AFL Round 15 teams: Power to back in dual ruck set-up against Brodie Grundy

Essendon debutant Vigo Visentini will have a one-out ruck battle with Luke Jackson, with the teams for Essendon’s clash with Freo on Thursday night locked in.

Essendon debutant Vigo Visentini will have a one-out ruck battle with Luke Jackson after Todd Goldstein and Sean Darcy were managed for the Thursday night clash.

Goldstein ruck has shouldered the Bombers’ load since round 7 after season-ending injuries to Sam Draper and Nick Bryan.

But with a five-day turnaround, and a trip across the Nullarbor to face the Dockers, Brad Scott’s midfield will be led by the 19-year-old rookie pick from 2023.

And in doing so, Essendon will blood its 11th debutant for the season, which is the most in a single season for the club since 1974.

After being confirmed for a debut earlier in the week, Visentini will join Isaac Kako, Tom Edwards, Saad El-Hawli, Archer Day-Wicks, Lewis Hayes, Angus Clarke, Zak Johnson, Luamon Lual, Lachlan Blakiston and Archie May as debutants this season.

Ben Hobbs will also return for Essendon, replacing Day-Wicks for the clash.

Hobbs had 19 touches and six tackles in the VFL last week after he was omitted.

Fremantle chose to manage Darcy for the clash against the Bombers, replacing with more leg speed.

They have brought in James Aish and Nathan O’Drisocoll to replace Darcy and Sam Switkowski.

O’Driscoll started the season strongly in Fremantle’s midfield rotation, but a syndesmosis injury suffered in the round 4 win against the Western Bulldogs has kept him out of the senior side for almost three months.

He has been in encouraging form in the WAFL since his return, collecting 24 touches in his last game.

HORNET, ALIIR INJURY CLOUDS LINGER AS RUCK DOUBLE TEAM TO CONTINUE

- Matt Turner

Port Adelaide is set to again back its two-ruck model against Sydney’s Brodie Grundy as the Power looks to build on its confidence from consecutive wins.

Dante Visentini and Jordon Sweet are expected to battle Grundy at home on Saturday, a week after helping to curtail Max Gawn’s influence in Port’s win at Adelaide Oval.

The Power remains hopeful midfielder Jason Horne-Francis and key defender Aliir Aliir will play despite them both sitting out the match simulation at Alberton on Wednesday.

Horne-Francis took part in some drills with the main group, while Aliir trained indoors.

Dante Visentini rucks against Max Gawn on Sunday. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

Visentini and Sweet both featured with the A side during the scratch match.

Key forwards Jeremy Finlayson and Ollie Lord remained with the Bs.

Hinkley said playing two rucks “worked reasonably well” against the Demons.

“We’ll be optimistic around going there again this week,” said Hinkley, whose team beat the Swans in Sydney in round 6 with Sweet and Lord sharing the duties.

“Grundy’s also a very good ruck and typically they’ve got some tall forwards like (Hayden) McLean that can help out.”

Port’s win over Melbourne moved the Power to 11th on the ladder with a 6-7 record, two wins and 21.9 per cent outside the top eight.

Hinkley said his group’s belief had returned after beating GWS and the Demons on the back of a winless month and “when you can get confidence in your group, you can be hard to stop”.

“You get certain things in your game where you go ‘yeah, that’s us’ and when we play like that, we’re a really hard team to beat,” he said.

“I think our players have got a little bit of that in them.

“We’ve had a history of being able to get on runs and we desperately need to get on one.”

Swingman Jack Lukosius trained with the main group on Wednesday for the first time since hurting his back.

The off-season recruit remains two to three weeks away from being available.

Hinkley said on-baller Ollie Wines, listed as missing up to a fortnight with a knee injury, was unlikely to play in next Thursday’s home clash against Carlton.

Originally published as AFL Round 15 teams: Power to back in dual ruck set-up against Brodie Grundy