SUMMARY
Sitting in eighth spot with three games to go, most would bet large that the Power have secured their place in the finals. But with a hungry pack of teams including North Melbourne, West Coast and Adelaide still within reach, any slip up before round 23 could prove costly. Gold Coast has shown that it will be a serious challenger to most sides next season and that its status as a competition easybeat is no longer appropriate.

WHERE AND WHEN: AAMI Stadium, Saturday August 17, 1.40pm


PAST THREE TIMES
R4, 2013, Port Adelaide 16.8 (104) d Gold Coast 9.12 (66) at Metricon Stadium
R9, 2012, Port Adelaide 17.16 (118) d Gold Coast 10.10 (70) at Metricon Stadium
R5, 2011, Gold Coast 15.14 (104) d Port Adelaide 15.11 (101) at AAMI Stadium

THE SIX POINTS
1. Port might have won the past two clashes between these two sides, but the one that really stings is the first, when the Suns came back from 40 points down in the third quarter to steal victory.

2. The Suns have improved dramatically this season and have already won seven games compared to their three last year. They're ranked sixth in clearances too, while the Power are 10th.

3. Round 21 hasn't been kind to either side. The Power have lost their past two games on this round by 165 and 48 points, while the Suns have lost theirs by 62 and 64.

4. AAMI Stadium hasn't served Gold Coast well in its short history. Its maiden win was its only success at the venue, having lost its past two. The most recent loss was a 91-point hiding by Adelaide last year.

5. Gary Ablett was kept to a relatively quiet 19 possessions against Melbourne last week. Ominously though, since 2007 he's only been kept to fewer than 20 touches in consecutive weeks once – in rounds four and five, 2007. He's clearly the AFL's best and his status as the No. 1 player in the Official AFL Player Ratings reflects that.

6. This is a clash between the AFL's big improvers. In 2012 Port Adelaide averaged just 76 points a game, in 2013 it’s 93; in 2012 Gold Coast averaged 68 points to 84 this year.