Port Adelaide put blinkers on in race to AFL post

Port Adelaide put blinkers on in race to AFL post

Port Adelaide will put the collective blinkers on when looking for to beat Richmond and make sure their maintain on third spot getting into the AFL finals.

The Power host the Tigers in an early fixture on Sunday’s final day of the home-and-away season.

“There are some results that, depending which way they go, it can have an impact on us,” Port ahead Darcy Byrne-Jones stated.

“It’s a tough one. You don’t want to read too much into it, you just want to focus on what we can control and that’s going out on Sunday and playing well, playing good footy and winning.

“The different outcomes will go nevertheless they go and we’ll go into finals feeling actually assured.”

Should all top-four teams win, Port’s third spot will book a challenging qualifying final in Brisbane against the Lions.

If Port lose and Melbourne beat Sydney, the Power would slide to fourth and an MCG qualifier against Collingwood.

What would the Power desire?

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“It’s a tricky query,” Byrne-Jones stated.

“We have not performed on the Gabba for some time now – it is a powerful floor to go to little doubt they usually (Brisbane) play it effectively.

“We go there, we go to the MCG – they’re both going to be challenging places to play.

“But we’re up for it. We’re excited.

“It’s not every year you get to finish in the top four and give yourself a chance to go deep into finals so I can’t wait.”

Port captain Tom Jonas will entrance towards the Tigers, who began the spherical in twelfth spot and unable to make the playoffs, after his mid-week retirement announcement.

Jonas will stop on the finish of the season – he had fallen from choice favour till recalled after the knee damage of fellow key defender Trent McKenzie.

McKenzie is predicted to return for the finals with Jonas once more to be beneath a range squeeze.

“It’s a hard one, it’s a situation I don’t know if anyone’s been in, in terms of the captain potentially not being in the side for finals,” Byrne-Jones stated.

“TJ has dealt with it so effectively.

“He hasn’t introduced any destructive affect towards the group, he is simply been tremendous optimistic so we’ll must see what occurs with choice if Trent will get himself proper.”

Power tall Todd Marshall was withdrawn from the chosen aspect on Saturday due to sickness and changed by Francis Evans.

Source: www.perthnow.com.au