PORT Adelaide has made four changes – one forced – to the team that lost to Sydney last weekend, and will blood a new player in the process.
The Kangaroos will host a Power outfit missing Jarman Impey, who has been forced out by a hamstring injury suffered against the Swans, and Kane Cornes – rested as part of his management this season.
Nathan Krakouer has been upgraded to the Power’s senior list and replaces Impey in the side, playing his first game since rejoining the club through this year’s rookie draft.
But the surprise at the selection table is the promotion of Brendon Ah Chee into Port Adelaide’s senior most side, after three seasons playing reserve and league-grade football for the club in the SANFL.
His debut AFL game makes him the 155th man to wear a Port Adelaide jumper in the national competition.
It’s been a long road for Ah Chee, having battled repeated injury as a project player taken with pick 45 in the 2011 national draft.
Also out of the side are Jarrad Redden and Jake Neade, replaced by speedsters Aaron Young and Kane Mitchell.
It means Paddy Ryder will go head-to-head with the Kangaroos’ own lead ruck Todd Goldstein.
“We took a little bit of a chance with Reddo in the hope we would get some advantage in the ruck, but that didn’t pan out the way we would have liked,” Hinkley told portadelaidefc.com.au.
“We’re going to a fast indoor venue - that says you need to have as much speed as you can possibly have – so we decided the one ruck would be survivable for us.
“[Todd] Goldstein is almost one-man-band himself, so we wanted to try and match up in that space, unfortunately Reddo pays a price for that.”
The inclusion of Aaron Young and Kane Mitchell will give the Power a strong running side for the hard Etihad Stadium surface, something Hinkley feels is essential for Saturday night.
“Youngy, it goes without saying, is in great form and has been unlucky to miss out being in the side until now,” Hinkley said.
“Mitchell and Jake Neade are pretty much a like-for-like swap…we felt that Jake hadn’t quite been able to hit the scoreboard or present opportunities to score in the way we’d have liked - he’ll go back and get some confidence with the Magpies.
“We know Kane [Mitchell] is a real hard worker and will leave everything out on the park on Saturday night.”
Port Adelaide Round 3 AFL team v North Melbourne
Saturday 18 April, Etihad Stadium, 7:20pm (AEST)/6:50pm (ACST)
FB: Jack Hombsch, Alipate Carlile, Jackson Trengove
HB: Jasper Pittard, Tom Jonas, Matthew Broadbent
C: Jared Polec, Brad Ebert, Aaron Young
HF: Robbie Gray, Justin Westhoff, Chad Wingard
FF: Hamish Hartlett, Jay Schulz, Matt White
Foll: Patrick Ryder, Travis Boak, Ollie Wines
Interchange: Kane Mitchell, Angus Monfries, Brendon Ah Chee, Nathan Krakouer
Emergencies: Tom Clurey, Kane Cornes, Andrew Moore
In: Ah Chee, Krakouer, Mitchell, Young
Out: Cornes (rested), Impey (hamstring), Neade, Redden (omitted)
Milestone: Brendon Ah Chee (AFL debut – PAFC cap No. 155) Brad Ebert (150 AFL games with Port Adelaide and West Coast)
Port Adelaide Round 3 SANFL team v North Adelaide
Saturday 18 April, Alberton Oval, 12:10pm (ACST)
FB: Tom Logan, Tom Clurey, Logan Austin
HB: Louis Sharrad, Cam O’Shea, Jesse Palmer
C: Johann Wagner, Steven Summerton, Paul Stewart
HF: Karl Amon, Jarrad Redden, Sam Russell
FF: Darcy Byrne-Jones, John Butcher, Sam Colquhoun
Foll: Mitch Harvey, Andrew Moore, Sam Gray
Interchange from: Jonathon Ross, Ben Sawford, Luke Wilson, Robbie Young, Jake Neade
In: Redden, Stewart, Sawford, Neade, Wilson, R. Young
Out: Krakouer, Ah Chee, Young, Mitchell (AFL)
Milestone: Luke Wilson (club debut if selected) Redden (club League debut)
Port Adelaide Round 3 Academy team v North Adelaide
Saturday 18 April, Alberton Oval, 9:30am (ACST)
FB: Keanu Miller, Daniel Redden, Sean Davidson
HB: Tom Corcoran, Ciaran Hollingworth-Hughes, Tom Phelps
C: Lawry Benbolt, Brad Coulson, Sam Roads
HF: Adam Mahney, Sid Masters, Tom Gray
FF: Jack Haarsma, Luke Reynolds, Will Northeast
Foll: Sam Gordon, Anthony Biemans, Jack Cooper
Interchange from: Jack Foster, Tom Clarke, Sam Tylor
