Adelaide Oval will play host to Thursday's AFL game between Port Adelaide and Geelong Cats. The game kicks off at 3:10 pm with Port Adelaide heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Port Adelaide vs. Geelong Cats game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Thursday September 5, 2024 at 3:10 pm

Where: Adelaide Oval

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Port Adelaide vs Geelong Cats Odds

Port Adelaide vs Geelong Cats Preview

Both sides were in crisis points during the middle of the season, and to both end up in a Qualifying Final is impressive work.

It’s the third time in five years that these two sides have faced in a Qualifying Final, 2020 and 2021 the previous two, with the Power winning both, but going on to lose both Preliminary Finals.

Port Adelaide went 8-1 after their disastrous loss to the Lions and have found a lot more balance in their contest work, making themselves accountable at both ends of the ground.

The Cats are on paper the least threatening team in the Finals series based on form against current top eight sides, with big losses to the Blues, Dogs, Swans, and closer losses at home to the Power and Giants.

Home advantage will play a big factor and it’s typically the first game of the finals with no pressure that the Power perform better in.

Geelong’s record at Adelaide Oval in the Chris Scott era is 9-9 against both Port and Adelaide, excluding Gather Round neutral games, so he certainly can implement winning strategies on the wider ground.

The biggest difference in this contest is the midfield flexibility. Geelong’s guts are aging, and the ability to put together four quarter efforts isn’t as strong as the Power, who have proven that capability in recent weeks.

The outside game is where the Power are most vulnerable in this contest and are often punished in transition through wide bursts of ball movement by foot.

Whether Mark Blicavs and Oli Dempsey can impose themselves in that area is not so certain as the Cats are reliant on all guns blazing through the corridor off turnover.

Up forward for the Power, the Cats need to contend with an inform Mitch Georgiades, whilst also restricting tall target Charlie Dixon.

Port Adelaide’s midfielders win this game for the Power based on their scoreboard impact, which was present last week when they flicked Jason Horne-Francis up forward.

If Jeremy Cameron doesn’t get firing for the Cats they stand no chance, but they have found moments of spark from the likes of Oli Henry and Tyson Stengle.

The Cats halfback line is pure speed, which presents challenges for the Power in transition, but if restricted, you’ve solved half your issues.

The combination of contested and uncontested styles that the Power have should get them over the line, and in front of a full home crowd, they’d need to have a full Preliminary Final like concentration lapse to lose the game in a matter of minutes.

Both sides have a golden ticket given where they sit among the rest of the eight, but the Power have been proving they can beat the teams around them for longer.

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Port Adelaide vs Geelong Cats Tip

Port Adelaide vs Geelong Cats Teams

POWER

B: La.Jones, B.Zerk-Thatcher, M.Bergman

HB: R.Burton, A.Aliir, L.Evans

C: J.Burgoyne, O.Wines, W.Drew

HF: D.Byrne-Jones, E.Ratugolea, W.Rioli

F: M.Georgiades, C.Dixon, C.Rozee – C

FOLL: J.Sweet, J.Horne-Francis, Z.Butters

I/C: T.Boak, Q.Narkle, J.Mead, F.Evans, J.McEntee

EMG: J.Sinn, D.Visentini, T.Marshall

IN: C.Dixon, Q.Narkle

OUT: K.Farrell (Injured), D.Visentini (Omitted)

CATS

B: L.Humphries, J.Henry, J.Kolodjashnij

HB: M.Duncan, M.Blicavs, Z.Guthrie

C: M.Holmes, T.Atkins, O.Dempsey

HF: T.Stengle, S.Neale, S.Mannagh

F: B.Close, J.Cameron, O.Henry

FOLL: R.Stanley, P.Dangerfield – C, T.Stewart

I/C: Z.Tuohy, J.Bowes, G.Miers, T.Bruhn, J.Bews

EMG: G.Rohan, O.Mullin, S.De Koning

No changes