Live: Saturday arvo footy

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Former Crow Kurt Tippett arriving at Adelaide Airport before his Sydney Swans debut against Port Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser

LATE CHANGES:
Port Adelaide:
John Butcher out, replaced by Andrew Moore
Sydney: Nil

SUBSTITUTES:
Port Adelaide: Jasper Pittard
Sydney: Jed Lamb

Live SuperCoach scores, stats and more

WET conditions in Adelaide have prompted Port Adelaide to drop John Butcher from its line-up to play Sydney today.

The tall forward has been replaced in the 22 by Andrew Moore.

"The conditions probably favour us playing a little smaller so we've brought Moorey in and taken a tall (Butcher) out," Port football manager Peter Rohde said.


Port's starting bench has been named as Dom Cassisi, Oliver Wines and Paul Stewart with Jasper Pittard acting as the team's substitute.

Live SuperCoach scores, stats and more

But all the pre-game hype surrounds Kurt Tippett, who returns to the field for the first time since last year's preliminary final.

- Jai Bednall

PORT ADELAIDE v SYDNEY
Saturday, 1.10pm, AAMI Stadium

Port Adelaide
B: Matthew Broadbent, Alipate Carlile, Jack Hombsch
HB: Cameron O'Shea, Thomas Jonas, Tom Logan
C: Matt Thomas, Brad Ebert, Kane Cornes
HF: Robbie Gray, Justin Westhoff, Paul Stewart
F: Jake Neade, Jay Schulz, Angus Monfries
Foll: Matthew Lobbe, Chad Wingard, Hamish Hartlett
Int: Oliver Wines, Jasper Pittard (SUB), Andrew Moore, Domenic Cassisi

In: D.Cassisi, J.Pittard, A Moore
Out: T.Boak (finger), C.Hitchcock (ankle), J Butcher

Sydney
B: Tony Armstrong, Ted Richards, Dane Rampe
HB: Nick Smith, Heath Grundy, Nick Malceski
C: Daniel Hannebery, Josh Kennedy, Jarrad McVeigh
HF: Luke Parker, Kurt Tippett, Craig Bird
F: Jude Bolton, Adam Goodes, Ben McGlynn
Foll: Mike Pyke, Ryan O'Keefe, Kieren Jack
Int: Tom Mitchell, Jed Lamb (SUB), Jesse White, Mitch Morton

In: T.Armstrong, K.Tippett, J.Lamb
Out: A.Everitt (Achilles), S.Mumford (cheekbone), B.Jack

SUPERCOACH NOTES:
Justin Westhoff has averaged 105 points a match at AAMI Stadium this season – ranked third at the club. Adam Goodes struggled in his last outing at the venue in Round 11, managing a season-low 36 points.
 


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SuperCoach studs and duds

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HURTING: An injured Shannon Hurn arrives at Perth Airport this morning. He scored just eight SuperCoach points. Picture: Bohdan Warchomij Source: PerthNow

SEE who starred and who stunk it up in SuperCoach this weekend.

HAWTHORN 123 def WEST COAST 103

Hawks stud: ONLY three Hawks hit triple figures in a surprise. One was Jarryd Roughead who's bag of five earned him 145 points, while Hodge and Lewis also raised the bat.

Get every SuperCoach score from Round 13

Hawks dud: GRANT Birchall. He was subbed after a knock to the knee and finished with 40. Oh dear! Sam Mitchell's 74 also let plenty down.

Eagles stud: JOSH Kennedy was the man for the Eagles. His five goals equated to 125 points ensuring another price rise is imminent. Dean Cox (115) and Nic Nat (114) again showed their value as the best ruck tandem in the league.


Eagles dud: UNLUCKY if you had Shannon Hurn. He was subbed out in the second quarter with an ankle injury, finishing with just eight points. That hurts! Another so-so score of 77 for the Frenchman Mark LeCras.

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Watters: Milne will be back

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Stephen Milne trains with the Saints at Seaford today. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

David Armitage shows his support for Stephen Milne at St Kilda training. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Stephen Milne celebrates a goal. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: Herald Sun

ST KILDA coach Scott Watters has reaffirmed the career of goalsneak Stephen Milne is not over, declaring he could return to the AFL field in three weeks.

Speaking at Seaford today, Watters said he supported the decision to give Milne indefinite leave.

"We certainly haven't stood him down. From our perspective it's pretty clear there's a duty of care to Steve to make sure he has some time to prioritise his family in what is a really sensitive situation," he said.

Milne completed light training with his teammates today.

"Stephen will return to play. We will be very hopeful that within 3-4 weeks he's available to come back out and do what he loves doing.

"At the same time there is a duty of care and responsibility to Milney, so we just need to see how this unfolds as well.''


