LIVE: Dogs v Lions

Adam Cooney finds space against the Bombers. He's a certain starter today. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

2.32pm Dogs 47 - 21 Lions

HIGGINS, Murphy, Giansiracusa... goal! The veteran Dogs combine and moments latter Higgins adds the icing with one of his own.

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They lead the Lions by a whopping 38 points nearing halftime at Etihad Stadium.

Tom Rockliff aside, the Lions are yet to fire a shot.

2.15pm Dogs 37 - 6 Lions

DANIEL Rich had to wait until the final minute for his first disposal - and it was a behind.

A quarter of total domination has the Western Bulldogs five goals up on NAB Cup premier Brisbane Lions.

SUPERCOACH STARS:

Luke Dahlhaus (42)
Tory Dickson (42)
Daniel Giansiracusa (39)
Ryan Griffen (38)
Adam Cooney (32)

FULL LIST AT LIVE HQ

It started inside the first minute, when Tory Dickson marked and goaled, and peaked when Adam Cooney wound back the clock to load up a magnificent set-shot from the pocket.

That was the Dogs sixth as they continued to smash a flat Lions outfit in the midfield. The Dogs manufactured just five more forward entries but were deadly efficient in attack.

2.08pm Dogs 37 - 5 Lions
THE Dogs kicked five goals from their first seven entries to fully punish the Lions with their midfield dominance. Have the Lions come to play?

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The tackling pressure has been ferocious, and when Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney drilled the Dogs' sixth they led by 33 points.

Nick Lower has kept Daniel Rich to zero disposals late in the first quarter.

1.55pm Dogs 24 - 4 Lions

GOALS to Tory Dickson, Ayce Cordy, Luke Dahlhaus and Danial Giansiracusa have the Bulldogs firing early in their battle with the Lions.

Dickson ignited the Dogs when he took a clever mark before being awarded a 50m penalty, while the other three majors were all snagged on the run.

Daniel Rich has suffered a quiet start, with shutdown king Nick Lower tagging the high draft pick.

The efficient Dogs jagged four goals from their first six forward 50m entries.

PRE-GAME: BROWNLOW Medallist Adam Cooney will line up for the Western Bulldogs today with first-round draft pick Clay Smith set to start as the substitute at Etihad Stadium.

Cooney was hospitalised last week with a knee infection but trained strongly this week, with the Dogs and Brisbane Lions making no late changes.

LIVE HQ: SuperCoach scores, stats, commentary and more

Ball magnet Claye Beams will start in Brisbane's green vest, with the NAB Cup premiers the heavily-backed favourites.

Today marks All-Australian defender Dale Morris's first game in 595 days after snapping his leg in 2011.

Dogs coach Brendan McCartney said both clubs play a similar brand of football and his side had full respect for the Lions.

"It'll be who can do it the longest and the hardest," he said.

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Punt Rd back on the AFL map

Punt Rd oval could be brought back to life as a boutique stadium. Picture: Blair Hamish

THE AFL has started some "interesting" work on the possibility of bringing Punt Rd Oval back as a boutique ground for games featuring low-drawing interstate clubs.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said Punt Rd and Visy Park were the two options the league was looking at, and had already done a feasibility study on Carlton's base.

"There's some work we've already commenced on Punt Rd which looks really, really interesting," Demetriou said on SEN today.

Demetriou said Punt Rd held a key advantage over Visy Park with its public transport access, with the ground situated adjacent to Richmond train station and next to the MCG.

"We have a situation where we've probably got 8-12 games (per year) where we think we're going to struggle to get 18, 20, 22,000 people," he said.

"But in a boutique stadium, where you might be playing Western Bulldogs versus Greater Western Sydney Giants or Richmond versus Gold Coast Suns, it makes sense to consider a boutique stadium that would have a great atmosphere with that crowd."

The AFL will acquire Etihad Stadium in 2025, but the league has been in talks about buying the stadium early to help clubs who get a poor return from playing at the venue, including Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne and St Kilda.

Demetriou has previously said the number of games the AFL was contracted to play at Etihad Stadium would drop next year.
 

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Robbo right for Round 2

Mitch Robinson comes off the MCG after getting knocked out. Picture: Ludbey Wayne Source: HWT Image Library

CARLTON hard nut Mitch Robinson is almost certain to play next week, despite being knocked out in the Round 1 loss to Richmond.

