Key posts
VIDEO: 100 games for Mason Wood
Mason Wood is presented with his jumper by Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera ahead of his 100th AFL game.
The 29-year-old had a solid career at North Melbourne as a mid-sized forward, but has turned into an outstanding winger this year.
He’s averaging 23.3 disposals a game through six matches, in what’s clearly been a career-best season.
Key match-up: Dixon v Wilkie
It’s going to be a match-up to watch tonight.
Charlie Dixon against Callum Wilkie.
Wilkie is arguably the All-Australian full-back six weeks into the season, given his ability to intercept under the new Ross Lyon game plan.
Meanwhile, Dixon will have to lead the forward line without Todd Marshall and Mitch Georgiades, who are both out injured.
St Kilda make it very hard to score, but if they can find Dixon on the lead and deny Wilkie intercept marks, it will go a long way to them causing an upset.
Charlie Dixon warms up for Port Adelaide.Credit: Getty Images
Subs locked in, no late changes
Stats in Port Adelaide’s favour
Could tonight be one for an upset?
Well, there are a lot of stats in Port Adelaide’s favour.
The Power have an 11-1 head-to-head record with St Kilda from their past 12 meetings.
Last year they met at Cazaly Stadium, in a low-scoring one-point win to the Power.
Port Adelaide beat St Kilda in Cairns last year.Credit: Getty Images
St Kilda beat Port Adelaide in Adelaide four matches back, in 2020, breaking an eight-game streak which went back to 2011.
Both sides also enjoy playing at Marvel.
The Saints have won all four matches here this season, but Port Adelaide have won their past seven here, including in round 18, 2021 against St Kilda with no crowds.
The Power last lost a game at the Docklands in 2019.
Pendlebury out of Pies clash with Crows
By Marc McGowan and Marnie Vinall
Former Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury will miss Sunday’s much-anticipated clash with Adelaide due to his freak eye injury.
Magpies coach Craig McRae confirmed they would not risk Pendlebury on a five-day turnaround after he suffered a poke to the eye on Anzac Day, but hoped to regain him for next week’s match against Sydney.
Scott Pendlebury’s eye injury will keep him out against the Crows.Credit: Getty Images
Steele Sidebottom, who has played 52 games in a row, is also in some doubt as he races the clock to recover from a bout of the flu, but McRae was optimistic he would play.
“‘Pendles’ is going to be out,” McRae said.
‘It smacks you in the face’: What it’s really like being a No.1 draft pick
By Marc McGowan
It was sometime in Josh Fraser’s fourth AFL season that the whispers grew louder.
The then-Collingwood ruckman was the consensus No.1 pick in the 1999 draft – Matthew Pavlich went three selections later – and so dominant at junior level there were articles written bemoaning the fact he wasn’t eligible a year earlier (his birthday is January 5).
Josh Fraser was a No.1 pick for the Pies.Credit: Mario Borg
Fraser kicked 37 goals in his third year as a back-up ruckman playing mostly as a key forward, including three goals in a preliminary final then grand final, but critics grew impatient.
He went on to play 200 games in black and white, then another 18 for Gold Coast.
Good evening!
By Damien Ractliffe
Hello everyone, Damien Ractliffe here.
Welcome to tonight’s Age footy blog, live from Marvel Stadium for the match between St Kilda and Port Adelaide.
Anticipation is building. The Saints are on the top of the ladder and looking to take their record to 6-1, while the Power need a scalp just to reinforce their top-eight credentials.
With the roof closed at Marvel Stadium, we’re getting set for an exciting night of footy.
