By Marc McGowan, Peter Ryan and Roy Ward
Port Adelaide will go big in their last-ditch bid to avoid finals elimination in their Adelaide Oval clash against the Hawks on Friday night.
The Power recalled Todd Marshall (198 centimetres) as one of four key fowards for the must-win clash after coach Ken Hinkley said the selection call on the 25-year-old was the biggest they had to make.
Port Adelaide have recalled forward Todd Marshall.Credit: AFL Photos
Marshall, who has played only once in the past two months due to injuries, is set to partner Charlie Dixon (200 centimetres), Mitch Georgiades (192 centimetres) and Esava Ratugolea (197 centimetres) in a four-pronged tall attack.
The Hawks have played all season with an undersized back line and they’ve been left even smaller due to injuries, this is where the Power are backing their tall timber to overpower Sam Mitchell’s young side.
Both teams lost important personnel in the lead-up to the match, with Hawthorn’s Sam Frost (foot) out for the rest of the finals and Port’s Ryan Burton (calf) failing a fitness test on Thursday.
The Hawks turned to nine-gamer Jai Serong – the younger brother of Fremantle star Caleb – to fill Frost’s key defensive post.
Serong, who has been a strong VFL performer this year, will play alongside captain James Sicily and rising star Josh Weddle in Hawthorn’s defence, but none of that trio is taller than 193cm.
Burton’s absence exacerbates the absences of dual All-Australian Dan Houston, who copped a five-game bump ban that ended his season, and fellow defender Kane Farrell (hamstring).
Midfielder Zak Butters will also play under duress after scans cleared him of any fractures in the rib injury that caused him to be subbed out of last week’s landslide qualifying final defeat to Geelong.
But Hinkley backed Butters, who ex-Power great Kane Cornes felt should have played “through” the issue, to handle any extra attention that came his way.
Sidelined: Hawthorn defender Sam Frost on Thursday.Credit: Getty Images
“Unlike some people; I know Zak is a tough player – a really tough player,” Hinkley said. “He won’t take a step backwards.”
The Power’s under-fire coach said they would pick the “best people” to maximise their chances against Hawthorn, in response to whether Frost’s injury would increase the likelihood of them going tall.
Marshall, who inked a five-year extension in February, has struggled with injuries in the past two seasons, particularly with concussion and a hip problem that required off-season surgery.
A hip recurrence against Gold Coast in round 18 sidelined Marshall for three matches before he suffered a concussion in his return match in the Power’s two-point win over Melbourne almost five weeks ago.
Port Adelaide resisted the temptation to select him for last week’s qualifying final, but he was among the emergencies.
Georgiades was the sole Power tall forward to make any sort of impression in the loss to the Cats, with Dixon and Ratugolea combining for nine disposals and one behind.
The early assumption was Marshall would replace one of Dixon or Ratugolea if he was fit, but Port instead axed small forward Jed McEntee.
Josh Sinn, another emergency last week, will take Burton’s spot in the back line.
The Power and Hawks were at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum last weekend with the Power licking their wounds following a thumping at Adelaide Oval by Geelong while the Hawks were flying high in a 37-point win over Western Bulldogs in the elimination final.
The Power are the 12th club to suffer a 50-point loss in a qualifying final in the current finals format, the previous 11 clubs all responded by winning their semi-final.
The other semi-final between GWS and Brisbane Lions had far less uncertainty, with the Giants recalling Toby Bedford after a calf injury kept him out of last week’s qualifying final loss to Sydney. Bedford replaces Toby McMullin in the side.
The Lions made no changes as they look to return to the preliminary finals once again.
Brisbane defender Jack Payne as named despite injuring his knee in their elimination final win over Carlton.
With AAP
PORT ADELAIDE
Backs: La.Jones 34 B.Zerk-Thatcher 25 M.Bergman 14
Half Backs: J.Sinn 8 A.Aliir 21 L.Evans 43
Centres: J.Burgoyne 7 O.Wines 16 W.Drew 28
Half Forwards: D.Byrne-Jones 33 E.Ratugolea 27 W.Rioli 15
Forwards: M.Georgiades 19 C.Dixon 22 C.Rozee - C 1
Rucks: J.Sweet 24 J.Horne-Francis 18 Z.Butters 9
Interchange: T.Boak 10 Q.Narkle 42 J.Mead 44 F.Evans 31 T.Marshall 4
Emergency: W.Lorenz 36 D.Visentini 38 D.Williams 23
In: J.Sinn, T.Marshall
Out: R.Burton (injured), J.McEntee (omitted)
HAWTHORN
Backs: B.Hardwick 15 J.Serong 29 J.Impey 4
Half Backs: J.Ward 25 J.Sicily - C 6 J.Scrimshaw 14
Centres: K.Amon 10 D.Moore 13 J.Weddle 23
Half Forwards: F.Maginness 32 M.Chol 18 C.Macdonald 31
Forwards: J.Ginnivan 33 L.Breust 22 N.Watson 34
Rucks: L.Meek 17 J.Worpel 5 J.Newcombe 3
Interchange: H.Morrison 1 M.D’Ambrosio 16 J.Gunston 19 C.Dear 35 C.Nash 11
Emergency: H.Hustwaite 44 C.Jiath 9 N.Reeves 7
In: J.Serong
Out: S.Frost (injured)
GIANTS
B: H.Himmelberg, S.Taylor, C.Idun
HB: L.Whitfield, J.Buckley, H.Perryman
C: F.Callaghan, T.Green, J.Kelly
HF: B.Daniels, A.Cadman, I.Cumming
F: D.Jones, J.Hogan, T.Greene (c)
FOLL: K.Briggs, S.Coniglio, J.Peatling
I/C: C.Ward, L.Ash, T.Bedford, L.Keeffe, X.O’Halloran
EMG: J.Riccardi, T.McMullin, N.Haynes
IN: T.Bedford
OUT: T.McMullin (Omitted)
LIONS
B: D.Zorko, H.Andrews, C.McKenna
HB: D.Wilmot, J.Payne, R.Lester
C: J.Fletcher, W.Ashcroft, H.McCluggage
HF: C.Rayner, J.Daniher, J.Berry
F: C.Cameron, E.Hipwood, Z.Bailey
FOLL: O.McInerney, J.Dunkley, L.Neale -(c)
I/C: K.Lohmann, C.Ah Chee, L.Morris, B.Starcevich, N.Answerth
EMG: H.Sharp, D.Fort, D.Joyce
No changes
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