We take a look at our upcoming opposition, Port Adelaide, as we host Round 6 at the SCG on Easter Sunday.
The Sydney Swans return to the SCG for the first time in a month to host Port Adelaide in an Easter Sunday clash which has the potential to shape the season for the victor.
The Power are fresh off a fantastic 30-point win against Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval in Gather Round, while the Swans were outworked by Collingwood in their Round 5 clash, eventually losing by 31-points.
For Port Adelaide, their leaders were outstanding against the Pies with Zak Butters (33 disposals), Jason Horne-Francis (29 disposals) and Conor Rozee (28 disposals) dominating in the midfield. Willie Rioli and Mitch Georgiades contributed well booting 3 goals apiece.
The last time these two sides met was in last year’s Preliminary Final at the SCG when Sydney prevailed by 36 points to advance to the Grand Final. On that night, Errol Gulden and Isaac Heeney were dominant for the Swans, while Jason Horne-Francis collected a team-high 23 disposals for Port Adelaide.
01:35
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said he was thrilled with the way his side played against Hawthorn and hopes they can emulate that against the Swans.
"We would like to think so; we would like to hope so," said Hinkley.
"We were dynamic for two-and-a-half quarters (against Hawthorn) ... it is bloody hard at this level to bring that level of consistency to your performance. But we set out every week to do that.
"People will ask, 'Why don't they do that every week?' We aim for that every week. The opposition have a say in that. But our intent every week is to be that.
"We were building from the St Kilda game. We did not get the result, but we felt we were building, and we have continued to build. And if we are going to win this week we will have to continue to build.
"Confidence creates energy that creates excitement,” Hinkley said
First bounce on Easter Sunday at the SCG is 3.20pm.
Sydney will rue their missed opportunities, defeated by Port Adelaide at the SCG on Sunday afternoon.
A wayward Sydney Swans have been defeated by Port Adelaide by 8 points at the SCG on Sunday afternoon.
After trailing all day the Swans kicked into gear in the final term but inaccuracy cost them, particularly in the final minutes, kicking 5.8 as the Power held on for an eight-point victory. 13.7 (85) to 10.17 (77).
Port's Ollie Wines was removed from the action as a precaution after experiencing heart palpitations, just as he did in a game in 2022 and again last year, Zak Butters led the rest of the Power's on-ball brigade to hold the Swans at arm's length despite a belated fightback.
The Power were on track to comfortably make it back-to-back wins before an inspired cameo from Swans substitute Aaron Francis gave the visitors a scare.
Francis was called into the game in the third term for his first appearance of the season with the Swans crying out for an aerial target, before the 27-year-old booted three goals from marks inside 50.
08:12
Power captain Connor Rozee helped set up the victory while pulling the strings dashing out of defence and finished with an influential 27 disposals and 825m gained.
The Swans sent James Jordon to Rozee from the opening bounce but when their first-choice run-with player was unable to limit the damage, he was moved back into the midfield before the main break.
The Swans paid the price for failing to hit targets inside 50 and for misfiring in front of goal throughout the game, booting 5.8 in the final term.
Matt Roberts (30 disposals) and Nick Blakey (27) added run out of defence, but the Swans found it hard to get their ball movement going.
Isaac Heeney battled hard in the midfield with 22 touches and two goals without quite adding his usual spark under pressure from Willem Drew, while James Rowbottom finished with 23 touches and a goal.
Despite the late surge, the defeat leaves last year's beaten grand finalists still to taste victory on their home deck in three attempts.
Power take no risks with Wines Ollie Wines showed few signs of an issue as he gathered eight disposals with 228m gained and a couple of tackles while Port Adelaide opened up a healthy lead over Sydney in the first half. But the 2021 Brownlow medallist was unable to return to play after the main break due to experiencing heart palpitations, as the Power soon subbed in Rory Atkins for his club debut. Wines previously had a similar issue against Hawthorn last year and earlier in a clash with Melbourne in 2022, leaving the Power to make a quick and easy decision to remove their former co-captain from the action. The Power's football boss Chris Davies told Channel 7: "Ollie had a bit of a heart flutter, he's in the rooms now, feeling far better". Davies added that Wines will "go through whatever he needs to this week".
Heeney sparks the Swans with sublime snap Sydney took time to get its ball movement humming against Port Adelaide and had even fewer options in attack after a confusing free kick on the wing allowed the visitors to get numbers behind the ball. That was until gun midfielder Isaac Heeney took matters into his own hands when shaking off Willem Drew's close checking to crumb a clever knock down by Swans key forward Hayden McLean inside the forward 50. Heeney gathered the ball off a bounce, ran towards the boundary line with little concern for tightening the angle, then sent a snap off his right boot sailing through for the Swans' opener to give his side a much-needed lift.
Georgiades digs into his bag of tricks Mitch Georgiades made a stirring return from a ruptured ACL early in 2023 to cement his place as the Power's spearhead with a career-high 44 goals from 20 matches. The 192cm key forward looks set for even greater rewards this year as his contested marking turns into a weapon and gives him more shots at goal from within range. But the 23-year-old left himself with plenty to do when leading into the deep forward pocket and marking just inside the boundary in the opening term before settling into a classy check-side goal that showed he has more tricks in his bag than just forward craft.
SYDNEY 1.2 2.7 5.9 10.17 (77) PORT ADELAIDE 4.2 7.4 10.7 13.7 (85)
