Full deck for Port Adelaide selectors
Port Adelaide and Collingwood head to the selection table today with few injury worries.
Port welcomes back Hamish Hartlett from suspension and Paul Stewart (wrist), Robbie Gray (quad tightness), Alipate Carlile and Kane Mitchell (back) completed yesterday’s training session hopeful they have proved their worthiness for selection in Saturday night’s elimination final at the MCG.
Port Adelaide’s director of coaching and strategy Alan Richardson told the club website he was excited by the group’s training intensity.
“Training was incredibly exciting today,” Richardson said.
“It’s a really exciting opportunity to play against Collingwood at the MCG and the players trained accordingly.
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“There was incredible spirit, the energy levels were high, the ball whizzed around quickly – it was a great session.”
Over the border, a missed training session for Collingwood’s Quinten Lynch has cast doubt on the big man’s availability.
The former West Coast player spent time on the bench during Sunday’s loss to North Melbourne after twisting his ankle.
The initial indication from coach Nathan Buckley on Monday was that Lynch should recover well enough to take his place against Port Adelaide in Saturday night’s do-or-die clash at the MCG.
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But both Lynch and key defender Nathan Brown, who was subbed off with a knee injury against the Kangaroos, have been listed as needing a fitness test on the Magpies’ weekly injury list.
While Brown trained without apparent problems on Wednesday, Lynch failed to join his teammates for the session.
If the Magpies are unwilling to take a risk on his ankle holding up, it could mean a recall for veteran ruckman Darren Jolly, who hasn’t played an AFL game since round 12.
Jolly initially lost his place in the side through injury.
But in recent weeks, it has been the strong form of first-year ruckman Brodie Grundy and Lynch’s ability to combine his work in attack with ruck pinch-hitting that has kept Jolly from returning.
Grundy, 19, has played just six AFL games since making his debut in round 18, none of those alongside Jolly.
He said this week he would welcome the chance to have the senior ruckman partnering him in the team.
“It would be good,” Grundy said.
“I’d relish the opportunity to play with someone like Darren and learn off him while playing.”
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