Recent results against Fremantle
Round 17, 2008, Fremantle 20.9 (129) d Port Adelaide 15.11 (101), AAMI
Round 10, 2008, Port Adelaide 16.7 (103) d Fremantle 10.15 (75), Subiaco
Round 22, 2007, Port Adelaide 17.15 (117) d Fremantle 12.13 (85), AAMI
Round one, 2007, Port Adelaide 19. 7 (121) d Fremantle 16.9 (105), Subiaco
Round 22, 2006, Fremantle 23.13 (151) d Port Adelaide 9.18 (72), Subiaco
Medical room
Port Adelaide
Shaun Burgoyne (knee) - 3-4 weeks
Chad Cornes (knee) - 4-6 weeks
Daniel Motlop (ankle) - test
Nick Salter (knee) - test
Matt Thomas (knee) - 4 weeks
Justin Westhoff (foot) - test
Fremantle
Kepler Bradley (knee) - test
Ryan Crowley (foot) - season
Roger Hayden (leg) - 6 weeks
Des Headland (quad) - 2-3 weeks
Stephen Hill (hip) - test
Michael Johnson (ankle) - 2-3 weeks
Luke McPharlin (hip) - test
Chris Mayne (stress fracture) - 2 weeks
Brock O'Brien (quad) - 5 weeks
Rhys Palmer (knee) - season
Luke Pratt (knee) - test
Summary
Both sides were dealt further blows with injuries to key players.
The Power will be without both Chad Cornes and Matt Thomas for a month, while Freo has been forced to elevate rookie Clancee Pearce as they will be without key-position players Antoni Grover, Luke McPharlin and midfielder Des Headland.
A Fremantle without Matthew Pavlich upstaged Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium last season and appears capable of causing a similar upset this week.
Mark Harvey’s men put together three wins on the trot between rounds five and seven and have been competitive in their three losses since.
The Power at their best have too much talent for the undermanned Fremantle, but they’ll need to stay switched on for four quarters to snap their two-game losing streak.
Key match-up
Troy Chaplin v Matthew Pavlich
A number of players could get the job on Pav, depending on where the six-time All-Australian lines up. Pavlich has only kicked 17 goals this season, but has picked up 20-plus possessions on five occasions in a greater midfield role. The South Australian ex-pat had 20 touches (10 contested), booted two goals and also gathered four clearances last week. Chaplin enjoys playing against the best lead-up forwards in the competition, but there isn’t an obvious match-up for Pavlich in the midfield with Chad Cornes out of the side.
Kick it to me – Brett Ebert
Ebert played his best game of the year in the loss to the Pies on Sunday booting three goals from five scoring shots. The pint-sized forward has been nursing a back injury and has struggled for confidence and consistent form this season but looked dangerous last week. Warren Tredrea has been the go-to man inside 50 in the absence of injured tall Justin Westhoff, but the Power need a back-up option and with Daniel Motlop in doubt Ebert could be just the man.
Somebody stop me - Aaron Sandliands
Freo’s 211cm skyscraper is in career-best form this season averaging 34 hit-outs and 16 possessions a game. Coach Mark Harvey has also started to use the tallest man in the league in a ploy to expose opposition backlines. Sandilands racked up 45 hit-outs last week and has kicked goals in five of the past six games.
At the selection table
Choco forecast change following the costly third-quarter lapse against Collingwood. The match committee will have two of those changes forced upon them with Chad Cornes and Thomas both expected to miss a month with knee injuries. Daniel Motlop (ankle) and Nathan Krakouer failed to train with their teammates on Wednesday and must be considered in some doubt.
Draftee Matthew Broadbent is a genuine chance to make his debut after an impressive start to the SANFL season, while Nick Lower, Jason Davenport, Paul Stewart, Toby Thurstans and Marlon Motlop will also be looking for an opportunity. Justin Westhoff, who has missed eight weeks with a broken foot, could make his return to footy this week but it’s likely to be in the SANFL.
It’s not generally known that…
Three Port Adelaide defenders, Alipate Carlile (ninth), Michael Pettigrew (14th) and Jacob Surjan (15th) are ranked top 15 in the AFL for one-percenters, more than in any other team in the comp.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.
The Power were locked in an arm-wrestle with Collingwood at half time on Sunday but suffered a fade-out in the third quarter.
Port Adelaide, as has been the case for much of the season, undid all its hard work with a brief lapse this time by conceding nine unanswered goals to give the Pies a 38-point lead at the final change.
