GARY Rohan at full forward, Aliir Aliir at full back and Tom Mitchell on the ball. This is how Sydney lined up the last time they beat Port Adelaide at AFL level.

Ahead of Friday night's preliminary final between the Swans and Power at the SCG, a lot of the focus will be on Port's thumping 112-point win just six weeks ago.

But the hold of Ken Hinkley's side on the Swans extends much further than that.

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Port has won its past eight games against Sydney, the equal-fifth longest winning streak in the competition, a run dating back to the opening round of the 2017 season.

Both clubs looked very, very different the last time the Swans had success against the Power, way back in August, 2016.

Just seven Sydney players from that game are set to take the field on Friday night; Dane Rampe, Harry Cunningham, Isaac Heeney, Luke Parker, Tom Papley, Jake Lloyd and Aliir, who this week will be wearing the black and teal of the Power having left the Swans at the end of 2020.

Current Sydney skipper Callum Mills started on a half-back flank in that game, but will miss this week due to a hamstring injury.

Another four Swans are still playing at another club; Rohan (at Geelong), Mitchell (Collingwood), George Hewett (Carlton) and Toby Nankveris (Richmond).

Just four Power players from that game are set to feature again this week, more than eight years on; Darcy Byrne-Jones (who started in a back pocket), Ollie Wines, Travis Boak and Charlie Dixon, provided the key forward can overcome the illness that saw him miss last Friday night's semi-final win.

Since that 2016 game, which the Swans won by 67 points on their way to a Grand Final, the Power have won eight games in a row against John Longmire's side - one per season - by an average margin of 34 points.

Of the past six, only one has been at the SCG, a two-point Power win last year after Ollie Florent's shot on goal after the siren was memorably spoiled on the goal line.

The 0-8 run against Sydney has come after Longmire held a 7-1 record in games against Port Adelaide from when he took over the top job in 2011. In games that Hinkley has been coach, Longmire has a 5-9 record overall.

The most relevant of those heading into this week will be the most recent, a record loss that Longmire at the time labelled "completely and utterly unacceptable".

A win away from a fifth Grand Final, there will be no better time than this Friday night for Longmire and his side to break the drought.

Longest active winning streaks

Geelong v North Melbourne - 13 games
Melbourne v Gold Coast - 12
Essendon v North Melbourne - 11
Collingwood v Adelaide - 9
Sydney v North Melbourne - 8
Port Adelaide v Essendon - 8
Port Adelaide v Sydney - 8

Round 20, 2016

Sydney 14.16 (100) beat Port Adelaide 4.9 (33) by 67 points at the SCG

SYDNEY
FB: Dane Rampe, Aliir Aliir, Nick Smith
HB: Jarrad McVeigh, Heath Grundy, Callum Mills
C: Harry Cunningham, Josh Kennedy, Dan Hannebery
HF: Isaac Heeney, Lance Franklin, Luke Parker
FF: Xavier Richards, Gary Rohan, Dean Towers
Foll: Sam Naismith, Tom Mitchell, Kieran Jack
I/C: Toby Nankervis, George Hewett, Tom Papley, Jake Lloyd

PORT ADELAIDE
FB: Darcy Byrne-Jones, Logan Austin, Jasper Pittard
HB: Matthew Broadbent, Tom Clurey, Nathan Krakouer
C: Brad Ebert, Ollie Wines, Jared Polec
HF: Jarman Impey, Charlie Dixon, Chad Wingard
FF: Justin Westhoff, John Butcher, Aaron Young
Foll: Jackson Trengove, Travis Boak, Robbie Gray
I/C: Paul Stewart, Karl Amon, Brendon Ah Chee, Sam Gray