PORT Adelaide travels to Perth to face Freo on Sunday – the third meeting between the teams in WA in the Power’s past five AFL games.
portadelaidefc.com.au takes a look at who’s in the mix for selection for Round 1 for both sides.
Port Adelaide
The Power has been given two major boosts this week – first with the not guilty verdict at the anti-doping tribunal and the second on the injury front regarding a trio of star players.
Angus Monfries and recruit Paddy Ryder are clear to face Freo in Perth after Tuesday’s verdict lifted a provisional ban on the pair. Ryder will pull on a Power jumper for the first time and will give a major chop out to ruckman Matt Lobbe.
Hamish Hartlet (groin), Chad Wingard (knee) and Jackson Trengove (shoulder) have all been declared as starters on Sunday by coach Ken Hinkley.
Wingard and Trengove have both had long lay-offs through injury and haven’t played a NAB Challenge game, but Hinkley was confident they’d be fit enough to get through Round 1.
"They haven't played footy though [this pre-season] and that's the concern we have with all those players,” Hinkley said on Wednesday morning.
"But they're fit, they're ready to play and I'm not in the habit of not picking good players."
Andrew Moore still needs to prove his fitness at training on Thursday before he’s considered for selection that evening.
Jarman Impey will be a strong chance to play given Fremantle’s dangerous small forwards in Hayden Ballantyne and Michael Walters.
With a near full strength squad to pick from, the coaches selection headaches become focussed on who misses out on the team – a welcome problem.
Port Adelaide’s most recent team – Preliminary Final v Hawthorn, 2014
B Jackson Trengove , Alipate Carlile , Tom Jonas
HB Matthew Broadbent , Jack Hombsch , Jasper Pittard
C Matt White , Ollie Wines , Hamish Hartlett
HF Robbie Gray , Justin Westhoff , Angus Monfries
F Jake Neade , Jay Schulz , Chad Wingard
FOL Matthew Lobbe , Travis Boak , Kane Cornes
I/C Brad Ebert , Cam O'Shea , Jared Polec
SUB Andrew Moore
Port Adelaide injury list
Hamish Hartlett – groin (available)
Sam Colquhoun – knee (available)
Jackson Trengove – shoulder (available)
Chad Wingard – knee (available)
Andrew Moore – corked hamstring (assess)
Mason Shaw – groin (1-2 weeks)
Billy Frampton – shins (4-6 weeks)*
Fremantle
Fremantle has a relatively full strength squad to choose from, but injury clouds still hang over some key players.
Hayden Ballantyne is still in serious doubt with a calf injury while midfielder Tendai Mzungu is battling a hamstring injury.
Freo had a boost in the form of news Nick Suban appears set to play, having overcome a hamstring injury.
Key defenders Zac Dawson – who played in the 2014 semi-final – and Alex Silvagni have both been ruled out with injury.
Travis Boak will breathe a very slight sigh of relief with Ryan Crowley unavailable for selection due to a provisional suspension.
Fremantle’s most recent team – Semi-Final v Port Adelaide, 2014
B Lee Spurr, Zac Dawson, Paul Duffield
HB Garrick Ibbotson, Cameron Sutcliffe, Tendai Mzungu
C Danyle Pearce, Ryan Crowley, Stephen Hill
HF Matt Taberner, Chris Mayne, Michael Barlow
F Michael Walters, Matthew Pavlich, Zac Clarke
FOL Aaron Sandilands, David Mundy, Nat Fyfe
I/C Nick Suban, Hayden Crozier, Lachie Neale
SUB Matt de Boer
Fremantle injury list
Hayden Crozier – ankle (test)
Hayden Ballantyne – calf (test)
Nick Suban – hamstring (test)
Tendai Mzungu – hamstring (test)
Matt Taberner – Achilles (test)
Alex Silvagni – hamstring (3-4 weeks)
Zac Dawson – groin (4-5 weeks)
Anthony Morabito – knee (TBC)
In the mix: Round 1
Find out who's in the mix for selection for the Power and Freo ahead of Round 1