Robinson was smashed in a marking contest by Tigers forward Tyrone Vickery in the second quarter and lay motionless on the MCG turf for several seconds.

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But Blues football manager Andrew McKay said the club was confident the midfielder would recover in time to face Collingwood next Sunday.

Richmond v Carlton, MCG, Mitch Robinson comes off the mcg, Picture: Ludbey Wayne Source: HWT Image Library

McKay said that Robinson, despite being rendered unconscious, passed a concussion test on the interchange bench not long after.
"He's got to be able to pass the test during the week, but I don't see a problem because he actually pulled up really well even though he was knocked out,'' McKay said.

"He's alright, he's not too bad. The doctors were a bit concerned because he was knocked out. Just the fact he was out of it the doctors ruled him out.

"There was a period of time where he was unconscious and as soon as the docs were aware of that they weren't keen to put him back on.''

Jeremy Laidler will come under consideration next week after being surprisingly overlooked for the Blues' season-opener.

10 things we learnt from Tigers v Blues

McKay confirmed the defender wasn't injured, but may be suffering from a lack of match practice.

"He played the early NAB Cup games with a bit of indifferent form and he's one of the 25 vying for 22 positions next week,'' he said.

"We're in a fortunate position at the moment where most of the guys are fit and raring to go and 'Laids' is a quality player and I'm sure he'll be back in the team at some stage.''

But it's the philosophy rather than the personnel which is causing the club some early headaches.

Tigers say Tyrone time is coming

Malthouse admitted on Thursday night that he was wrestling with finding the right balance between his defensive principles and Carlton's attacking instincts.

"I learned a lot, they'll probably learn a lot. Just the methodology, the things you can do that work and things that don't work and you've got to start to get the balance right,'' Malthouse said.

"By working one way you do rob yourself of some defensive play and we took that gamble so I'm not too sure where I actually sit with that. It got us back in the game, but I'm not 100 per cent sure you can keep having shootouts with sides.''

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Tigers survive Blues rampage

Richmond buck poor opening round trend to beat Carlton.

Tiger Luke McGuane latches onto Blues youngster Josh Bootsma for a game-saving tackle in the dying seconds of play. Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

THEY'RE not called long-suffering Tigers fans for nothing.

For five years they've been waiting to get one over their bitter enemy Carlton.

For 12 months they've watched as their team has found any number of ways to lose close matches.

For 12 years they've fronted up in Round 1 full of hope and optimism only to watch it gradually evaporate at various stages before September.

All of those ghosts from seasons past looked to have been banished midway through the third quarter when the Tigers were dominating, full of energy and run as Brett Deledio kicked consecutive goals to stretch the lead to a seemingly insurmountable 42 points.

Tigers snap hoodoo

Particularly when their coach Damien Hardwick had spoken in the pre-season  about how their primary focus over summer was the defensive structure and the defensive aspects of the players all over the ground.

Yet the Tiger nerves started jangling when Chris Judd produced a two-minute purple patch late in the third quarter, managing three shots -- two of them goals -- to reduce the margin to 21 points.

Those same nerves were soothed, though, when new skipper Trent Cotchin stamped his authority on the match.

Chris Judd breaks through the tacklers during third quarter. Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

Cotchin, who had never experienced victory in his previous seven matches against the Blues, looked determined to break his duck.

In one particularyl brilliant passage of play, he gathered a floating ball, produced a Robert Harvey-like body swerve to wrong foot an approaching Blues defender, and drilled a precise pass to Luke McGuane for a goal.

Blues charge falls short

By the final change the margin had been restored to 36 points and all looked well in the yellow-and-black camp.

But the Tiger nerves were fraying again when Carlton kicked the first three goals of the final quarter to reduce the difference to 19 points.

They were numb as they watched their boys simply stop running, tighten up and make poor decisions, leaving the door ajar for the unthinkable.

Tigers fans were contemplating a whole new brand of suffering when Jeff Garlett slotted home two goals to get the Blues to within seven points 23 minutes into the final term.

Ivan Maric and Shaun Hampson battle at the boundary throw. Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

They couldn't watch when Matthew Kreuzer pulled in a mark moments later, when Chris Yarran first snapped and then streamed into an open goal.

