PORT Adelaide has swung a very late change, withdrawing Mitch Zadow less than 30 minutes before the start of Saturday's clash against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.

Zadow participated in the warm-up ahead of the crunch clash, before Port made the call for the 22-year-old to sit out.

Jacob Wehr has been brought into the side in Zadow's absence.

The Saints host the Power in the first game on Saturday as the race for a wildcard spot heat up.

St Kilda did what it needed to do to pile more misery on a dispirited Essendon then cruise to the line while still in third gear.

SAINTS v POWER Follow it LIVE

The Saints will get a better idea of where they stand against fellow finals hopefuls the Power but with the Cats and Swans also on their run home there is little margin for error in games against sides sitting around the same level. 

Port Adelaide breathed fresh life into its season as it held North Melbourne at arm's length for three quarters and then turned the screw in the final term.

The Power have paid a huge price for their five losses by three points or fewer this season and with the Dockers, Lions, Swans and Demons still to come on the run home, they must make the most of the opportunity against the inconsistent Saints. 

While the Saints are unchanged, the Power have regained Kane Farrell, who replaces the dropped Brandon Zerk-Thatcher.

St Kilda v Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium, 1.15pm AEST
LATE CHANGES
St Kilda: None
Port Adelaide: Mitch Zadow (illness) replaced in selected side by Jacob Wehr

Greater Western Sydney takes on Geelong after getting its season back on track as it again proved it can stand toe-to-toe with the top sides and added a stirring victory over ladder leaders Fremantle to earlier wins against Brisbane and Melbourne.

The upset has put the Giants back in the finals race and with four matches against sides below them on the ladder to come this clash with the Cats could be critical to their hopes. 

GIANTS v CATS Follow it LIVE

Geelong tumbled out of the crucial top six as familiar foes Brisbane disarmed it then held off its belated challenge to make it four losses in the past five matches.

The Cats might be more concerned with shaking off a mini form slump but will also have a four-match losing streak against the Giants at the back of their minds as well as a winless stretch at Engie Stadium that goes back to 2014.

The Giants have lost Lachie Whitfield to concussion and dropped Josaia Delana and Conor Stone, regaining Jayden Laverde, Phoenix Gothard and Xavier O'Halloran.

The Cats have dropped ruck Mitch Edwards, bringing Jack Bowes in.

Carlton will be out to extend its seven-match winning streak when it takes on an undermanned Hawthorn on Saturday night.

Carlton became the first side in VFL/AFL history to have a seven-match winning streak as well as a seven-match losing stretch in the same season when it held off Richmond in a cliffhanger. 

BLUES v HAWKS Follow it LIVE

The less-than-convincing victory was enough to lift the Blues into a wildcard spot for the first time this year though a clash with the Hawks is just the first test of its credentials with a tough month to come.   

Hawthorn had cracks exposed in its Launceston fortress as Melbourne visited for the first time and raced away to as much as a 96-point lead before the hosts woke up.

The Hawks added some respectability to the scoreboard in the second half but still saw their path to a double chance narrow with clashes against the in-form Blues and later the Lions looming large on their run home. 

The Blues have made just one change as Harry Dean returns in place of the injured Lewis Young.

The Hawks are boosted by the returns of Karl Amon and Jarman Impey, and hand a debut to Oliver Greeves, with Jack Dalton out injured and Bodie Ryan and Flynn Perez omitted.

Adelaide hosts Gold Coast in the final match on Saturday after bouncing back from its disappointing defeat in the Showdown with a scintillating start against West Coast that soon put the result beyond doubt. 

The Crows were able to put the cue in the rack from early in the second term but might rue not taking the opportunity to boost their percentage in the race for the top four with the Swans and Dockers away, and Pies and Giants at home to come. 

CROWS v SUNS Follow it LIVE

Gold Coast played with more vigour as it pushed Collingwood to the line in a wild contest but still slumped to a sixth straight defeat for the first time since 2019.

The Suns are a win and four places outside the wildcard spots as a season that promised so much is on track to end without finals especially with all their remaining games against sides currently sitting above them on the ladder.  

The Crows have regained Riley Thilthorpe and Wayne Milera, who replace Billy Dowling and Hugo Hall-Kahan.

Will Graham and Oscar Adams are back for the Suns, replacing the suspended Ben Long and omitted Ben Jepson.