Port Adelaide pushes internal trial to March to help prepare for round 1 match against Collingwood
Clubs that played in the inaugural Opening Round last year had a 3-1 record the next week against sides that were coming off a bye – so Port Adelaide has made a big summer call.
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Port Adelaide will hold its latest ever AFL internal trial to help it prepare for round 1 against Collingwood.
An intra-club game has traditionally been the Power’s first summer fixture but Port has scheduled this year’s after two pre-season clashes versus other clubs to ensure it plays the week before tackling the match-hardened Magpies at the MCG.
The Power’s internal trial is on Friday, March 7, two days before Collingwood’s Opening Round clash with GWS in Sydney.
Port and the Magpies then face off the following Saturday night.
The Power, which has held its internal trials in January or February since entering the AFL in 1997, hopes the tweak will help it maintain the competitive juices in the lead-up to the season and reduce any advantage Collingwood may have from playing during Opening Round.
The AFL introduced Opening Round last season to help grow the game in New South Wales and Queensland, which hosted the week’s only four matches.
Clubs that featured in it had a 3-1 record the next week against sides that were coming off a bye.
GWS beat North Melbourne, Gold Coast defeated Adelaide and Melbourne overcame the Western Bulldogs.
Brisbane was the only Opening Round side that lost to a team that had an extra week off, falling to Fremantle in Perth.
The Power’s first pre-season matches are against Adelaide in Mount Barker on Friday, February 21 and St Kilda at Moorabbin on Saturday, March 1.
It will then use the internal trial as a final tune-up before round 1.
The Power-Collingwood meeting will have added spice because it is the first time star Magpies recruit Dan Houston takes on his former side.
Port Adelaide will hold a separate family day at Alberton Oval on Saturday, February 8.
The event, featuring AFL and AFLW players, will run from 11am-2pm.
Originally published as Port Adelaide pushes internal trial to March to help prepare for round 1 match against Collingwood
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