Port Adelaide have swung a late change before their do-or-die semi final against Hawthorn, with veteran key forward Charlie Dixon withdrawn from the team due to illness.
Dixon was originally named alongside Esava Ratugolea, Mitch Georgiades and the recalled Todd Marshall in a four-tall forward line, with Ken Hinkley aims to overpower a Hawks defence minus the injured Sam Frost in the air.
However, it will be a more conventional set-up with Dixon failing to get over the line in a last-ditch fitness test on the Adelaide Oval.
2023 draftee Will Lorenz, whose sole match at AFL level came as sub in the Power’s mid-season win over St Kilda, has been called up for his first final.
Lorenz has been named as sub, while the Hawks, who will go in as selected for the match, have once again named veteran Luke Breust as sub as he becomes the first player to begin as an AFL rookie to play 300 games.
Dixon struggled in the Power’s humiliating 84-point qualifying final loss to Geelong, managing just three disposals and going goalless with little impact.
Small forward Jed McEntee has been dropped, while youngster Josh Sinn, pick 12 in the 2021 national draft, has also been recalled, with defender Ryan Burton (calf) joining Dan Houston (suspended) and Kane Farrell (hamstring) as Power backmen on the sidelines.
The semi-final will be Sinn’s ninth career game and first since Round 16; remarkably, of the nine, four will have been against Hawthorn, for two wins and one loss – a shock 64-point thrashing at the Adelaide Oval in his debut game back in 2022.
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Star midfielder Zak Butters has been named despite carrying a ribs knock that saw him subbed out of the Power’s 84-point qualifying final loss to Geelong at half time.
The Hawks, meanwhile, confirmed youngster Jai Serong will replace Frost (foot) in defence, owing to outstanding VFL form for Box Hill.
The key defender, younger brother of Fremantle dual All-Australian Caleb, will play his tenth career game on Friday night at the Adelaide Oval, and first since the Hawks’ one-point loss to the Power in Round 10; with Port loading up with tall forwards galore, the 21-year old is set to play a crucial role.
Despite being at full fitness, winger Changkuoth Jiath has missed out on selection, with the Hawks rewarding the group which soundly beat the Western Bulldogs in last week’s elimination final.
Brisbane will take an unchanged line-up to ENGIE Stadium to battle GWS, with key defender Jack Payne named despite a knee concern that saw him subbed out against Carlton in the elimination final.
The Giants have made just one change – tagger Toby Bedford has returned from a calf complaint that saw him miss the Giants’ Round 24 loss to the Western Bulldogs and qualifying final defeat to Sydney, with youngster Toby McMullin, who was subbed out against the Swans, making way.
Full Teams
FRIDAY NIGHT
Port Adelaide
B: Jones, Zerk-Thatcher, Bergman
HB: Sinn, Aliir, L Evans
C: Burgoyne, Wines, Drew
HF: Byrne-Jones, Ratugolea, Rioli
F: Georgiades, T Marshall, Rozee (c)
R: Sweet, Horne-Francis, Butters
I/C: Boak, F Evans, Narkle, Mead, Lorenz (sub)
EMG: Williams, Visentini, Dixon
IN: T Marshall, Lorenz, Sinn.
OUT: Burton, Dixon, McEntee.
Hawthorn
B: Hardwick, Serong, Impey
HB: Ward, Sicily (c), Scrimshaw
C: Amon, Moore, Weddle
HF: Maginness, Chol, Macdonald
F: Ginnivan, Breust (sub), Watson
R: Meek, Worpel, Newcombe
I/C: Morrision, Nash, D’Ambrosio, Gunston, Dear
EMG: Reeves, Jiath, Hustwaite
IN: Serong.
OUT: Frost.
SATURDAY NIGHT
GWS
B: Himmelberg, Taylor, Idun
HB: Whitfield, Buckley, Perryman
C: Callaghan, Green, Kelly
HF: Daniels, Cadman, Cumming
F: Jones, Hogan, Greene (c)
R: Briggs, Coniglio, Peatling
I/C: Ash, Ward, Bedford, Keeffe, O’Halloran (one to sub)
EMG: Haynes, Riccardi, McMullin
IN: Bedford.
OUT: McMullin.
Brisbane
B: Zorko, Andrews (c), McKenna
HB: Wilmot, Payne, Lester
C: Fletcher, Ashcroft, McCluggage
HF: Rayner, Daniher, Berry
F: Cameron, Hipwood, Bailey
R: McInerney, Dunkley, Neale (c)
I/C: Lohmann, Ah Chee, Morris, Starcevich, Answerth (one to sub)
EMG: Sharp, Fort, Joyce
NO CHANGE
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