Saturday’s fifth AFL Round 16 match is between Port Adelaide Power and Essendon Bombers with the game to be played at Adelaide Oval. The opening bounce is set to commence at 7:10 PM local time with home team Port Adelaide Power currently holding favouritism. View our AFL live scores, odds and results for the game between Port Adelaide Power and Essendon Bombers.
Round:Round 16 , July 05, 2014 , 7:10 PM
Stadium:Adelaide Oval
Weather: 15° Possible shower.
Preview:
Port Adelaide take on Essendon on Saturday evening, 7.10PM at Adelaide Oval. Port will go into this match as clear favourites, with the Adelaide team 2nd on
the ladder despite losing two of their last three games. Saying that, however, the Bombers really do have a lot to play for with this clash, currently in 10th ladder
position and needing a win here to stay in reach of the top eight. Recent history is also on the side of the Bombers, with Essendon winning the last four times
these teams have met. In this case though, history will probably not repeat itself, with Port looking too strong for Essendon across much of the park.
Teams:
PORT ADELAIDE 
B Cam O’Shea, Jack Hombsch, Dom Cassisi
HB Matthew Broadbent, Tom Jonas, Jasper Pittard
C Angus Monfries, Travis Boak, Kane Cornes
HF Jared Polec, Justin Westhoff, Matt White
F Robbie Gray, Jay Schulz, Chad Wingard
FOLL Matthew Lobbe, Ollie Wines, Brad Ebert
I/C Kane Mitchell, Jarman Impey, Hamish Hartlett,Aaron Young
EMG Tom Clurey, Benjamin Newton, Sam Gray
IN Cam O’Shea, Dom Cassisi, Aaron Young
OUT Jackson Trengove (Ankle), Sam Gray (Omitted), Alipate Carlile (Hamstring)
ESSENDON 
B David Myers, Cale Hooker, Mark Baguley
HB Courtenay Dempsey, Michael Hurley, Brendon Goddard
C Travis Colyer, David Zaharakis, Brent Stanton
HF Zach Merrett, Joe Daniher, Patrick Ambrose
F Jason Winderlich, Jake Carlisle, Paul Chapman
FOLL Patrick Ryder, Heath Hocking, Dyson Heppell
I/C Kyle Hardingham, Jackson Merrett, Ben Howlett, Jake Melksham
EMG Orazio Fantasia, Elliott Kavanagh, Dustin Fletcher
IN Mark Baguley, Jason Winderlich
OUT Dustin Fletcher (Omitted), Michael Hibberd (Ankle)
News:
Essendon coach Mark Thompson has challenged veteran forward Paul Chapman to prove he can be a star at a lesser club.
Thompson coached Geelong to the 2007 and 2009 AFL flags. Chapman added a third premiership to his CV in 2011 under new coach Chris Scott, before joining the Bombers in 2014.
In his first year as Essendon coach, Thompson has taken a punt on the 32-year-old Norm Smith Medallist Chapman who had 11 touches and was held goalless in last week’s clash with Geelong.
Essendon (7-7 win-loss) go into round 16 this weekend one game out of the top eight and, on Saturday night, they face the fired-up Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.
Port (11-3) slipped from top spot following last week’s loss to Adelaide.
“He hasn’t hidden away from the fact he didn’t have his best game,” Thompson told reporters on Friday.
“Hopefully, we’ll see a better game this week and I’m pretty sure we will.
“We’re all a little bit worried but not overly worried.
“He knows he can get back. He’s just got to get desperate.
“For a guy who’s had a pretty consistent career at a good team, sometimes a team can camouflage performances.
“He has to just go out and learn a way to find the ball himself in a team that’s not as consistently good as the one he played for.”
Thompson has rested 39-year-old Dustin Fletcher for the Port clash, despite losing in-form defender Michael Hibberd because of an ankle injury.
“There’s a couple of reasons. We’re managing his loads and there’s not a match-up,” Thompson said.
“There is match-ups … but we’re setting up a little bit different this week.
“We’ve made him an emergency because there’s a couple of guys in doubt and he’ll play if needed.”
Thompson denied key defender Michael Hurley was in doubt with a hamstring problem.
“It’s news to me,” the coach said.
Thompson said he wasn’t bothered by tackling Port on the rebound from their Showdown loss last weekend.
“If they’re upset, angry, bring them on at their best and see how we are. It doesn’t worry me too much,” he said.