Port Adelaide head into Saturday’s qualifying final knowing they will have to achieve something no team has in 2023 – travel to the Gabba and come away with a win.
The Lions have turned their home ground into a fortress in 2023 – going undefeated against all 11 challengers who headed north this season.
But the Power weren’t one of those opponents, with their last trip to the Gabba coming 18 months ago – and ended in a narrow loss.
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The Lions head into Saturday’s clash as favourites with coach Chris Fagan this week stating this year was his side’s “best opportunity” to win the premiership.
The Power meantime have been under plenty of pressure over their use of Oppenheimer as the club’s theme for this week’s final.
Given the movie’s association with atomic bombs that eventually devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many critics found the theme in poor taste.
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Veteran Ollie Wines said some teammates were left “scratching their heads” over the theme given they hadn’t seen the movie.
Coach Ken Hinkley was forced to defend the theme during a tense press conference on Friday – before conceding he too hadn’t seen the film.
“Every club has some type of theme they may or may not use,” he said.
“The key part about that I think Ollie (Wines) explained it incredibly well is it’s just a little story about how people had to come together over a long period of time to work really hard on one single thing – an outcome we’re trying to get.
“For us, we’ve been at this task for a good period of time – four or five years.
“I haven’t seen the movie myself so it’s not that big a theme for us.
“Let’s not go to that dark spot you’re trying to take it. I think it’s unfair.”
This match gets underway at 7:25pm AEST from the Gabba.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (Channel 504) from 7pm AEST.
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