub. This elevates key forward Jack Riewoldt to the Richmond captaincy.
In: Caddy, Rioli
Out: Cotchin (managed), Higgins
BIRD SEED
(the small stuff that matters most)
Where: Adelaide Oval
When: Saturday, August 8
Time: 4.05pm (SA time)
Last time: Port Adelaide 9.9 (63) lost to Richmond 15.11 (101) at the MCG, round 18, July 20, 2019
Overall: Port Adelaide 18, Richmond 13, one drawn
Past five games (most recent first): L L W L W
Scoring average: Port Adelaide 91, Richmond 86
Drawn game: Port Adelaide 16.10 (106) drew with Richmond 16.10 (106) at the MCG in round 23, September 2, 2012
Tightest winning margin - Port Adelaide by two points (32-30) at Football Park in round 11, June 12, 1999; Richmond by four points (127-123) at Football Park in round 13, June 21, 2008
Biggest margin - Port Adelaide by 84 points (154-70) at Football Park in round 12, June 23, 2002; Richmond by 85 points (146-81) at the MCG in round 21, August 24, 1997
By venues: Adelaide Oval (3-3), Football Park (10-5), MCG (2-1-3), Docklands (2-2), Marrara Oval, Darwin (1-0)
By States and territories - South Australia (13-8), Victoria (4-1-5), Northern Territory (1-0).
FORM LINES
Port Adelaide
W W L W W L W W W W
TO quote Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley, season 2020 is "challenging" - and he and his playing group is "excited by the challenge". Anywhere, any time, any opponent - under any circumstances. And be prepared to adapt, even to quick turnarounds. Port Adelaide certainly has lived up to this agenda.
"With all the challenges, we've looked forward to taking on the new things," says first-year forward Mitch Georgiades, the Rising Star nomination from round 9.
The past month has defined - or redefined - Port Adelaide as a team capable of meeting many challenges on and off the field. When beaten, as it was by St Kilda at the contests in round 8, Hinkley's crew has responded - as highlighted by the total control of the play against Melbourne in round 9 at the Gabba. When it has been challenged at half-time by the Western Bulldogs in round 10, Port Adelaide has responded in the third term to reaffirm the image of The Portress at Adelaide Oval.
Richmond
W W L W W W L L D W
IT was a bit shabby as a premiership defence by Richmond when the win-loss record was at 1-1-2, the gates at the MCG were locked and the critics were devouring the contends captain Trent Cotchin and key forward Jack Riewoldt had with moving into hub life.
Richmond, after two flags in three years, were full - the hunger for defending the title was gone. All too hard ...
In a year where everything changes every five minutes, the script has certainly changed on Richmond. As former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon repeatedly said during the call of Tuesday night's strong win against Brisbane at Metricon Stadium, coach Damien Hardwick has found players without premiership medals to put a new sparkle in the eye of the Tigers.
Since the back-to-back losses to Hawthorn and St Kilda (by 32 and 26 points respectively in rounds 3 and 4), Richmond has risen to the top end of the AFL ladder with a 5-1 count beating Melbourne, Sydney, North Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and Brisbane and losing the grand final rematch with Greater Western Sydney by two goals.
No one is writing off Richmond with the thought it has lost its hunger anymore.
TIGER TAMERS
THERE has been a fair bit of movement - and friction - between Alberton and Punt Road in recent years.
At Richmond, Port Adelaide AFL premiership player Damien Hardwick has delivered the Tigers to the promised land - twice, 2017 and last year, for their first flags with the AFL (rather than VFL) logo.
In the recruiting department there is former Port Adelaide recruiter Blair Hartley, who twice made "godfather" offers to Hamish Hartlett. But Hartley did score Port Adelaide defender Troy Chaplin, who took up free agency at the end of 2012, after 140 AFL games at Alberton. Chaplin also left with some contentious remarks on differences between the two clubs.
Richmond's coaching staff also had Port Adelaide premiership coach Mark Williams and premiership ruckman-forward Brendon Lade.
Notable in moving from Punt Road to Alberton is key forward Jay Schulz. The man with the sound approach to goalkicking scored 275 goals in his 122 matches with Port Adelaide from 2010-2016 (after 71 games and 58 goals with Richmond from 2003-2009).
Also on the exchange list is David Rodan, who has his name on the No. 15 locker in recognition of his 111 AFL games at Port Adelaide from 2007-2012 (after 65 at Richmond from 2002-2006). He is currently an AFL goal umpire.
The first to cross to join an AFL list at Port Adelaide was forward Chris Naish, who after 143 games at Richmond from 1990-1997, was at Alberton for two seasons before hamstring injuries limited him to 18 AFL matches.
QUOTE OF THE PRE-GAME
"Port Adelaide won a different way ... they were challenged right from the start, (but) the resilience of the group stood out. In the past, they would have been run over and beaten."
Port Adelaide premiership midfielder and multi-media commentator Kane Cornes.
TIP
Port Adelaide three points