But thankfully for them all of these shots missed. With a minute to play and just four points the difference, it was anyone's game.

Surely a moment of class or luck or umpiring would decide this match now.

As it turned out, it may actually have been that long-suffering yoke that made the difference.

Only five of Richmond's starting 22 had ever played in a Tigers win over Carlton:  Chris Newman, Brett Deledio, Shane Tuck, Jake King and Daniel Jackson.

Mitch Robinson in the hands of club medicos after colliding with Ty Vickery during the 2nd qtr of the Carlton v Richmond match at the MCG. March 28, 2013. Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

In fact, going into last night's match, the Tigers team had played a combined 131 matches for Richmond against Carlton, for a grand total of 13 wins.

One of the 17 was Luke McGuane, who had trudged from the field on the previous six occasions to the tune of ''We are the Navy Blues''.

With about 35 seconds remaining, and the ball in the hands of Carlton defender Josh Bootsma, a desperate McGuane launched himself into a fierce tackle that earned him a free-kick and bought enough time to ensure victory.

His point sealed the five-point win.

In truth it had been set up over the first three terms.

Cotchin was superb, with 16 of his 33 possessions contested.

He also influenced the play numerous times when he didn't have the ball, most notably in the second quarter when he chased down and tackled Andrew Carazzo to set up a Tyrone Vickery goal.

Brett Deledio was the architect early, with clean hands and crisp skills when the ball was hot in the first half.

Live HQ: SuperCoach scores, stats

Ivan Maric produced a typically bullocking display in the ruck, while Alex Rance and Steve Morris stuck at their roles of quelling Carlton's main goal threats.

Judd and Bryce Gibbs tried hard throughout, and Michael Jamison kept Jack Riewoldt out of the match.

In the end, though, the difference was that more Richmond players seemed to want it more.

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Viney locked in for Dees debut

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Jack Viney tries to evade James Frawley at Melbourne training. Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE will unleash father-son draft gun Jack Viney against Port Adelaide on Sunday.

The Dees said today Viney, picked up under the father-son rule in last year's national draft, would play alongside the club's top draft pick Jimmy Toumpas.

Mature-age draftee Matt Jones will also be part of the Demons' team when it is named tonight.

Jones, 25, played suburban football in Melbourne and Queensland before impressing with the Box Hill Hawks in the VFL last season. He was given an AFL lifeline by the Demons with pick 52 in the draft.

SuperCoach Round 1 formguide: Captain picks, lockout info and more!

The Demons will play seven club debutants against the Power, with former Cats Shannon Byrnes and Tom Gillies to join ex-Kangaroo Cam Pederson and former Port Adelaide midfielder David Rodan in the Dees' line-up.

Chris Dawes hasn't recovered from a calf injury in time and won't play.

It appears mature-age South Australian recruit Dean Terlich has also missed the cut.

Please Explain: Demons moneyball mayhem

To see all the Round 1 teams as they are named join the live chat from 5.30pm.

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10 things you'll see tonight

It doesn't matter how well Daniel Jackson plays tonight. He's still unlikely to win any Richmond fans over. Source: Getty Images

WILL a player drop dead from jumper asphyxiation? Will Chris Judd be a shadow of his former self? We predict tonight's big stories.

1 - Richmond supporters light a membership card bonfire

The eternal optimism that Tigers fans bring to Round 1 every year never ceases to amaze us.

That's despite Richmond losing its last nine games against Carlton, including every season-opener since 2007, so don't be surprised to see fans looking for the nearest flame to torch their plastic.

Carlton's current winning streak against the yellow and black is its longest since they went 24 games without dropping one between 1908 and 1917.

2 - Same Mick, different shirt

The moustached one will be extra prickly tonight, with the Carlton faithful expecting the earth but the coach not necessarily having the greatest list at his disposal.

It might not be the best night for a young journo to chance his arm with a curly one in the press conference.

Then again, maybe Mick will just lose the plot again and talk about bread...

Jake King might be too big for his own good this year. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

3 - Medical emergency due to overly tight jumper

At some point this year a player is going to lose circulation to their brain after going one size too small in the jumper department.

From what we've seen, St Kilda are the biggest "spray-on" offenders, but there's a little man at Punt Rd who might just trump them and pass out if he flexes a bicep a little too vigourously at any point against Carlton.

