ST KILDA VS PORT ADELAIDE
Saturday June 7, 4.10pm
Adelaide Oval
Fox Footy

Overview:  
St Kilda’s journey continues this Saturday as it travels to South Australia to take on the most improved team in the competition.

The Power has taken all before them this year and has been riding the Ken Hinkley wave for the past 18 months, playing free-flowing, attacking football.

While St Kilda has been competitive at times in its last few games, it remains winless since round five and has a spate of injuries to worry about.

Despite the relative ladder positions of these two teams (1st vs 16th), Alan Richardson’s men will take some solace from Melbourne’s performance against the Power last weekend.

While the Demons eventually went down by 20 points, their ability to slow down the tempo of the game and play it on their terms was the catalyst to limiting Port Power’s damaging spread.

The Saints will enter this contest as outsiders, but given Port Adelaide was in a very similar position to St Kilda just two years ago, an upset isn’t completely beyond the realms of possibility providing Nick Riewoldt fires up forward.

Stat focus:
- The last two games between Port and St Kilda have each been decided by five points.
- The Power has taken more marks inside 50 than any other team, averaging 13.6 per game.
- St Kilda is ranked 11th in the above category, averaging 9.9 per outing.
- Port Adelaide’s average score at the Adelaide Oval this season is 117
- Not since April 25 has St Kilda conceded fewer than 100 points in a game of footy.
- Kane Cornes is ranked equal fifth in the AFL for total disposals and first in the league for uncontested possessions
- Sean Dempster is ranked equal first (with Chris Yarran) in the AFL for running bounces
Injury list:
St Kilda:
Sam Fisher (hamstring) – 2 weeks
Sam Gilbert (foot) – 8 weeks
Tom Hickey (foot) – 2 weeks
Nathan Wright (leg) – 4 weeks
Eli Templeton (arm) – 3 months
Jarryn Geary (arm) – 3 months
Trent Dennis-Lane (ankle) – 2 weeks
Spencer White (foot) – 1 week
Blake Acres (foot) – 4 weeks
Maverick Weller (concussion) – Test
Joe Baker-Thomas (leg) - Test

VIDEO: Andrew Wallis' injury report

Port Adelaide:
Matt White (foot) – Assess
Travis Boak (ankle) – Assess
Chad Wingard (concussion) – Assess
Angus Monfries (ankle) – Assess
Sam Russell (hamstring) – Assess
Tom Jonas (groin) – Assess
Paul Stewart (Knee) – 1 week
Cameron Hitchcock (Shin) – 3-4 weeks
Andrew Moore (collarbone) – 4-6 weeks
Campbell Heath (knee) – 12-14 weeks
Sam Colquhoun (knee) – Season
Jarrad Redden (knee) – Season
Brent Renouf (knee) - Season

RELATED: Key Port pair miss training

What we say: (St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt)
I’m really excited to get over there and play on the Adelaide Oval which we haven’t done yet. Port is the form team of the competition so it’s a great opportunity.

It will give us an opportunity to improve again and that’s what it is all about. The young players will get a lot out of a trip like this.

The preparation and dealing with a hostile crowd in a hostile environment and being able to convert that into a solid performance is what it’s all about.


Farren Ray collected 22 disposals the last time St Kilda met Port Adelaide
Last week:
St Kilda 8.6 (54) defeated by Collingwood
Port Adelaide 14.11 (95) defeated Melbourne 11.9 (75)

Running hot:
St Kilda: Cameron Shenton
He may have only played four AFL games, but already Shenton has become one of St Kilda’s best rebounding defenders.

His audacity and aggression in the back half has propelled the Saints forward on numerous occasions in the past two games, and his stats have reflected his improvement, collecting 24 touches against the Magpies last Friday

RELATED: The rapid rise of Cam Shenton

Port Adelaide: Oliver Wines
Last year Wines burst onto the season and was considered a star of the future. Now, the bullocking young midfielder has become one of Port Adelaide’s most important players and his 25-disposal performance against Melbourne last week was pivotal in the hard-fought win.

Watch out for:
St Kilda: Leigh Montagna
Along with Jack Steven, Montagna remains St Kilda’s most damaging midfielder and will relish the challenge of coming up against one of the most talented young on-ball brigades in the AFL this Saturday.

Though the 221-game veteran was a little down on form prior to the bye, he responded superbly against Collingwood with a team-high 27 disposals and four rebound 50s.

Collingwood: Kane Cornes
The veteran midfielder has the rare ability to nullify his opponent and gather s considerable amount of the ball himself. At his best, Cornes is an integral link player for the Power.

This season Cornes averages 28.7 disposals per outing, the most prolific return of his 14-year career.

Last time they met:
Round 17, 2013 at Etihad Stadium
St Kilda 13.14 (92) defeated by Port Adelaide 14.13 (97)
Disposals: Montagna (30), Thomas (34)
Goals: McEvoy, Steven (3), Butcher (3)