<p>Welcome to The Huddle’s AFL Finals previews!</p> <p>After the tightest and craziest season ever, we are finally down to the final eight teams that will battle it out for this year’s premiership.</p> <p>As we gear up for all the September action, it’s time to look at and preview all the teams that have qualified for the AFL Finals in 2024.</p> <p>After a late surge up the ladder, let's look at Port Adelaide and their chances this Finals series.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Port Adelaide’s Road to the Finals</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Port Adelaide are one of only three teams to have lived the entire season in the top eight. Yet it’s been a rather curious season at Alberton Oval for the Power.</p> <p>A strong start to the year was followed by a block of mixed results in the middle of the season. A pair of losses post bye led the Power faithful to audibly voice their disapproval of coach Ken Hinkley during the Power’s 79-point loss to the Brisbane Lions at home.</p> <p>From that flashpoint, Hinkley would coach his team to a run of seven wins from their final eight games on the run home to propel the Power to another top four finish.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Players to Watch</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Zak Butters</h3> <p>The young superstar continues to elevate his game. Now among the best handful of young midfielders in the competition, Butters’ ability to change the momentum in a game in a matter of minutes sets him apart from his peers and merely a handful of his teammates.</p> <p>He’s been good all season, but his last month was rated his best patch of form throughout the season. Which spells trouble for whoever gets the job on him throughout the final’s series.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Jason Horne-Francis</h3> <p>The young bull has been a lightning rod of attention his entire career, but his exploits on field this year have done most of the talking.</p> <p>Only in his third season, Horne-Francis has repeatedly taken games by the scruff of the neck and been the reason that the Power have saluted.</p> <p>He ranks sixth in the AFL for score involvements per game and has shown he can be a trusted goal scoring option when thrown forward to spice things up.</p> <p>After an introduction to the September stage last year, and now with another 12 months of development, you feel he will warm to finals footy and deliver something special.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Allir Allir</h3> <p>Allir enters the finals series as one of the Power’s most important players. The All-Australian key defender will again, likely have some big roles to play against the game’s best forwards, of which he has done so well all season.</p> <p>He ranks ninth in the competition this year for intercepts and seventh for intercept marks. A luxury afforded by the Powers off-season recruits of Brandon Zerk-Thatcher and Esava Ratugolea.</p> <p>He looms as one of the most important pieces for Ken Hinkley’s team if they are to make a deep September run.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Why Port Adelaide can win the AFL Grand Final</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>There aren’t many picking the Power to make a deep September run. But the cold hard facts are, in a season of fine margins, they’ve done the work to get up to second and they are a win away from a home prelim final.</p> <p>They rank first in the competition for points against which means their defence is standing up when it counts. Plus their clearance and pressure rankings are continuing to rise at the right time of year.</p> <p>If Rozee, Butters, and Horne-Francis all turn it on together and Mitch Georgiades gets fit and has a reliable friend to kick goals with up front, They will be hard to contain.</p> <p>They also, like some of their interstate competitors, don’t fear the G. Which will work in their favour should they get there.</p> <p><strong>Prediction: </strong>Straight sets exit. 5th.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>How Many Premierships do Port Adelaide Have?&nbsp;</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>While they celebrate their 36 SANFL flags and legends, The Power have only saluted once since they joined the AFL, that being in 2004. Can they produce the same magic 20 years on?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Port Adelaide AFL Premiership Odds</h2>