If Jake "the push-up" King has been doing the kind of reps we know he can in the off-season, there's every chance he might never get out of the jumper he puts on tonight.

4 - SuperCoaches bemoaning their Cotchin/Deledio decision

Can you squeeze both Trent Cotchin and Brett Deledio into your squad?

Unlikely, with Deledio no longer a backline option. So who do you pick?

Cotchin will probably have Andrew Carrazzo going Siamese on him for large chunks of the game, which could spell trouble for the Tigers captain.

With the Blues also having to think about Dustin Martin and Reece Conca, not to mention Shane Tuck, Deledio may once again be left to do as he likes.

Better go with Brett.

Ultimate SuperCoach Round 1 formguide

5 - Traffic armageddon

There's rain around today, which means average motorists become mobile road blocks as they slow down by 30km/h, halve that speed again if there are tram tracks and generally freak out for no apparent reason.

With tomorrow's public holiday making tonight effectively a Friday, expect to see traffic gridlock around the 'G from now until about May.

You'd suggest taking public transport would be a better bet, but with the temperature straying outside of the 22C-24C window at which Melbourne's system can run without going into meltdown, you might be better to dust off your bike.

6 - Action Jackson to be a hated man

Daniel Jackson is the man Richmond fans love to hate.

It's hard to understand why a bloke who sees himself as a bit of an intellectual doesn't endear himself to the rabid crew behind the Tigers' goals, but for some reason he (and let's not forget Tyrone Vickery) cops most of the wrath from the stands.

Maybe it's the red hair.

Maybe it's his disposal efficiency that usually hovers somewhere around mid-60 per cent.

Maybe it's his two suspensions last year, one of which was for striking Chris Knights, who is now his teammate.

Either way, Jackson (pictured, top) could have 35 disposals and kick five goals and he'd still find manure in his locker on Monday morning.

Carlton fans will be hoping Levi Casboult will be the missing link up forward tonight. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

7 - Excuses about Carlton's game plan

We've heard Malthouse making a rod for his own back all pre-season, talking about needing more time to implement Carlton's new style.

But will Blues fans buy what the boss is selling?

Geelong revamped their game plan in 2011 under new coach Chris Scott and won a premiership.

Yes, their list was superior to Carlton's, but the shift to a kicking game from the Cats' handball-heavy style was the cornerstone of their third flag in five years.

Other coaches to turn their team around in quick time ... try Sydney's premiership-winning second year under John Longmire?

Cometh the man. Cometh the mullet. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

8 - More of Maric's mullet

Surely that thing is alive.

The Richmond big man had a breakout season in 2012, while carrying the ruck duties almost solo for the entire year.

But was he alone?

The marsupial growing on the hulking Tiger's head must surely be ready to spring forth and don a jumper of its own.

Expect the running bouffant battle between Maric and Taylor Walker to continue deep into September.

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9 - Nothing to look forward to

Anyone else noticed there's been a surprising lack of the usual bleating about a footy-free Good Friday?

Thankfully the NRL and the A-League have scant respect for the sanctity of religious holidays.

Tomorrow night we'll settle in with fish 'n' chips and turn our attention to the white ball to see the Storm take on the Broncos up north, and the round ball as Newcastle take on Western Sydney.

Probably the only time all year that the AFL will lose the cross-code battle - though Channel 7 will be doing some solid work with the Good Friday Appeal - but it's still an annual sporting downer.

This could be the year that former Blues captain Chris Judd finally crashes back to earth. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

10 - A shadow of the former Judd?

Just three quarters of pre-season action, diminishing pace and a battery of quick opponents set to come at him.

Tonight could be the beginning of a tough year for former Blues captain Chris Judd, and SuperCoach boffins agree.

Just 3.6 per cent of SuperCoaches have Judd in their team this year - a  far cry from years gone by when he'd be a walk-up start in most squads and an almost guaranteed 100+ points each week.

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LeCras has surgery on arm break

Eagle Mark LeCras comes off the ground with a serious arm injury. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: PerthNow

WEST Coast have confirmed forward Mark LeCras will be out of AFL action for about a month with his broken arm.

LeCras suffered the injury in Saturday night's season-opening loss to Fremantle and has had surgery.

The Eagles have listed him as a four to five-week injury.

They will also lose key defender Eric Mackenzie for two weeks with a hamstring injury.

