The 2024 Finals series has arrived, with Geelong ready to kickstart an epic month of football in their Qualifying clash against Port Adelaide on Thursday night.
After a complex and sometimes confusing final round with so many ladder possibilities, the equation now becomes simple with three wins standing between the Cats and Premiership glory.
A Geelong win on Thursday will see them progress straight through to a home Preliminary Final, moving just one game away the AFL Grand Final.
The loser of Thursday night’s game will progress through to a home Semi Final, which will be played against the winner of the elimination final between the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn.
Port Adelaide will provide a stern test at their home ground, with the Power entering September action on a six game win streak.
Ladder
Port Adelaide: 2nd (16-7)
Geelong: 3rd (15-8)
Points For
Port Adelaide – 2011
Geelong - 2164
Points Against
Port Adelaide – 1752
Geelong - 1928
Nullifying Port Adelaide’s Dynamic Midfield
It goes without saying that Port Adelaide have one of the best midfield units in the competition, with an impressive mix of players that excel in and around contests.
Zak Butters is the leader of the Power’s on-ball division, ranking in the top 20 across the competition for centre clearances, contested possessions, inside 50’s and score involvements.
Jason Horne Francis also ranks highly in a number of categories and is in terrific form, along with the likes of Connor Rozee and Ollie Wines.
The Cats will take a vastly different midfield to the one that faced the Power earlier this year, setting up an enticing battle on Thursday night.
Pressuring Port's Defenders
Port Adelaide will be missing their top two rebounding defenders in the Qualifying Final, with both Dan Houston and Kane Farrell ruled out for Thursday’s clash.
The pair both rank in the top 25 across the AFL for rebound 50’s and effective kicks, sitting first and second at Port Adelaide in both categories to set up plenty of their attacking forays.
The Power only have two other players ranked in the top 100 in the competition for rebound 50’s, Aliir Aliir (55th) and Miles Bergman (66th).
If Geelong’s strong small forward contingent can wreak havoc with plenty of pressure, it could potentially limit Port Adelaide’s ball movement coming out of their defensive half.
Keeping Darcy Byrne-Jones Quiet
One very underrated asset this season for the Power has been the impact of Darcy Byrne-Jones, who has put together an impressive campaign for a small forward.
Byrne-Jones ranks seventh in the competition for goal assists, 13th for tackles inside 50 while also averaging more than a goal a game to impact the scoreboard.
Geelong’s strong defensive unit will need to pay close attention to Byrne-Jones on Thursday night, limiting his impact will be important to achieving a positive result.
