AFL 2018 Round 5: Port Adelaide Power v Geelong Cats; Match preview and teams

AFL ROUND 5 2018, PORT ADELAIDE POWER V GEELONG CATS, ADELAIDE OVAL, SATURDAY 21 APRIL 2018, 19:40 AEST
Ben Jensen, April 19 2018 GEELONG and Port Adelaide have each made two changes to their sides this evening for their clash at Adelaide Oval this Saturday night. Zach Tuohy will play his 150th game, his 29th for the Cats after playing the previous 120 at Carlton. As eluded to on Tuesday Geelong is in all sorts of trouble with injuries just now to key defenders with Harry Taylor and Lachie Henderson facing months out of the game, leaving relatively inexperienced defenders Jake Koladjashnij and Mark Blicavs to hold down these key positions, supported by experienced small(er) defenders Tuohy and Tom Stewart, bolstered by kids Zach Guthrie and Jack Henry.

Well, the selectors have decided to give Zach Guthrie a spell bringing in Jackson Thurlow instead. Thurlow missed all of 2016 after suffering a knee injury in the pre-season after a break-out year in 2015, but in 2017 just couldn’t find his mojo, the selectors soon running out of patience consigning him to the VFL. Also out is Cory Gregson with what the Cats say is a foot strain, replaced by James Parsons. Port has likewise made one forced change in injured Tom Rockliff and dropping Trent McKenzie, bringing in Jake Neade and Jack Hombsch.

The key points of interest tonight was who would be named in the ruck – Rhys Stanley it is, Zac Smith remaining on the outer, named on the four-man emergency list along with younger ruck-forward Wylie Buzza. On the night it will be has there been a late change (there wasn’t one last game). In the VFL the Cats play Western Bulldogs’ seconds Footscray at GMHBA Stadium, the third home game in the first three weeks (match details and teams are provided further down in this article).

GEELONG TEAM
IN: Jackson Thurlow, James Parsons
OUT: Cory Gregson (sprained foot), Zach Guthrie

B: Jed Bews, Jake Kolodjashnij, Tom Stewart
HB: Jackson Thurlow, Jack Henry, Zach Tuohy
C: Mark Blicavs, Joel Selwood, Scott Selwood
HF: Jordan Murdoch, Esava Ratugolea, Lachie Fogarty
F: Daniel Menzel, Tom Hawkins, Brandan Parfitt
FOLL: Rhys Stanley, Patrick Dangerfield, Mitch Duncan
INT: Jordan Cunico, Tim Kelly, Sam Menegola, James Parsons
EMER: Wylie Buzza, Charlie Constable, Zach Guthrie, George Horlin-Smith

PORT ADELAIDE TEAM
IN: Jake Neade, Jack Hombsch
OUT: Tom Rockliff (calf), Trent McKenzie

B: Riley Bonner, Tom Jonas, Dan Houston
HB: Darcy Byrne-Jones, Tom Clurey, Hamish Hartlett
C: Karl Amon, Ollie Wines, Jared Polec
HF: Travis Boak, Jack Watts, Chad Wingard
F: Justin Westhoff, Charlie Dixon, Steven Motlop
FOLL: Dougal Howard, Brad Ebert, Robbie Gray
INT: Jake Neade, Jack Hombsch, Sam Gray, Todd Marshall
EMER: Lindsay Thomas, Jasper Pittard, Dom Barry, Trent McKenzie

AUSTRALIAN TV COVERAGE (LOCAL TIMES)
Melbourne Seven / Fox Footy (LIVE – 19:30)
Adelaide Seven / Fox Footy (LIVE – 19:00)
Perth Fox Footy (LIVE – 17:30)
NSW (Sydney) Fox Footy (LIVE – 19:30)
Queensland (Brisbane) 7mate / Fox Footy (LIVE – 19:30)
ACT Fox Footy (LIVE – 19:30)
NT (Darwin) Fox Footy (LIVE – 19:00)
Tasmania Southern Cross / Fox Footy (LIVE – 19:30)
AFL RADIO COVERAGE (LOCAL TIMES)
Melbourne KROCK, MMM, 3AW, ABC
Adelaide 5AA, ABC, MMM
Perth  –
Sydney MMM
Brisbane –
Canberra –
Darwin ABC
Hobart MMM, ABC, AFL Nation

INJURY LISTS
GEELONG
Latest official Geelong injury list, updated 18/4/2018  (generally all official info other than the text in italics)
Gary Ablett Hamstring 2-5 weeks Surely not two weeks
Aaron Black Shoulder TBC
Nakia Cockatoo Knee (PCL) TBC We hope not also a hamstring
Cory Gregson Foot TBC Won’t be season ending
Cam Guthrie Ankle 6-8 weeks
Lachie Henderson Knee Indefinite Could easily be season ending
Lincoln McCarthy Quad 1-2 weeks
Quinton Narkle* Knee 4-6 weeks
Sam Simpson Knee Test
Harry Taylor Foot Indefinite 1 – 2 – 3 months?

PORT ADELAIDE
Latest official injury list, updated 19/4/2018  (generally all official info other than the text in italics)
Matthew Broadbent Ankle TBC
Willem Drew Foot TBC
Joel Garner Shoulder Assess
Cameron Hewett Shin TBC
Todd Marshall Concussion Assess
Tom Rockliff Calf Assess
Paddy Ryder Achilles tendon 2-3 weeks

VFL 2018 ROUND 3, GEELONG V FOOTSCRAY, GMHBA STADIUM

SATURDAY APRIL 21 2018, 14:00 AEST

GEELONG TEAM
IN: S. McLachlan, J. Gow, A. Grace, S. Dobson, Z. Guthrie
OUT: J. Thurlow

B: 15. M. Hayball, 20. R. Gardner, 54. S. Siggins
HB: 23. A. Black, 30. T. House, 62. C. Floyd
C: 42. M. O’Connor, 33. G. Horlin-Smith, 56. B. Reid
HF: 41. J. Jones, 36. S. Crameri, 55. L. Kiel
F: 45. R. Abbott, 12. W. Buzza, 32. G. Miers
FOLL: 9. Z. Smith, 64. T. Atkins, 18. C. Constable
INT: 63. S. Dobson, 74. J. Gow, 66. A. Grace, 39. Z. Guthrie, 52. N. Horbury, 68. H. Kol, 65. S. McLachlan, 51. J. Tsitas
23P: 78. J. McLachlan

FOOTSCRAY TEAM
IN: S. Biggs, C. Henness, L. Smith, A. Panayi, R. McComb, A. Bruhn, A. Greenwood, J. Shea, T. Short, D. Symeopoulos, L. Sullivan
OUT: L. Webb, J. Schache, P. Lipinski, R. Smith, T. Boyd, J. Prudden, B. Lynch

B: 51. L. Dalgleish, 18. F. Roberts, 53. L. Sullivan
HB: 24. S. Biggs, 2. L. Young, 54. R. William
C: 56. W. Hayes, 58. M. Goodyear, 28. C. Porter
HF: 30. F. Greene, 23. J. Roughead, 40. N. Mullenger-Mchugh
F: 66. A. Monfries, 64. A. Bruhn, 61. L. Nash
FOLL: 15. T. Campbell, 60. A. Tashevski-Beckwith, 55. A. Greenwood
INT: 70. C. Henness, 73. R. McComb, 71. A. Panayi, 59. J. Shea, 63. T. Short, 57 . L. Smith, 68. D. Symeopoulos, 67. J. Wallis
23P: 65. N. Hamad