Watters said the board, football department and leadership group had taken a "unified" stance since Milne was charged with four counts of rape on Tuesday.

"There is always two priorities in this situation. One is the duty of care to the player and two is the broader responsibitlity at club level. We think the outcome has been the best outcome for both."

Watters said he initiated a meeting of the club's leadership group, senior players and club bosses yesterday to provide clarification.

"There was a phone call from me to the leadership group to certainly say we would love you to come in….to further discuss what's been a really tough week for the club,'' he said.

"They had the opportunity to sit with two or three directors, which I instigated, because open communication in this sort of time is absolutely critical.

"On top of that I contacted six or seven senior players and asked them to come in to make sure that there was a really good opportunity for everyone to be really clear on what the intent around the whole decision was.

"So out of that I think everyone was as comfortable as you could be in pretty tough times.''

Coach Scott Watters talks with Stephen Milne. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Watters added the call would be made in consultation with the club's psychologist and his own discussions with Milne.

"He is eligible to play. There is always a presumption of innocence and the club is standing behind that,'' he said.
"Again, in three to four weeks we are really hopeful Steve is ready to play.''

Watters said a decision had not yet been made on whether Milne would attend tomorrow's match against Melbourne at the MCG when teammates Nick Riewoldt and Nick Dal Santo will celebrate their 250-game milestones.

"That's something we will consider over the next day,'' he said.

Milne left a meeting with club bosses yesterday believing he would be picked to play against Fremantle in Round 15 or Carlton the following week.

It means he would be sidelined for just two or three weeks despite the rape charges against him.

Milne has been charged with four counts of rape stemming from an alleged incident in 2004.

Milne's St Kilda teammates have played a key role in attempting to save his career.

A delegation led by captain Nick Riewoldt and player union representative Jason Blake met with Saints chiefs yesterday to seek clarification on how long the 268-game veteran would be absent.

Ultimate Round 13 SuperCoach formguide

Coach Scott Watters has also pushed hard for Milne.

St Kilda on Wednesday ordered Milne to take "indefinite leave".

The AFL Players' Association criticised the move, saying other interests had held sway over Milne's rights to play.

League, club walk tightrope

If St Kilda prevents an early return, it could face a player revolt and possible legal action. As recently as last week, Milne had indicated to the club that he was keen to play in 2014. He is out of contract at the end of the season.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou today backed the club's decision.

"It's a very complex issue, and a very serious one, and on balance we think St Kilda board acted appropropriately. On balance they got it right and in the coolness of day I think Stephen Milne acknwoledges now they got it right," he said on 3AW.

Demetriou said in the "hypothetical" situation Milne was convicted and sentenced, it wouldn't necessarily end his AFL career.

"He wouldn't be playing until such time until he was out of jail, but ...we have Andrew Krakouer playing who's been in jail, he's entitled to resume his career. In this case Stephen Milne is 33 years of age so I don't think that's a scenario that we've contemplated."

Milne is continuing to train with the club at Seaford, where Watters will front the media today.

Riewoldt and teammate Nick Dal Santo have twice this week been pulled from scheduled press conferences to celebrate their 250th matches, against Melbourne at the MCG tomorrow.

Milne's manager Tom Petroro said last night: "Stephen is taking the legal matter very seriously and has engaged lawyers to represent him to contest the charges.

"Like every citizen, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

"It is requested that the privacy of Stephen, his wife and his family be respected during this time."

David Grace QC is leading Milne's defence.

Saints chief executive Michael Nettlefold is holidaying in Italy but is returning early to take charge of the crisis.

The AFL said on Wednesday it reserved the right to "take action under its rules".

Saints captain Nick Riewoldt backs under siege team mate Stephen Milne in the wake of fresh charges against the star forward.

Milne should be allowed to play footy


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Demetriou backs Roos for Dees

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Ex-Swans coach now Fox Footy expert Paul Roos says he will take a call from Melbourne about the coaching job. Picture: Michael Klein

ANDREW Demetriou will help choose Melbourne's next coach.

And the AFL boss has endorsed Paul Roos for the role.

Demetriou revealed this morning the league was effectively running the embattled Demons, hand-picking members of the new board and telling Jeff Kennett he is not wanted.

He said the league had spoken yesterday to Alan Stockdale - treasurer in Jeff Kennett's former State Government - about joining the board.

"When we agreed to support the club financially, and that's a significant amount of money, we said it would be highly conditional and one of those conditions is approving the composition of the board," Demetriou said on 3AW.

"We're talking to prospective board members ... we've got several people that we're looking at."

Nic Nat in team of Demon dreams

Asked if the AFL would choose the Demons' next coach, he said the coach would be appointed by CEO Peter Jackson and the board members backed by the league " ... and we will obviously be consulted on that.

