The second of Saturday’s AFL Round 6 matches will be played between North Melbourne Kangaroos and Port Adelaide Power. The opening bounce is set to commence at 2:10pm local time with the game to be played at Blundstone Arena in Tasmania. The home team North Melbourne Kangaroos are the current favourites for the match despite Port Power winning their first five matches. View our match preview and teams for the game between North Melbourne Kangaroos and Port Adelaide Power.

Round: Round 6 2:10 PM May 04, 2013
Stadium: Blundstone Arena
Weather: 19° Possible shower.

Featured Bookmakers:

North Melbourne Kangaroos $1.38 vs Port Adelaide Power $3.05 at Sportsbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

North Melbourne Kangaroos $1.40 vs Port Adelaide Power $3.05 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison:

North Melbourne Kangaroos	1.38	1.38	1.40	1.38	1.38	1.39
Port Adelaide Power	3.05	3.05	3.05	3.05	3.05	3.07

Preview:

This has the making of possibly the best match of the round.

It’s amazing to think that a team who has won 1 from 5 and sits thirteenth on the ladder is a clear favourite over an undefeated team that sits at the very top of the competition but that’s the scenario here.

North have had a tough start to the year and have faced Collingwood, Geelong and last week, Hawthorn among their first five matches. In each of these three games however, the Kangaroos have been in a position to win the game but unfortunately, lost each by small margins.

Their form reads a lot better than it appears on paper and provided they can look at their efforts in a positive light, they do deserve the favouritism.

Port have taken everyone by surprise and compared to North, have had a better time of the draw with wins over GWS, Melbourne and Suns in their first five rounds however, they displayed last week, when clawing their way back from 40 points down in beating West Coast by 5, that winning is a habit and does wonders for a team’s belief in itself.

They do face their toughest test here though and whilst they’ll give a good account of themselves, North will not fold like the Eagles and will be out to prove their place on the ladder should be higher than it is.

Teams:

North Melbourne Kangaroos:
B: Scott McMahon, Scott Thompson, Michael Firrito
HB: Aaron Mullett, Nathan Grima, Jamie Macmillan
C: Daniel Wells, Shaun Atley, Sam Wright
HF: Aaron Black, Majak Daw, Taylor Hine
F: Lindsay Thomas, Drew Petrie, Leigh Adams
Foll: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell
Int: Ryan Bastinac, Ben Cunnington, Sam Gibson, Will Sierakowski
Emerg: Daniel Currie, Liam Anthony, Lachlan Hansen

IN: Will Sierakowski
OUT: Liam Anthony (omitted)

New: Will Sierakowski

Port Adelaide Power:
FB: Campbell Heath, Alipate Carlile, Lewis Stevenson
HB: Cameron O’Shea, Tom Jonas, Dom Cassisi
C: Brad Ebert, Travis Boak, Hamish Hartlett
HF: Chad Wingard, Justin Westhoff, Paul Stewart
FF: Jake Neade, Jay Schulz, Robbie Gray
Foll: Matthew Lobbe, Oliver Wines, Kane Cornes
Int: Brent Renouf, Matthew Broadbent, Angus Monfries, Kane Mitchell
Emerg: John Butcher, Andrew Moore, Sam Colquhoun

IN: Kane Mitchell
OUT: Jackson Trengove (foot)

In The News:

Power staying real about AFL season start

Port Adelaide’s best start to an AFL season won’t mean a campaign without pain, caretaker coach Alan Richardson has warned.

Taking the reins while head coach Ken Hinkley recuperates from a virus that prevented him flying to Hobart for Saturday’s clash with North Melbourne, Richardson says a 5-0 start has changed nothing about Port’s rebuilding program.

“We’re building a team, we’re a really young footy team, there’s new coaching (staff),” Richardson told reporters at Bellerive on Friday.

“We think we’re heading in the right direction, absolutely.

“There’s going to be some ups and there’s going to be some downs.

“Basically we’re really pleased with where they’re going at the minute.”

The Power finished 14th in 2012 with just five wins amidst concerns about the club’s financial viability.

They sacked coach Matthew Primus mid-season before bringing Hinkley and long-time AFL assistant coach Richardson on board.

Now Port have emerged as early-season surprise packets in 2013, although three of their wins have come against strugglers Melbourne, GWS and Gold Coast.

Richardson said the club’s early season form had lifted the playing group’s self-belief.

“The guys are certainly getting some confidence, there’s no doubt about that,” he said.

“Probably our two best results have been against Adelaide and West Coast, teams that certainly coming into the season were highly regarded.”

The Power face an early-season litmus test of their credentials as possible finalists against North Melbourne at Bellerive on Saturday.

Already punters are queuing up to back them hitting their first hurdle, installing them rank outsiders against a Kangaroos side that is 1-4.

Richardson said finals football had not been part of the thinking as he and Hinkley set about resurrecting the club, and that had not changed.

“We understand where we’re at in terms of our age demographic,” he said.

“We need to continue to play really good sustainable footy and then, depending on when it is that mathematically we’re a real chance, that’s when we’ll potentially start talking about it.

“Right now it’s about attack on the ball, attack on the man, using the footy well, team defence.”

The Former Collingwood defender faces his own test when he steps into the top job at Bellerive after previous stints as assistant at Carlton, Essendon, the Magpies and the Western Bulldogs.

His last head coaching job was at VFL club Coburg in 2002 but he expects his boss to let him get on with the job on Saturday.

“He’s going to be sitting down as a senior coach watching it on telly,” Richardson said.

“I can’t imagine how hard that would be.

“I’m sure if he felt strongly enough to give us some input he would send through some sort of message.”