Round five preview: Port Adelaide v St Kilda

VENUE and TIME: AAMI Stadium, Friday 24 April, 8.10pm (AEST)

HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 18, Port Adelaide 11, St Kilda 7

LAST TIME: St Kilda 14.17 (101) def Port Adelaide 14.9 (93), Round 18, 2008 at Etihad Stadium.

RECENT HISTORY: Port Adelaide has won eight of its past ten against St Kilda but the honours have been shared in the past four clashes between these two sides.

FORM: Port’s impressive 30-point win over reigning premiers Hawthorn at the MCG saw it move to fourth spot on the AFL ladder with a 3-1 win-loss record. St Kilda and Geelong are the only unbeaten teams after the first month of the home-and-away season with the Saints occupying top spot thanks to their percentage boosting 83-point win over Fremantle at Etihad Stadium last Saturday night.

MEDICAL ROOM: Port Adelaide is still without star midfielder Shaun Burgoyne who was a late withdrawal from last weekend’s game against the Hawks with knee soreness while forward Justin Westhoff is on the club’s long-term injury list with a broken foot. For the Saints, in-form big man Justin Koschitzke is expected to miss just the one week with a hamstring strain while veteran defender Max Hudghton will remain on the sidelines for another one to two weeks with a calf injury.

KEY MATCH-UPS: Kane Cornes vs. Nick Dal Santo

Dal Santo continued his brilliant start to the season with a game-high 31 disposals, two goals and four inside 50’s against the Dockers.

The 25-year-old is in career-best form and looms as the main man the Power must stop if they are going to secure the four premiership points.

Dal Santo is damaging with his ability to deliver the football cleanly inside 50 and set up scoring opportunities for his teammates.

If the Power are going to be any chance of containing St Kilda’s multi-pronged attack they must limit Dal Santo’s influence through the middle.

Cornes restricted Hawthorn skipper Sam Mitchell to just 16 possessions last weekend and will be given the task of tagging Dal Santo in what will be a pivotal contest in determining the outcome of this match.

If Cornes can do a similar job on Dal Santo and hurt the classy St Kilda midfielder going the other way the Power will win.

Zac Dawson vs. Warren Tredrea

Tredrea has been instrumental in Port’s past two wins over Melbourne and the Hawks, booting six goals in both matches.

Dawson has been solid down back since joining the Saints via the rookie draft after a brief stint with Hawthorn and will most likely be given first crack at Tredrea.

St Kilda has conceded the fewest points of any side in the competition due to their relentless pressure all over the ground.

If the Saints play with the same level of intensity they have shown in the first four rounds of the season and suffocate Port’s run then the likes of Tredrea will struggle to have an impact.

Troy Chaplin vs. Nick Riewoldt

Riewoldt played his best game of the season against the Dockers, helping himself to 17 possessions, nine marks and five goals.

Chaplin did a superb blanketing job on Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead last Saturday, restricting him to just seven possessions and no goals.

Expect Chaplin who has done the job on Riewoldt in the past to be given the task of matching up on the Saints skipper again on Friday night.

The Saints have been able to kick some big scores this season due to their willingness to move the football quickly and kick it long into the forward line.

It is vital for Port that they apply immense pressure all over the ground and deny St Kilda the time and space to move the football quickly through the middle of the ground otherwise the potent Saints forward line led by Riewoldt will wreak havoc.

Clinton Jones vs. Chad Cornes

Cornes appears to be back to his best after being restricted to just 13 games last season due to injury.

The dual All-Australian has racked up 60 possessions, 23 marks and booted two goals in his past two matches.

In the win over the Hawks the 29-year-old had three goal assists and pumped the football inside 50 five times.

The Saints will be keen to shut-down the drive he provides through the middle and will most likely give Jones - who has been given some big jobs on some of the competition’s elite players so far this season - the task of running with Cornes.

Expect Jones who is ranked seventh in the AFL for tackles per game to not give Cornes any time or space all night.

VERDICT: St Kilda has impressed so far this season but Friday night will be a genuine test of their top-four credentials. Ross Lyon’s men will take some confidence from their win over the Crows at AAMI Stadium but they haven’t defeated Port at the venue since 1997. Port will miss the presence of Shaun Burgoyne as he would have helped overcome St Kilda’s zone with his ability to break the lines but the Power still have the likes of Danyle Pearce, David Rodan and Nathan Krakouer who are capable of breaking the game open with their run and carry. Expect the Power to maintain their dominance over the Saints in South Australia on Friday night with their pacy runners set to be the difference in what shapes as being a hard-fought contest. Power by 15 points.

PORT ADELAIDE v ST KILDA
PORT ADELAIDE

B: Michael Pettigrew, Alipate Carlile, Jacob Surjan
HB: Nathan Krakouer, Troy Chaplin, Dom Cassisi
C: Travis Boak, Chad Cornes, Steven Salopek
HF: Robert Gray, Warren Tredrea, Hamish Hartlett
F: Brett Ebert, Brendon Lade, Daniel Motlop
Foll: Dean Brogan, Kane Cornes, Danyle Pearce
I/C: David Rodan, Josh Carr, Tom Logan, Nick Lower
Emg: Marlon Motlop, Wade Thompson, Toby Thurstans

In: Cassisi, Lower
Out: Matt Thomas (suspension), Wade Thompson

ST KILDA
B: Farren Ray, Jason Blake, Zac Dawson
HB: Jarryn Geary, Sam Fisher, Brendon Goddard
C: Jason Gram, Luke Ball, Nick Dal Santo
HF: Stephen Milne, Nick Riewoldt, Adam Schneider
F: Lenny Hayes, Steven King, Sam Gilbert
Foll: Michael Gardiner, Clint Jones, Leigh Montagna
I/C: Steven Baker, Andrew McQualter, James Gwilt, Robert Eddy
Emg: Xavier Clarke, Ben McEvoy, Luke Miles

In: Eddy
Out: Justin Koschitzke (hamstring)

Vote