<p>Spring has sprung, which means the AFL Finals are finally here.</p> <p>It kicks off on Thursday night at the Adelaide Oval where Port Adelaide and Geelong will meet in the First AFL Qualifying Final.</p> <p>Remarkably, it will be the third time in the last five years that these two sides have met in the first week of the finals, with the Power claiming the win in low-scoring encounters.</p> <p>Both sides have lived in the top eight all season and both carry strong form lines into the AFL Finals.</p> <p>With a home preliminary final at stake, expect both sides to be giving it everything.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Port Adelaide vs Geelong AFL Finals Preview</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It’s hard to separate these two sides. They’ve played only once this season in what was one of the games of the year. Port stunned the Cats back in round nine when they held on to win by six points after holding a 49-point lead at GMHBA Stadium.</p> <p>Despite the latest result, The Cats though, have the wood on their rivals, winning three of the past five matches.</p> <p>The Power recorded just one more win than the Cats this season and only finished just 2.6 % ahead of them, such was the closeness of this season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Key Players</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Zak Butters</h3> <p>On the back of another sensational year, Zak Butters is ready to make his mark in the finals once again.</p> <p>Butters had a season-high 34 disposals against the Cats when they met earlier this season, to go with a goal in one of his most prolific performances of the year.</p> <p>He will no doubt get some close attention from the Cats players to mark him at every contest but he has shown he can break through the tag numerous times.</p> <p>He has form against the Cats and is threatening to do it again.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Jason Horne-Francis</h3> <p>He got his first taste of finals action last year, but this year could be the year that Jason Horne-Francis truly makes his mark in finals footy and the competition.</p> <p>At such a young age still, The Hornet has proved to be the gamebreaker at the Power on several occasions this season. He ranks sixth in score involvements per game in the competition and 17th in total inside 50s.</p> <p>Ken Hinkley has shown that he won’t err in throwing him around to a position of need to give his team a spark. I for one, look forward to seeing what he can do.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Tom Stewart</h3> <p>It would be hard to not find odds at a $1.01 as to whether or not Tom Stewart will receive a tag this week.</p> <p>It was Power small forward Jed McEntee who started the trend of opposition teams playing a run-with role on the Cats superstar, restricting Stewart to his equal lowest disposal count of the season.</p> <p>It was a move that forced him to change parts of his game and Chris Scott moved him into the midfield.</p> <p>It came off handsomely as ranked first at the club for disposals, contested possessions, marks and intercept possessions between round 16-24. Coinciding with the Cat's late spike in form.</p> <p>No doubt he’ll receive some close attention. It just so happened that McEntee was recalled to Port’s side in Round 24. But this time, is the Cats champ in good enough form to work through it?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>AFL Finals Port Adelaide vs Geelong - Who Will Win?&nbsp;</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Power will go in as favorites as they are in the better form of the two sides and have the home-ground advantage yet again.</p> <p>Plus, no one believes that Geelong is a legitimate premiership chance and is widely tipped to go out in straight sets.</p> <p>But that’s probably the way that Chris Scott likes it best. And while Kenny and the boys got him earlier in the year, he’s had two weeks to prepare for this game and come up with a plan.</p> <p>The Power will have to come up with a different plan for chaining the ball from defence to attack without their two prime flankers Dan Houston and Kane Farrell – missing through suspension and injury respectively.</p> <p>The Cats all year have thrown the keys to the midfield to the younger brigade to work with Captain Danger. He’s priming himself for one last deep run.</p> <p>Jeremy Cameron will have his work cut out for him, which means that Shannon Neale, or whoever gets the nod as the second key forward has a big role to play against a stingy Power defence over the past eight weeks.</p> <p>Like these finals battles in the recent past, we expect it to be close, but we think the Power will be too good at home. Just.</p> <p><strong>Prediction: </strong>Port Adelaide by 11 points.</p> <p><strong>Betting tip: </strong>Jason Horne-Francis 20 disposals + 2 goals</p>