Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy said that Port Adelaide lost its golden opportunity to make the 2002 grand final after losing to Collingwood last Friday night in the Qualifying final. Port Adelaide won the minor premiership and finished the season with 18 wins, however after its shock loss to Collingwood find themselves in a cut throat Semi final against Essendon this week. ""They just found out this week that they are playing in a knock-out final like we are. We knew that all along. They have blown the best opportunity to get into a grand final, an opportunity that they earned. Blow this match and they won't even get to Brisbane,"" Sheedy said.

Q. Will James Hird play?
A. Yes.

Q. Kevin, you said that your players won't know until Friday who they are playing on....
A. They won't but I will.

Q. Collingwood gave their players their task on the Monday before the game. Is it a bit different to tell your players so late in the week?
A. I won't tell 16 players. We don't even know their side yet and they don't know ours.

Q. Have you studied the opposition at all?
A. My word we do, we study them all the time.

Q. When you say six players may know what they are doing, are you talking mid-field players?
A. Backline players. You keep your back six.

Q. Dean Rioli has been in good form?
A. If anybody can find another Dean Rioli for me as a rookie, I will take him tomorrow. He has been sensational.

Q. What was his problem on the weekend that caused him to leave the ground?
A. They tried five half-forward flankers on him, just to keep running him around. He will be doing all that running out of full forward this week. He will be a very good full forward this week out of the goal square.

Q. Salmon on Primus is pretty important?
A. Is he playing? It would be fair to say that he is a pretty good player and he will play a lot better than he played last week.