FORM GUIDE
The Brisbane Lions had a torrid time at Metricon Stadium last weekend against the Gold Coast Suns in very hot and warm conditions. The game was a real arm-wrestle for the better part of three quarters with not much more than a few goals at a time separating the two teams.
The difference on the afternoon was Gary Ablett Jr and the young Suns midfielders followed his lead blowing the game open late in the third quarter. It lifted the entire side and ultimately 53 points was the final margin. Ablett Jr won his second Marcus Ashcroft Medal for his best on ground display.
The Lions now go into Round Four with a 0-3 record.
The Lions cause was hurt with an unfortunate knee injury suffered by Daniel Rich during the second quarter when Sean Lemmens fell awkwardly. It had a huge impact on the rotations and forward thrust from the Lions backline and Rich will be sorely missed this season.
Lions Captain Jed Adcock was in the wars from the first minute and continued to put his body on the line for the entire afternoon – a true Captain’s performance from the leader.
Port Adelaide played a high-tempo action packed game under the roof at Etihad Stadium against North Melbourne. The experts had tipped to Port Adelaide to improve their record to 3-0, questioning the Kangaroos’ commitment if the game got close. But the Kangaroos hung in all afternoon and overcame a 21-point deficit in the final quarter to record their second win of the year.
Port Adelaide head into Round Four with a 2-1 record and are back this week at their home ground the Adelaide Oval. Travis Boak and some of the senior players have admitted that they have pulled up a bit sore from the game at Etihad Stadium, which is not an uncommon complaint.
Port Adelaide is celebrating the tenth anniversary of their maiden AFL Premiership win against the Lions. This week they will wear commemorative jumpers celebrating the 2004 decider.
Further to this, Port Adelaide this week announced that they have signed up 50,000 members so the game should be played in front of a huge crowd in the South Australian capital.
INJURY AND SUSPENSION
On Monday this week the Lions confirmed all supporters and fans worst fears when it was announced that Daniel Rich ruptured his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season. It is a huge loss for the Lions and Rich was given an enormous amount of support through social media for his upcoming rehabilitation. Rich has been philosophical about the injury and we can expect one of the best trainers at the Club to do everything to get himself fit for the 2015 season.
As the saying goes “with every dark cloud there is a silver lining”.
Although the Lions will definitely miss one of their best midfielders for the season it gives young players an opportunity to push for senior selection.
Josh Green is also out this week with a hamstring injury, which is likely to sideline him for around two matches.
Daniel Merrett has been given a two-week suspension by the Match Review Panel for a high shot on David Swallow and will miss this week and the big Easter Thursday clash against Richmond the following week.
Port Adelaide have their own concerns with Angus Monfries due to miss a month with a torn hamstring with Chad Wingard also pulling up sore with an ankle injury.
SELECTION TABLE
The Lions have made five changes to the side that fell to the Gold Coast in QClash 7 – with three new faces among the inclusions.
Tom Cutler and Nick Robertson will become the latest Lions players to line-up for their senior AFL debut, while Jackson Paine, who moved north from Collingwood over the off-season, has also been called up for his first match in Lions colours.
Ryan Harwood and Rohan Bewick have also been recalled, and will be expecting to play down back and up forward respectively on Saturday.
In addition to the three forced changes mentioned above (Rich, Merrett, and Green), the Lions have omitted Michael Close and Ryan Lester.
Close has shown some promising signs in the early stages of 2014, but has failed to hit the scoreboard in any of his first three matches. No doubt he’ll gain confidence from a stint in the NEAFL and find his way back into the side at some stage soon.
Lester, meanwhile, could probably consider himself unlucky after a solid opening to his 2014 campaign.
The 21-year-old currently ranks second at the Club in clearances, third in tackles, 4th in contested possessions, and 6th in total disposals. However, there are obviously some deficiencies in his game that Justin Leppitsch and his coaching staff are keen to rectify.