West Coast said in a statement that Mackenzie's injury was at the lower end of the scale.

Utility Pat McGinnity is close to resuming after recovering from a back injury.

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Sheedy upbeat about upset

Shane Crawford reveals his bargain ruck strategy and why Brett Deledio is a better SuperCoach pick than Trent Cotchin

GWS coach Kevin Sheedy talk swith Sydney counterpart John Longmire at a reception at NSW parliament this morning. Source: Getty Images

UPSETs don't get any bigger - last year's cellar dwellers knocking off the reigning premiers in Round 1 of the AFL season.

Greater Western Sydney coach Kevin Sheedy, a man who has seen it all in more than 1000 games of top-flight football, genuinely believes it's possible.

"Anything can happen," Sheedy preached at today's pre-match function at NSW Parliament House.

It was a similar mantra Sheedy adopted this time last year, before GWS's 63-point loss in their maiden AFL match - against Sydney at ANZ Stadium.

And while he might be a biased observer, the outspoken four-time premiership coach at least has some evidence to call on ahead of Saturday's derby.

GWS last month claimed their maiden win against the Swans - albeit in the opening round of the pre-season when the premiers were minus key players.

The Giants then enjoyed a 16-point win over St Kilda in their final tune-up.

The Swans, devoid of an extra month of training compared to GWS due to their triumphant 2012 finals campaign, posted only one win in a flat pre-season.

In addition, Sydney coach John Longmire has had to reshape his backline after Alex Johnson suffered a season-ending knee injury.

"Obviously we could, we're young and we're vibrant ... nobody knows what's going to happen," Sheedy replied when asked if the Giants were capable of overrunning the Swans in the final quarter, as they did against the Saints.

"... They had a very, very good side out there, St Kilda (and GWS won).

"So I think the confidence the players would have got out of this pre-season will be a hell of a lot better compared to the previous year."

Despite Sheedy's optimism, the Giants are firm favourites to collect a second wooden spoon in as many years.

But they have an admirer in Longmire, who watched them train during summer at Lakeside Oval adjacent to the SCG.

"Obviously there's a bit of confidence coming out of their camp, which is fair enough," Longmire said.

"We've been able to see them a bit over the pre-season, because they were training on our ground for a little bit.

"You'd see how well they train - how much talent they've got.

"They've got some real hard nuts. We certainly expect they'll be really hard to beat."

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Judd doesn't miss captaincy

Chris Judd expects to play 80 per cent of the Blues' Round 1 clash against Richmond. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

CHRIS Judd says he has been reinvigorated after relinquishing the Carlton captaincy.

Judd described himself as now "one of the soldiers" following Marc Murphy's elevation to the role at their AFL club.

He says there are parts of the leadership role he will not miss.

"It's just a nice thing to do later on in your career where you can really just focus on playing footy and not be distracted by some of the administrative duties that go with being in a leadership position," Judd said.

"It's not that I won't have a say at the club or won't be fully engaged, but I certainly feel like I'm enjoying the purity of just worrying about playing footy."

Judd admitted he had to make a choice and decided concentrating solely on playing was his preference.

"It's one of those things, you can't be half pregnant and you can't be half a captain," Judd said.

"There's a lot of parts of being captain that I loved and really enjoyed and probably some other parts that I grew tired of.

"You can't pick and choose with a job like that, so the time was right to hand it over and Murph has already done a terrific job."

Cancer survivor Sam Rowe pushes for Round 1 spot

Judd said he would mentor some of the younger players but made it clear he would not try to influence the leadership.

"Murph's the boss, him and the rest of the leaders are making the rules and I'm one of the soldiers, and that's sort of refreshing as well," he said.

Judd has been troubled by hamstring issues and said he "didn't have a great pre-season" but said he was now almost back to full fitness.

The Barometer: Updated injury list at every club

The Blues open their AFL campaign against Richmond this week and Judd said he expected to play up to 80 per cent of the game.

"Not having that (NAB Cup) rotation cap, it will be easier just to play in six-minute bursts," he said.

He said he planned to play on next season but there would be no more lengthy contracts at Carlton in his future.

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Ballantyne accepts one-game ban

SITTING OUT: Docker Hayden Ballantyne won't contest a one-game ban. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: PerthNow

FREMANTLE has opted not to challenge Hayden Ballantyne's one-game suspension, meaning the forward will miss the Dockers' Round 2 clash with the Bulldogs.

