AFL Round 14 teams: Port Adelaide recalls Jordon Sweet ahead of Max Gawn test

Port Adelaide will unveil another debutant this round and has unveiled a two-pronged ruck plan to stop Max Gawn. SEE FULL ROUND 14 TEAMS HERE.

Superstar ruck Max Gawn will have to battle a two-ruck set up on Sunday after Port Adelaide recalled Jordon Sweet for the clash.

It is the first game Sweet has played in the seniors since he was dropped after round 8 for youngster Dante Visentini.

Sweet was best afield in the SANFL last week, booting two goals from 17 touches while also recording 40 hit outs and eight clearances.

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Visentini will ruck alongside Sweet for the first time this season.

Melbourne has recalled Jack Viney following a cursed run of injury, battling through a lingering concussion before fracturing his hand at training.

Koltyn Tholstrup was omitted for Melbourne.

Jordon Sweet is back in the Port Adelaide side.

The Power will also recall Jason Horne-Francis and hand a debut to Mani Liddy, with Jeremy Finlayson and Christian Moraes omitted, while Travis Boak has been managed.

Carlton has dropped SSP signing Will White in favour of returning small forward Corey Durdin as the side’s only change against West Coast.

The Eagles have made three changes, including handing mid-season draftee Tom McCarthy a debut.

Clay Hall will return to the midfield, while Bailey Williams has been brought in to help Matt Flynn combat Tom De Koning.

Tom Cole is out with injury and Brady Hough is sick and will not play, while Archer Reid has been dropped.

DONS SET FOR 51-YEAR FIRST WITH SURPRISE DOUBLE DEBUT

- Glenn McFarlane

The future of Essendon will be on display in Saturday’s bumper MCG clash with Geelong with two more debutants – mid-season draftees Archer May and Lachlan Blakiston – set to create a 51-year first for the Bombers.

It means Essendon will have debuted 10 players this season, which is the most the club has had since 1974, back when then coach Des Tuddenham named 11 first-time Bombers.

May and Blakiston have been selected to play for the Bombers’ country game against the Cats, with almost 70,000 fans tipped to attend the twilight fixture.

Mid-season draftee Archer May will debut this weekend. Picture: Essendon FC

The pair have only been at the Hangar for two weeks but have impressed the Bombers with the way they have adapted to the AFL system.

May was the club’s first pick – sixth overall – in the mid-season draft, with the 198cm forward taken from Subiaco. The 20-year-old, whose mother is the partner of AFL great Dermott Brereton, had 13 disposals and kicked a goal in his one game with the VFL Bombers.

Blakiston, 26, was taken at pick 13 by the Bombers after the 203cm ruckman from East Fremantle impressed all clubs with his form in the WAFL this year.

While he was drafted as a ruck, Blakiston played against Carlton’s VFL side last week and had 14 touches as a key defender.

The Bombers have already handed eight players their first games this season, with Luamon Lual performing well in his debut against Carlton last Sunday.

The others to have played were Zak Johnson, Isaac Kako, Tom Edwards, Lewis Hayes, Archer Day-Wicks, Angus Clarke and Saad El-Hawli.

Given the club’s long injury-list and the form of some of the club’s young players, there could be even more in the coming weeks.

May said: “I wasn’t sure why Brad was calling or if he was giving me VFL instructions, but I was genuinely speechless when he said I was in.”

“I am over the moon with excitement and so grateful for the opportunity. I’ve done a lot of work to get to where I am so when I rang Mum and Dad, they were both so proud.

“Fifteen days ago I was playing at Subiaco, and now, I’m being told I’m playing at the MCG, it is honestly crazy.

“On Saturday I just want to stay present and focus on what I can contribute to the team and hopefully make the Bomber fans proud.”

Blakiston said: “I was doing some housework and missed a call from Brad, I rang him back and he told me I’d be in the senior side this week. I couldn’t believe it. It was just sheer excitement and emotion.”

“A few years ago, I was playing local footy, and now I’m playing on the MCG. I never felt that the dream of AFL was realistic for me, so to now be achieving that goal is incredible.”

Originally published as AFL Round 14 teams: Port Adelaide recalls Jordon Sweet ahead of Max Gawn test