Port Adelaide, meanwhile, have included first-gamer Sam Gray along with Cam O’Shea and Aaron Young – who were both part of the Power’s Finals campaign last year.
The trio replace injured pair Monfries and Wingard while John Butcher has been omitted.
KEY MATCH-UPS
The midfield battle is where this game will be won and lost on Saturday afternoon. Port Adelaide have transformed under the Ken Hinkley regime into one of the fittest and hardest running teams in the AFL.
Travis Boak, Hamish Hartlett, Ollie Wines, Kane Cornes and Brad Ebert will provide the drive from the centre for the Power, with their contested football and gut running between attack and defence.
Former Lion Jared Polec will come face-to-face with the Club that he walked out on at the end of last season and should expect plenty of attention from his former teammates.
Tom Rockliff will lead the Lions’ midfield resistance alongside Jack Redden, Brent Moloney, Dayne Zorko and Lion ‘cubs’ James Aish, Lewis Taylor, Sam Mayes, and Nick Robertson.
It will be a sensational test for the younger players against a rejuvenated Port Adelaide side who is basing their game on supreme fitness.
The Power forward line, spearheaded by Justin Westhoff and Jay Schultz, should see Justin Clarke and possibly Jordan Lisle head down for the initial contest. A switch among these players with Joel Patfull thrown in the mix makes for a fascinating afternoon in the Lions back half.
The Lions forward structure was a worry prior to the start of the season and has failed to fire so far. Jonathan Brown will again lead the line and should see plenty of Jackson Trengrove by his side.
Jackson Paine and Marco Paparone will also roam the forward 50m arc and hopefully provide other marking options.
The midfielders will need to push forward when they can and support the forwards and we may see Matthew Leuenberger resting forward for longer periods of this game to try and stretch the Power defence.
Matthew Broadbent was full of running of half back for the Power last weekend against the Kangaroos and the Lions will do will to try and isolate him deeper in the Power defence and not allow him to free-wheel down the wings of Adelaide Oval.
UPSET ON THE CARDS?
The Lions are underdogs for the clash on Saturday with not many experts giving them a chance to upset Port Adelaide on their home turf.
However, the Brisbane Lions hold a 14-12 overall head-to-head record and a 4-1 record in their past five matches.
The previous clash between the two teams was in Round 18 last year and was only decided by nine points in a tight tussle with Port Adelaide ultimately victorious.
Prior to that the Power failed to beat the Lions since season 2009.
Could the Lions give the tipsters an upset this weekend?
HEADING TO ADELAIDE OVAL?
SA-based Lions fans planning on heading to Adelaide Oval on Saturday are encouraged to stop by The Lion Hotel.
Just a short walk from the Adelaide Oval, the aptly-named ‘Lion Hotel’ is the perfect place to grab something to eat and drink before and/or after the game.
Hopefully Lions fans can make the venue a ‘home away from home’ and help add some maroon, blue and gold to a crowd that will be largely decked out in teal.
The Lion Hotel is located at 161 Melbourne Street in North Adelaide. You can contact them by calling (08) 8367 0222 or visit www.thelionhotel.com
LIONS RESERVES
The Lions Reserves enjoyed a big win last week over their local rivals the Gold Coast Suns as the curtain raiser to QClash7. It was an 89-point thrashing giving the Lions a much needed confidence boost after some tough losses throughout the pre-season and against the Swans in week one.
In the middle Nick Robertson, Zac O’Brien, Jack Crisp and Andrew Raines enjoyed strong games, with Robertson’s 30-disposal effort enough to earn him a senior call-up.
Tom Cutler and Daniel McStay had solid games down back and Jackson Paine kicked five goals in the big win for the reserves.
It definitely gives Leppitsch some food for thought.
This week the Lions reserves take on Redland Bombers at Casheezi Park at 1:30pm, who are also coming off at big win over Ainslie by 48 points.