Ballantyne this morning accepted a one-match suspension for engaging in rough conduct against Scott Selwood during the first quarter of last weekend's derby triumph.

Contact was assessed as reckless, body contact and low impact.

Sandilands out for three months

His previous poor record means he couldn't reduce the penalty to a reprimand even with an early guilty plea.

Dockers skipper Matthew Pavlich was yesterday cleared of any wrongdoing after being reported on a rough conduct charge relating to a collision with Will Schofield.

Pavlich dodged a bullet, with 93.75 carry-over points hanging over his head for an incident in Round 19 last season.

But the Fremantle captain didn't escape the derby completely unscathed.

He revealed on Twitter yesterday he had visited hospital after the game to get his "hand and finger fixed and stitched up".

"No breaks & looks good for Rd 2," he said.

LiveHQ: SuperCoach scores, stats and more from Freo's win

Pavlich was held goalless in the Dockers' impressive win, restricted to just 60 SuperCoach points.

PAVLICH'S HAND. PHOTO: INSTAGRAM

Source: HWT Image Library

But North Melbourne star Drew Petrie said the star forward had little to worry about for his report.
 

"Hopefully the tribunal and match review panel will look favourably on it," he told Channel 7's Game Day.

Petrie said Pavlich bracing himself before colliding with Schofield in a marking contest meant he should have no case to answer.

Meanwhile, WEST COAST'S horror injury list has been compounded by the loss of Mark LeCras and possibly Eric Mackenzie.

GALLERY: Pearce ignites as Dockers whip Eagles

LeCras has had a plate inserted in his arm and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

Mackenzie pinged a hamstring, placing him in doubt for the Eagles' crunch Round 2 duel against Hawthorn.

Ruckman Dean Cox said LeCras was in scintillating pre-season form, adding to the tragedy of his injury in his first match since 2011.

"He had an x-ray last night and it did reveal he had a broken arm," Cox said today.

"They'll rush him to surgery as quickly as possibly and hopefully he doesn't miss too many weeks."

ADELAIDE also has injury concerns with Luke Brown substituted out of Friday night's loss to Essendon with a foot complaint.

LiveHQ: SuperCoach scores, stats and more from the Dons' win

Brown tweeted yesterday: "Thanks to everyone for the supportive messages. Good signs so far now to rest up and recovery."

ESSENDON star David Zaharakis will suit up in the VFL next week as he looks to build on match fitness after his limited pre-season.

Zaharakis, who was the substitute against the Crows, told Channel 7 he was set to line up for Essendon's reserves in a practice match against Sandringham.
 
- with AAP

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Herald Sun Player of the Year

Jobe Watson has made a flying start to 2013. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON skipper Jobe Watson jumped straight to the top of the leaderboard in the Herald Sun Player of the Year Award.

Watson picked up where he left off in his Brownlow year, polling the maximum five votes in the Bombers' upset win against Adelaide.

He is joint leader after two games with Fremantle midfielder Michael Barlow, who was best on ground in the western derby.

LEADERBOARD
5 Jobe Watson (Ess)
5 Michael Barlow (Frem)
4 Ben Howlett (Ess)
4 David Mundy (Frem)

ESSENDON v ADELAIDE
Reece Homfray's votes
5 Jobe Watson (Ess)
4 Ben Howlett (Ess)
3 Dyson Heppell (Ess)
2 Jake Carlisle (Ess)
1 Courtenay Dempsey (Ess)

FREMANTLE v WEST COAST
Braden Quartermaine's votes
5 Michael Barlow (Frem)

4 David Mundy (Frem)
3 Danyle Pearce (Frem)
2 Stephen Hill (Frem)
1 Matt Priddis (WC)

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Power re-signs another four

Port Adelaide key forward John Butcher is one of four players to re-sign. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser

PORT Adelaide has made a massive statement of intent, re-signing four key players.

Key defenders Jackson Trengove and Alipate Carlile, key forward John Butcher and midfielder Andrew Moore have shown their faith in the club by inking new contracts.

Carlile - who was eligible for restricted free agency at the end of the season - has penned a lengthy four-year deal.

Live HQ: SuperCoach scores, video, stats and more

Trengove, Butcher and Moore have all re-signed for two more years, keeping them at the club until the end of the 2015 season.

