THE BREAK can’t come fast enough for the Power after a long seven weeks, but before they are able to put their minds and bodies to rest for a few days, they must dispose of an undermanned Essendon.

A Port Adelaide win would signify a remarkable turnaround for the Power, who could find themselves just out of the top eight on percentage, despite dropping their opening four games.

Recent form:
Beat St Kilda by 21, beat West Coast by 24, lost to Brisbane Lions by 20, lost to Crows by nine and lost to Sydney by 68.

Recent results against Essendon:
Round 12, 2007 Port Adelaide 19.12 (126) d Essendon 13.17 (95), AAMI
Round 9, 2006 Port Adelaide 20.9 (129) d Essendon 9.15 (69), TD
Round 9, 2005 Port Adelaide 12.13 (85) d Essendon 9.12 (66), AAMI
Round 18, 2004 Essendon 18.11 (119) d Port Adelaide 11.13 (79), TD
Round 1, 2004 Port Adelaide 23.20 (158) d Essendon 8.14 (62), AAMI

Strengths:
It might be 12th v 13th on the ladder, but recent results suggest these two teams are heading in opposite directions. Essendon has conceded more points than any other team this season, behind the hapless Melbourne.

In contrast, the young Power defence rallied last week, restricting St Kilda to just nine majors, including a goalless first quarter.

The Bombers engaged Collingwood in a shoot-out during the ANZAC Day clash and after a competitive first quarter, Essendon was demolished to the tune of 73-points.

Port Adelaide got it together last week on a slippery deck and, in perfect conditions at the Telstra Dome, will have too much firepower if Essendon don’t change tact.

Potential weakness:
One man does not maketh the team, but Chad Cornes is one pretty valuable man. The vice-captain is considered by many to be the barometer of Port Adelaide and, without him, the Power will need to look elsewhere for their inspiration.

They’re sweating on:
The term ‘must-win’ becomes attached to most games when you start the season 0-4, but victory this week really is a must for the Power. Essendon burst out of the blocks this season and looked like being a contender with its rejuvenated, fast and exciting list.

But, as Port Adelaide has demonstrated, things can turn around pretty quickly in this game. The undermanned Bombers have lost names like Scott Lucas, Alwyn Davey and Leroy Jetta and are now in the midst of a three-game losing streak. 

Port Adelaide has steadied after an inconsistent start to 2008 and, with games against Hawthorn and the Swans in the coming month, the Power must knock off teams below them on the ladder if they are to continue their surge towards the eight.

Dangermen:
Warren Tredrea: The skipper played one of his best games in recent years, against St Kilda last week, with a commanding performance across half-forward. Tredrea picked up 15 touches, 11 marks and two goals to help set-up a much-needed win.
The four-time All-Australian has a remarkable record against Essendon, averaging four goals in the past five games played between the two sides. Tredrea’s strong presence adds balance to the Port Adelaide attack, which last week benefited from his, game-high, seven entries inside the forward 50m. 

Dom Cassisi: Cassisi was superb against St Kilda, gathering 25 touches, but more importantly, laying a massive 11 tackles. The Power leader is, arguably, in career-best form having moved away from his part-time tagging role in favour of a more attacking style of game. Cassisi adds grunt to the Port Adelaide midfield and, in the absence of Chad Cornes, will be determined to display his strong leadership skills with another solid performance.

Steve Salopek: Another player who is possibly in the best form of his reasonably short AFL career. The former first-round draft pick has been dogged by injuries since joining the Power at the end of 2002, but is showing the benefits of completing a full pre-season. Last week Salopek picked up an equal season-high 29 possessions and, like Cassisi, is another Port Adelaide player capable of filling the Cornes void.

It’s not generally known:
Port Adelaide has won nine of its past 10 clashes with Essendon.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.