"We would have a say in that, but we are not experts in coaches."

And Demetriou backed a plan to convince Paul Roos to return to coaching.

"We don't recruit players and we don't recruit coaches but Paul Roos, as a general comment, is an incredibly gifted and talented coach and as an industry we are the lesser for not having a person of Paul Roos' talent coaching in the AFL ranks."

Jeff Kennett at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast on Tuesday. Picture: Richard Gosling Source: Gold Coast Bulletin

Kennett last night received a letter from AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick yesterday advising him he was not required at the Demons.

"It was a very courteous letter but he indicated to me that the AFL has in place a strategy for the revival of the Melbourne Football Club," Kennett said.

"He thanked me for my offer. As far as I am concerned I have made my offer and the AFL has rejected it.

"My group are not interested in calling an EGM (extraordinary general meeting), which was an option."

Kennett wrote to Fitzpatrick this week seeking feedback from the league over his bid to take charge of the stricken Demons.

But the AFL is pleased with the progress being made by new chief executive Peter Jackson.

The club has removed its coach and president in the past week and sacked former chief executive Cameron Schwab in April.

"I'm disappointed. The support that I have been getting is extraordinary," Kennett said.

"I hope they (Melbourne) can pull it off, but I very much suspect this is not going to deliver what they want."

Demons board member Geoff Freeman is keen on the presidency, while Stockdale has also been linked to the position.


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Walters set for Freo return

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HE'S BACK: Fremantle forward Michael Walters is set to return this weekend. Picture: Michael Klein Source: PerthNow

FREMANTLE goal-shark Michael Walters is on the verge of a return in a potential All-Australian selection shootout with North Melbourne scoring ace Lindsay Thomas in Perth on Sunday.

Walters, 22, is likely to be named in Fremantle's provisional 25-man squad tonight ahead of a final fitness hurdle to clear on Friday before the speedy forward is cleared to play.

But Dockers coach Ross Lyon has effectively ruled out returns for star veterans Matthew Pavlich and Aaron Sandilands.

Pavlich, 31, is in closing stages of full recovery from Achilles surgery back in April while Sandilands, 30, has not played a senior game at all this season with serious hamstring problems.

"Michael would be the only one that could possibly play this week out of the three," Lyon said.
"He trained Monday and he'll train again Friday.


"He's a bit different to the other guys because he's done a full pre-season and played lots of footy.
"So he's in better shape to be able to return."

Lyon revealed prospects of tag-team operations in his strategy to curb Thomas and his potentially damaging goal-scoring after rectifying his long suffering goal-front yips that plagued the crafty opportunist for the past two seasons.

"He's been top level for a while. I think the only issue he had was conversion," Lyon said.

"He can really convert now, so he is going to be a handful.

"But we'll share around a little bit with him."

In-form Dockers defenders Paul Duffield, Garrick Ibbotson or unheralded back-pocket Lee Spurr are likely to alternate on Thomas.

Thomas, 25, heads the league's goal kicking with 35 from his 11 outings this season in an imposing start to his 2013 and genuine All-Australian calculations.
 
Walters was verging on possible All-Australian squad nomination with 19 goals from eight outings when he tweaked an ankle late into Fremantle's stunning come-from-behind draw against reigning champions Sydney in Sydney a month ago.

He resumes to bolster Fremantle's scoring potency as well as resume a genuine tilt to win the prestigious small forward All-Australian selection against Thomas with his new-found accuracy and ultimately gun Hawthorn scoring trump Cyril Rioli, who is still sidelined with serious hamstring troubles.

Walters is likely to be Fremantle's only change to the starting outfit that beat Brisbane in Perth last Saturday by 40 points.
 


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We can knock off Cats

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Ash McGrath warms up for his 200th game at Coorparoo. Picture: Mark Calleja Source: News Limited

MILESTONE man Ash McGrath insists Brisbane can cause the boilover of the 2013 AFL season and beat Geelong at the Gabba on Sunday.

McGrath will play his 200th senior match for the Lions in the clash with the Cats and believes he will have an extra reason for celebration on Sunday night.

He said Brisbane's loss to Fremantle last Saturday was a lot closer than the final 40-point margin suggested.

"We got a lot of confidence out of last week's game. I though we held Fremantle pretty close all game,'' he said before training at Coorparoo today.

"It was a couple of lapses in the last quarter that blew it out to 40 points … we didn't think we played that bad.

"We've got a game plan for this week and if we stick to it we think we can hold them.''

Brisbane will welcome back co-captain Jonathan Brown and key defender Daniel Merrett from suspension for the match-up against the Cats that looks like a David and Goliath battle on paper. Geelong is flying in second place on the ladder at 10-1 while Brisbane is languishing in 15th place with a 3-8 record.