The re-signings of the four Victorians on the eve of Port's 2013 premiership campaign are further signs the club has turned the corner under new coach Ken Hinkley and new president David Koch.

"With all four of these talented young players committing to the club together, it's just a great show of faith in what we're trying to do and where we're heading,'' Hinkley said.

"We want stability in this club and along with our skipper Travis Boak re-committing last year we're actually building a club where players want to be a part of what we're doing because they see a bright future.''

The quartet's signing before Port's first game is a major coup for the club.

When they were last out of contract in 2011, it took until late in the season - and plenty of media speculation - before they agreed to re-sign.

"We are all confident with where the club is headed and desperately want to be a part of our rise up the ladder,'' Trengove said of the players' commitment.

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Young Crow in the clear

Luke Brown is in the clear. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: HWT Image Library

YOUNG Crows defender Luke Brown is clear of any bone damage to his left foot that was crunched twice in Friday night's opener against Essendon.

X-rays have revealed no break for the two-game defender who is certain to be available for Adelaide's second-round clash with Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday, April 6.

And Crows switch-hitter Ricky Henderson has passed the concussion test after taking a heavy knock to the head in the last term of the 35-point loss to the Bombers at AAMI Stadium.

Live HQ: SuperCoach scores, stats, video and more

Adelaide has been left with a long list of issues to correct from the stinging defeat, none more pressing than the Crows' poor tackling. Essendon out-tackled the Crows 73-47.

Defender Brent Reilly admits: "We weren't good at it last year either. We worked hard on it in the pre-season - and we're still not up to scratch. We need to get better at it.''

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Hospital, report for Pavlich

Dockers skipper Matthew Pavlich was reported for charging Eagle Will Schofield in Derby No.37. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper Source: PerthNow

MATTHEW Pavlich's sour start to 2013 took another turn for the worse last night when he was hospitalised with a finger injury.

The Fremantle captain, who was reported for charging through Eagle Will Schofield, revealed on Twitter he had his "hand and finger fixed and stitched up".

"No breaks & looks good for Rd 2," he said.

LiveHQ: SuperCoach scores, stats and more from Freo's win

Pavlich was held goalless in the Dockers' impressive win, restricted to just 60 SuperCoach points.

PAVLICH'S HAND. PHOTO: INSTAGRAM

Source: HWT Image Library

But North Melbourne star Drew Petrie said the star forward had little to worry about for his report.
 

"Hopefully the tribunal and match review panel will look favourably on it," he told Channel 7's Game Day.

Petrie said Pavlich bracing himself before colliding with Schofield in a marking contest meant he should have no case to answer.

Worryingly for Pavlich, he has 93.75 carryover points after accepting a reprimand for striking Mitch Brown in last year's derby.

The Dockers could also be without goalsneak Hayden Ballantyne when they travel to take on the Western Bulldogs in Round 2.

Ballantyne ended the match with a shin/calf injury and is also set to be scrutinised for an off-the-ball incident involving Scott Selwood.

Selwood crumpled to the ground and was left nursing a sore head after receiving a solid bump from Ballantyne well off the play.

Meanwhile, WEST COAST'S horror injury list has been compounded by the loss of Mark LeCras and possibly Eric Mackenzie.

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LeCras will undergo surgery this week to have a plate inserted into his arm and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

Mackenzie pinged a hamstring, placing him in doubt for the Eagles' crunch Round 2 duel with Hawthorn.

Ruckman Dean Cox said LeCras was in scintillating pre-season form, adding to the tragedy of his injury in his first match since 2011.

"He had an x-ray last night and it did reveal he had a broken arm," Cox said today.

"They'll rush him to surgery as quickly as possibly and hopefully he doesn't miss too many weeks."

ADELAIDE also has injury concerns with Luke Brown substituted out of Friday night's loss to Essendon with a foot complaint.

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Brown tweeted yesterday: "Thanks to everyone for the supportive messages. Good signs so far now to rest up and recovery."

ESSENDON star David Zaharakis will suit up in the VFL next week as he looks to build on match fitness after his limited pre-season.

Zaharakis, who was the substitute against the Crows, told Channel 7 he was set to line up for Essendon's reserves in a practice match against Sandringham.
 
- with AAP

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