No Wakelin, James or Schofield for Lions

[blackdiamond]

courtesy of www.portadelaidefc.com.au

No Wakelin, James or Schofield for Lions

http://portadelaidefc.com.au/cp2/c2/webi/article/082808al.jpg

Port Adelaide will attempt to combat premiership favourite the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night at AAMI Stadium without four of its first-choice on-ballers.

The Power named its side on Thursday evening but decided against rushing midfielders Roger James (groin) and Jarrad Schofield (hamstring) into the side and is already missing fellow on-ballers Josh Carr and Peter Burgoyne through suspension.


James and Schofield have battled injury through pre-season but were rated a chance of resuming with the Power earlier in the week. Both have been named as emergencies and will be eased back into competitive football through the SANFL this week.

The absence of those four players puts greater pressure on Josh Francou and Nick Stevens, who will need to combat the likes of All Australian foursome Michael Voss, Jason Akermanis, Nigel Lappin and Simon Black in the middle.

But Power coach Mark Williams still has a long list of midfield options, including the likes of Gavin Wanganeen, Byron Pickett, and youngsters Kane Cornes, Dom Cassisi and Steven Salopek. Shaun Burgoyne has been named as ruck-rover for the first time, having played up forward (and occasionally in defence) though his 18-game career so far.

Key defender Darryl Wakelin has been ruled out for this week with the back injury he sustained in the second quarter of Saturday’s loss to West Coast at Subiaco. Wakelin is expected to miss just the one week. The loss of Wakelin will hand a bigger role to Toby Thurstans, who made an impressive debut against the Eagles.

Ruckman Dean Brogan will play his first game of the season, having missed Round 1 through suspension. The Power coaching staff opted to go with Brogan, ahead of Brendon Lade, who has been sent back to play with South Adelaide in the SANFL this week.

Che ****atoo-Collins and Jared Poulton both earned a call-up to the Power side after playing with the Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL last weekend.

Burgoyne was suspended for two matches during the week after being found guilty of charging West Coast’s Troy Wilson.

The two sides to clash at AAMI Stadium from 7:10pm (local time) are as follows:

PORT ADELAIDE

Backs: Montgomery, Paxman, Hardwick

Half Backs: Poulton, Bishop, Wanganeen

Centreline: K. Cornes, Stevens, Cassisi

Half Forwards: Dew, Tredrea, C. Cornes

Forwards: Pickett, Brogan, ****atoo-Collins

Followers: Primus, S. Burgoyne, Francou

Interchange: Thurstans, Salopek, Guerra, Cochrane

Emergencies: James, Lade, Schofield

IN: Brogan, ****atoo-Collins, Poulton

OUT: P. Burgoyne (suspended), Lade (omitted), Wakelin (back)

BRISBANE LIONS

Backs: Johnson, Michael, Ashcroft

Half Backs: C. Scott, Leppitsch, Lappin

Centreline: B. Scott, Voss, Akermanis

Half Forwards: White, Brown, Shattock

Forwards: Hart, Lynch, Bradshaw

Followers: Charman, Black, Power

Interchange: McLaren, Notting, Pike, Caracella

Emergencies: Brennan, Morrison, McGrath

[_espoir]

IN: Brogan, ****atoo-Collins, Poulton

glad to see poults back... i just hope co cky doesnt "muck" around and show off...

[brent33brett33]

Originally posted by _espoir
IN: Brogan, ****atoo-Collins, Poulton

glad to see poults back... i just hope co cky doesnt "muck" around and show off...
I'm so glad dean is back...
but *rhe* why che? the guy couldn't be more crapped up if he tried.

[Porthos]

Here's to Toby Thurstans' guaranteed game time!

[blackdiamond]

Are we playing ducks and drakes?

What would be the point of naming James and Schofield as emergencies if they only intend to play them in the SANFL? Surely it would be better to name someone that will play if needed, just trying to keep Brisbane second guessing I guess.

I don't like our chances for this game, the midfield is far too depleted to contend with the likes of Brisbane and will be shown out again like when we played West Coast.

Furthermore the loss of Wakelin is going to make it even harder, I can't see Paxman, Bishop and Thurstans controlling Lynch, Bradshaw and Brown enough. I can see Chad Cornes spending a lot of time in the backlines this week.

[mic59]

I don't like playing Chad Cornes in defence. Having him there will only take away from our attack. Last year in round 22 he was able to generate rebound as there was a midfield who could lead to him. But with the depleted midfield we have now he will have to be able to join to offer a target to Monty, Thurstans, Bishop and Wangas. At least the forced move of Junior Burger may be a blessing. The forward lines or the backlines become too much of a comfort zone for players of Burger's undoubted skill, and I was even getting the idea he was getting bored where he was. Remember that Andrew McLeod, while he did a few superb things in the forward lines, never really shone brightly till he was put at half-back and on the ball. If Burger can be half as good we have a star.

But what the god is Cochrane there for? Mark Williams doesn't seriously think he can do a stopping job on any of the Brisbane stars, does he? I would have thought leaving Lade in the forwards would at least give us an extra large target there, and his best game last year was against Brisbane. Even if he had a bad day he'd still probably get more touches than Cochrane. And he'd certainly get less that go to an opponent.

[Zombie]

I think Port are pretty much of the mindset that this is a game that we probably won't win with the form we are in so rushing injured players back in will only risk reinjuring them again.

I see James has been named as an emergency for Norwood aswell, does that mean that he may play for either team? Schofield has been named in the Centrals line up and M.Wilson will play for the maggies reserves.

So that could mean that over the next two weeks we may possibly see the return of Carr, James, Schofield, Kingsley, Wilson, P.Burgoyne and Wakelin into the side, that's a fair chunk of the midfield in there.

I also hope Co(ky takes his opportunity in the abscence of P.Burgoyne, it would be handy to have him in 2001 form in the forward lines this year.

[goaldrush]

Originally posted by Porthos
Here's to Toby Thurstans' guaranteed game time! Good luck to him