Head to head: Port Adelaide 12 wins, Richmond six wins
Last time: Richmond 10.17 (77) d Port Adelaide 3.12 (30) round 10, 2010 at AAMI Stadium
MISSING IN ACTION
Richmond
Ben Cousins (hamstring) - test
Mitch Farmer (knee) - season
Nathan Foley (leg) - season
Ben Griffiths (shoulder) - season
Tom Hislop (patella) - season
Luke McGuane (groin) - season
Jordan McMahon (ankle) - test
Richard Tambling (leg) - season
Adam Thomson (groin) - season
Will Thursfield (corked thigh) - test
Tyrone Vickery (hip) - season
Matthew White (calf) - test
Port Adelaide
Chad Cornes (finger) - season
Brett Ebert (knee) - season
Hamish Hartlett (quad) - season
Tom Logan (concussion) - test
Steven Salopek (shoulder) - season
Jacob Surjan (knee) - season
FORM
Richmond: LWLLL
Port Adelaide: WWLWW
SUMMARY
Rarely has a round 22 game featuring the 10th- and 15th-placed teams attracted so much attention, but rarely - if ever - has there been a story quite like Ben Cousins’. Cousins’ eventful 269-game career took one last dramatic twist last weekend, with a hamstring injury threatening to deny the 32-year-old a farewell game.
However, scans have since cleared the midfielder of any damage and revived hopes he’ll take to the footy field one last time against Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
However, scans have since cleared the midfielder of any damage and revived hopes he’ll take to the footy field one last time against Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
In contrast, the Power have been going about their business with little fanfare, winning four of their last five games. Richmond took the points when these two sides met in torrential rain at AAMI Stadium in round 10, but it’s fair to say the conditions should be more favourable under the roof of Etihad Stadium this weekend.
PLAYER TO WATCH
All eyes will be on retiring Richmond and West Coast champion Ben Cousins. The much-anticipated release of the Brownlow medallist’s documentary was timed to fit in with his final game and has only added to the fascination surrounding his drug addiction and much-publicised return to the AFL.
Port Adelaide forward Jay Schulz continued his own resurrection as an AFL player last weekend, kicking five goals to take overtake the injured Brett Ebert as the club’s leading goalkicker this season. The straight-shooting South Australian spent seven years at Tigerland before being traded to the Power and will be keen to impress against his old side.
QUESTION MARKS
Can the Tigers give Cousins a fairytale finish? The young Richmond side has tired in the latter part of the season, losing five of its last six games but might will itself over the line in his AFL swansong.
Can caretaker coach Matthew Primus end his audition for the top job with his fifth win from seven starts? It will be hard for the club to pass over the former skipper’s application if he does.
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
On current form, you’d say the Power, but it’s hard to gauge how much of an impact the emotion surrounding Cousins’ retirement will have on the inexperienced Tigers.
Port Adelaide has recorded just two wins, against West Coast and Essendon, away from AAMI Stadium this season and the combination of Cousins’ farewell and a red-hot Jack Riewoldt might be enough to get Richmond the win.
PREDICTION
Richmond by 17 points
Chat with host Mic Cullen and other fans in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au from 1.40pm Sunday or join the conversation on Twitter: #afltigerspower
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
