Head to head: Collingwood 8 wins, Port Adelaide 9 wins
Last time: Collingwood 16.10 (106) d Port Adelaide 10.15 (75), round 20, 2008, at AAMI Stadium
MISSING IN ACTION
Collingwood
Alan Didak (hamstring) - test
Paul Medhurst (ankle) - test
Anthony Rocca (knee) - test
Sean Rusling (fractured cheekbone) - test
Dale Thomas (knee) - test
Travis Cloke (hamstring) - 1-2 weeks
Ben Johnson (broken leg) - 1-2 weeks
SUMMARY
It has been a contrasting week for these two sides. An undermanned Collingwood shook the monkey from its back with an upset 22-point win over West Coast at Subiaco.
Leon Davis continued his brilliant form with 32 possessions, 10 marks and three goals, while Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury also worked hard in the engine room finishing with 74 possessions between them.
Port Adelaide’s very own monkey returned at the SCG on Sunday. The Power, on a high after a thrilling win over Richmond, were blown away by the Swans' eight-goal first term.
Mark Williams' charges have struggled to muster a consistent, high-intensity effort in the opening eight rounds and have recorded consecutive wins just once this season.
The good news for Port Adelaide fans is that this could be an 'up' week for the club and after receiving a rocket from the coach, the captain and the local media, the players will be steeled for redemption.
The bad news for the Power faithful is that Collingwood appears set to regain some proven match-winners for the twilight clash at the MCG.
The possible inclusion of Alan Didak, Dale Thomas, Paul Medhurst and Anthony Rocca would certainly make Mick Malthouse’s quest a lot easier.
QUESTION MARKS
- Can Collingwood continue its momentum from last week? The injury-ravaged Pies showed heart to win away from home. Now, with some big names in line for a recall, round nine could prove to be the springboard for its season.
- Which Port Adelaide will turn up to the 'G on Sunday? Most sides have struggled to sustain good results in a tightening competition, but few have a bigger gap between its best and worst performances.
- Can Magpie ruckman Cameron Wood continue his good form? Wood, with a career-high 23 disposals, was terrific against West Coast last week. On Sunday he and Josh Fraser face formidable ruck duo Dean Brogan and Brendon Lade.
MICK MALTHOUSE – on the difficulties of selection this week
“You can’t afford to be a smart alec in this, because you name 18 [and] you name seven. Your seven are supposedly the three that you drop out and the four that you have on your interchange … what you can’t do is have too many players in there (the interchange list) that aren’t going to play.
“So it does put pressure on Port and ourselves, who have the later game (of the round), because you’re pretty much fixed in on those players, when reality-wise you’d like to have another good training session before you had to actually declare that [line-up].
“We’re certainly not going to name players unless they’ve got a chance. If they’ve got no chance [of playing], then they won’t be named.”
VFL
After a bye last week Collingwood’s VFL team dropped one spot on the ladder to eighth. This week the Magpies meet the Northern Bullants – second on the ladder – at Visy Park from 2pm Saturday.
Collingwood line-up:
B: Frost, Thoolen, Corrie
HB: Goldsack, Reid, Clarke
C: Wellingham, Peverill, Dyas
HF: Sidebottom, Dawes, Cook
F: Dick, Macaffer, McCarthy
Foll: Bryan, Barham, Beams
Int: (from) Boshevski, K Pendlebury, Sheahan, Sundburg, Walker, Keefe, Mahoney, Blair, Mugavin, Colbert, Rounds, Hunt
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club
