Untried Billy Frampton in line to replace Paddy Ryder for crunch game against Collingwood
BILLY Frampton is in line to make his long-awaited Port Adelaide debut on one of the biggest stages of all — against Collingwood’s All-Australian ruck contender Brodie Grundy at the MCG as injuries cut a swathe through Port’s tall stocks.
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BILLY Frampton is in line to make his long-awaited Port Adelaide debut on one of the biggest stages of all — against Collingwood’s All-Australian ruck contender Brodie Grundy at the MCG.
With assistant coach Michael Voss declaring the Power’s No. 1 ruckman Paddy Ryder is “less than a 50-50 chance’’ of playing in Saturday’s crucial, finals-shaping clash against the Magpies and fellow tall Charlie Dixon lost for the season with a broken leg, Voss said Frampton is “one to talk about’’.
“We haven't had match committee and have just pulled apart last week’s game, so we’ll start to lift our eyes at what’s coming next,’’ Voss said after consecutive defeats by a total of seven points to Adelaide and West Coast.
“But clearly on the injury front when you’ve got a couple of people missing it presents opportunities for other players and Billy will certainly be in that discussion.
“It would be (a big challenge against Grundy) but we've had players that have come in, (Kane) Farrell has come in and done a couple of good things for us over the past couple of weeks.
‘We’ve been able to present opportunities and sometimes they can really surprise you about what they can do.
“He’s been thereabouts for a few weeks now, Bill, his form’s been pretty solid. Obviously he didn't play on the weekend (Port had the SANFL bye) but that just makes him fresh.’’
The high-leaping Frampton, 21 and 200cm, has yet to play an AFL game after being drafted from WAFL club South Fremantle at pick 84 in the 2014 national draft.
But he might be the Power’s best bet to come into the side if Ryder, as expected, is ruled out of the Collingwood clash with the hip flexor injury he sustained in the devastating, after-the-siren loss to the Eagles which has left Port scrambling to make the finals.
“This is a really important game that will determine the outcome of where we finish this year,’’ Voss noted.
“The ideal scenario is that when one player goes out another player comes in and does the job, that would be the preference.
“But we have to consider the whole team, not just one position. We have to throw all of that in the melting pot and see what we come up with.
“Paddy and Charlie are pretty important players for us and for our structure but I see no reason why there isn’t personnel there to be able to get the job done for us.
“But I’d be really ahead of myself if I was to sit here solving that situation without (other) coaches actually catching up and commenting about that.’’
Defender Dan Houston (head/chest knock) has been cleared to play against the Magpies while Voss said Sam Powell-Pepper, Riley Bonner and Jack Hombsch will come under selection discussion after being dropped against the Eagles.
The Power has lost four of its past five games to fall from top four contention but Voss said 90 per cent of his team's work had been good.
“What we can’t be dispirited by is that 10 per cent, we’ve got to be encouraged by the 90 per cent and keep working away at getting the big moments right,’’ he said.
andrew.capel@news.com.au
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