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Where: Adelaide Oval
When: Sunday July 20, 4.10am (BST)
Watch live: Click here to watch online with AFL Global Pass!
After taking all before them, Port Adelaide have lost four of its past five games and desperately needs to find form to stay in the fight for a top four spot.
Both players and coaches at Port have spoken of the team’s need to improve on contested possessions, and they have a great opportunity to rectify the issue against Melbourne.
Melbourne have improved considerably in 2014, but its losing margins are growing larger as the season goes on, with the rigours of a full AFL season taking a toll on its young brigade.
The Demons will try and stem the flow of goals with an emphasis on their defensive zones, but Port should run away with it.
Match facts:
1. Since the sides last played in round 11 neither has been in impressive form; from their six games Port Adelaide has two wins and Melbourne has just one.
2. The Demons remain the worst clearance side, managing only 33.2 a game; the Power are fifth with 40.4 a game.
3. No side in 2014 has taken the ball inside 50 fewer times than Melbourne, which averages only 40.9 entries a game. That’s compared to Port Adelaide, which is ranked second with an average of 57 a game.
4. It took Port Adelaide’s big guns to fire to get it over the line against Melbourne in round 11; Kane Cornes had 30 possessions, Travis Boak 28 and Robbie Gray 25 and two goals.
5. The Power and Demons played in the first AFL game at Adelaide Oval in round 24, 2011. The Demons don’t enjoy travelling to Adelaide though and have won just six times from 31 games, including one of their last 18.
6. Both Port Adelaide key forwards, Justin Westhoff and Jay Schulz, are slipping in the Official AFL Player Ratings. Westhoff is still ranked third in the list of key forwards, but Schulz has dropped to seventh after sitting in fifth place ahead of round 15.(AFL.com.au)
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