Round 7 Power Rankings: The big questions ahead of Showdown 44
DESPITE Adelaide clearly being the form team and the Power struggling for consistency, tipsters will be divided for Showdown 44. This week’s Power Rankings looks at the five big questions going into SA footy’s biggest game this Saturday.
Reece Homfray
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- Jacobs’ big duel within Showdown
- Cornes: Port’s lack of consistency a problem
- Power set for honest review
- Crows’ future on show
THE last time Port Adelaide won a Showdown Jay Schulz kicked five goals and Alipate Carlile was at full back.
That was Round 5, 2015, and since then the Power has lost five on the trot by an average of 35 points.
Yet these games are always 50-50 and despite Adelaide clearly being the form team and the Power struggling for consistency, the bookies will have trouble splitting them and the tipsters will be divided.
Here are five big questions going into SA footy’s biggest game this Saturday.
1. Who does Tom Jonas play on?
Jonas has stood everyone from Eddie Betts to Taylor Walker and Josh Jenkins in these games but chances are he’ll go to Mitch McGovern after his game-breaking performance on Saturday night.
Jonas did a good job stopping North Melbourne’s Ben Brown a fortnight ago, albeit he had plenty of help from teammates but he looks the best bet for McGovern who is clearly returning to his high-flying, goalkicking best.
2. Which Crows are squeezed out?
If as expected Taylor Walker, Rory Sloane and Riley Knight are all passed fit to play this week, then three unlucky Crows are coming out of the side that beat Carlton by 55 point. One could be Wayne Milera if his hamstring/knee rules him out, then it’s most likely but still cruelly Darcy Fogarty and Jordan Gallucci.
3. Can Dixon hit the scoreboard?
Dixon’s goalkicking is becoming a talking point among Port fans who are getting a little worried after Round 7. He’s kicked 5.11 this season, albeit while having to also play in the ruck to cover for Paddy Ryder, but that’s after 3.6 in last year’s elimination final. Dixon kicked 1.3 against West Coast on Saturday but his one goal was a beauty from just inside 50m when Port was making a run.
4. Who is more satisfied at this point of the season?
Adelaide has had two massive wins over Richmond and Sydney and Port’s biggest scalp has been the Swans in Sydney. Given Adelaide’s injury toll, 5-2 is a great result while Port has been inconsistent.
5. Who wins?
That said, it’s Port Adelaide’s time. They’re fit — well fitter than Adelaide who may bring three players back from injury this week — and will be smarting after such a meek performance in Perth and have the home crowd behind them.
GOOD WEEKEND FOR ...
Mitch McGovern. Signed a big contract extension last year and has had a slow start to this season albeit he’s spent time in defence. But 5.3 and his trademark high flying on Saturday says he’s back.
ONE TO FORGET FOR ...
GWS. Every team has injuries but that effort against the Cats on Friday night was of a bottom eight side.
BURNING QUESTION
So are the Giants in trouble? Playing ordinary footy and with a lengthy injury list the Giants have West Coast and North Melbourne coming up and could be outside the eight.
ROUND 7 POWER RANKINGS
1. WEST COAST (6-1)
Jack Darling must be in close to career-best form and Willie Rioli finally showing why the Eagles used pick 52 in the 2016 national draft to secure him from Glenelg.
2. RICHMOND (6-1)
Fremantle was never a major threat to them at the MCG but the Tigers were ruthless and clinical.
3. ADELAIDE (5-2)
The Crows have an injury list as long as the River Torrens bridge yet keep winning. Without Walker and Sloane they could have been excused if Carlton pushed them on Saturday night but their next tier of leaders stood up in Douglas, Lynch and McGovern.
4. HAWTHORN (5-2)
Slow start against Essendon but hit their straps and that’s two in a row going into what promises to be a blockbuster against Sydney this Friday night.
5. N. MELBOURNE (4-3)
Arguably the upset of the season. Thought North might have been out of gas after losing to Port last week but rolling Sydney up there was huge. Back in the top eight on this week’s rankings.
6. SYDNEY (4-3)
Sydney’s past four weeks have gone win, loss, win, loss. To beat Geelong in the manner they did last week then lose to North Melbourne makes them so difficult to read. Slip on the rankings this week.
7. PORT ADELAIDE (4-3)
Couldn’t handle West Coast’s frontal pressure and it probably says more about the Eagles than Port who many underestimated in pre-season. Still, the Power is now fighting for a spot in the eight. Expect Rockliff and Powell-Pepper to come in this week.
8. GEELONG (4-3)
As convincing as they could be against the Giants to jump up the rankings this week and it’s thanks to brilliant recruiting of the likes of Kelly, Ratugolea and Henry.
9. COLLINGWOOD (4-3)
Bounced back from last week’s loss by beating Brisbane at the Gabba and Geelong this week will be a great form guide.
10. MELBOURNE (4-3)
It was only St Kilda but that was a significant win for Melbourne because that’s typically the game they tend to drop.
11. GWS (4-2-1)
The Giants were horrible against the Cats and now they take on West Coast on a six-game winning streak.
12. FREMANTLE (3-4)
Another disappointing day out for the Dockers who despite Nat Fyfe and Lachie Neale having 68 disposals between them, could only manage four goals all game.
13. GOLD COAST (3-4)
Showed the sort of fight many wanted given they were without their two leaders in Lynch and May but couldn’t quite finish the job against the Dogs.
14. W. BULLDOGS (3-4)
Says something about where the Dogs are when beating a half-strength Gold Coast in Ballarat is considered a decent win but that’s two in a row now.
15. ESSENDON (2-5)
On the slide again. Had more of the ball and won contested possession against Hawthorn but that masked a few problems for the Bombers.
16. ST. KILDA (1-5-1)
Hard to see where St Kilda’s next win is going to come from. Have now dropped four of their last five.
17. BRISBANE (0-7)
Another admirable loss, this time to Collingwood.
18. CARLTON (0-7)
Looked a finals-bound side in the second quarter against Adelaide but the problem was that was it. Like the look of Zac Fisher, too.
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