Last time we met
Port Adelaide 97 d Collingwood 69 (Round 19, 2021)
Port led by 32 points in the third quarter but Collingwood rallied and narrowed the margin to only nine points in the final term. Scott Pendlebury was subbed out with a lower leg injury early in the match. Brodie Grundy (26 disposals, seven clearances) and Taylor Adams (24 and three) were influential, while Steele Sidebottom (26 and seven) and Jack Crisp (30) fought hard.
Key match-ups
Jamie Elliott v Ryan Burton
Last week's match-winning goal after the siren was a sweet reward for Elliott's perseverance in a season interrupted by injury. He's played in 12 of 19 games so far this year and he's averaging three marks, four tackles and one goal. His ability to play tall and small makes him a dangerous opponent with the potential to kick a bag (or an all time set-shot from the boundary). Burton produced a standout performance against Geelong last round - he finished with 24 disposals, 8 marks and 8 contested possessions. The defender is elite for rebound 50s (averaging six a game) and metres gained (529).
Scott Pendlebury v Travis Boak
Pendlebury will play his 200th game as captain this weekend and we're stating the obvious here but he's still one of the elite midfielders of the competition. The skipper averages 22 disposals and five score involvements. Boak continues to have a huge impact every week - the former captain finished with 23 disposals, four marks, 12 contested possessions, seven score involvements and a goal in round 19. Still an on-field leader who dominates around stoppages, he's averaging six clearances and five inside 50s a game this year.
Look out for
Port Adelaide faced two top four sides in the last fortnight and lost by small margins - 14 points and 12 points to Melbourne and Geelong respectively. Expect them to be especially hungry for a win to stay in touch with the top eight.