Midfielder Brent Moloney is also expected to play after missing the trip to Patersons Stadium last weekend with a back injury.

McGrath said the 2003 Grand Final and the finals campaign in 2009 ranked as the highlights of his 13 years in the AFL system.

"A lot of people when I got drafted wouldn't thought I'd make it to 100 but to make it is a massive milestone and I'm proud to have played 200 games for the same club,'' he said.


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Chat live with Josh Jenkins

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ADELAIDE forward Josh Jenkins will be here to answer your questions from 1pm EST.

The Crows have a week off after suffering another disappointing defeat at the hands of Richmond last Saturday.

The loss leaves Adelaide precariously placed in 11th spot on the ladder, a win out of the top eight - a margin that could increase this weekend if the Tigers, West Coast or Port Adelaide record Round 13 victories.

How do the players spend their week off? Do they forget footy or refocus on the second half of the season?

Fire your questions at Jenkins, who booted two goals against Richmond, from 1pm EST.


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Cats set to rest Bartel

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Geelong star Jimmy Bartel flew to the US during Geelong's bye. Source: News Limited

BROWNLOW Medallist Jimmy Bartel is in doubt for Sunday's twilight clash against the Brisbane Lions.

Geelong coach Chris Scott said this morning he was "undecided" whether to select Bartel, who has returned from a mid season break in the United States.

Scott rated Bartel only a 50-50 chance to play the Lions, conceding there was "issues we've had to manage".

Bartel trained this morning with his teammates.

Chapman to ramp up hamstring rehab

Harry Taylor and Mark Blicavs, who were rested for the Cats' last game against GWS, are set to return, along with Steven Motlop, who missed the Cats' win against the Giants with knee soreness.

Meanwhile, young midfielder George Horlin-Smith has signed a new deal that ties him to the Cats until the end of 2015.

Shane Crawford trades out Jaeger O'Meara and puts the "c" on Ryan Griffen before heading off on his epic bike ride across Australia.


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Cats to ramp up Chappy's load

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Geelong veteran Paul Chapman working his way back from a debilitating hamstring injury. Source: News Limited

GEELONG veteran Paul Chapman's future hangs in the balance with the Cats to ramp up the rehabilitation of his hamstring problem.

While luckless ruckman Hamish McIntosh remains a "work in progress", the Cats look set to recall Taylor Hunt from a broken collarbone.

Chapman, 31, has missed eight weeks with the injury following a further setback last month.

Geelong physiotherapist Mike Snelling said Chapman will be assessed after two weeks of rest.

"He's done very little leg loading so he's had a bit of a rest," Snelling told the Cats website.

"He's going to do a little bit more this week... he's certainly a few weeks away from coming back to play."

Your club's injury list in The Barometer

McIntosh's return through the VFL was put on hold after the former North Melbourne ruckman suffered soreness in his ankle.

The 28-year-old has overcome the knee and achilles problems which have plagued his career, only to break down again.

"His knee is really good, his achilles is really good (but) unfortunately he's had this ankle irritation that's taking a bit for us to get on top of," Snelling said.

"We've tried a couple of difference interventions but he's still having a little bit of a niggle in that ankle.

"He's still a work in progress unfortunately."

But Snelling was more optimistic about Hunt's chances of playing this week.

"He had surgery to fix his clavicle bone that was cracked and he's (now) ready," Snelling said.

"The bye came at a really good time, he's been able to do a lot of training and he's doing some contact training, and hopefully we should see him this week."


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North trio in Lyon's sights

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TOUGH TASK: Andrew Swallow could have a date with Fremantle's Ryan Crowley on Sunday. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

FREMANTLE coach Ross Lyon has earmarked trump North Melbourne trio Brent Harvey, Daniel Wells or Andrew Swallow for special attention in Sunday's clash in Perth.

Lyon has revealed that gun tagger Ryan Crowley will be assigned to one of the star Roos playmakers as his miserly Dockers continue an imposing push into their most genuine premiership potential in Fremantle's two-decade history.

Crowley, 29, has evolved into one of the AFL's most reliable defensive run-with exponents and each week invariably takes an assignment from Lyon to curb influence from an opposition's most damaging prime mover.

Swallow averages 24 disposals a game so far this season with Wells collecting around 21 and the incomparable Harvey has tallied in the region of 22 an outing in his past five engagements since completing his six-week suspension to start his 2013 campaign.


"He'll get one of - you're looking at Wells, Harvey or Swallow - and he'll get another big task for the weekend and it would be nice that he would keep it going," Lyon said on Perth radio station 6PR.

The hard core Dockers coach described North Melbourne's best performances at spasmodic times of this season as "elite" ahead of a confrontation when the Roos will all but surely be out of finals prospects with another loss.

North suffered a horrid late fadeout and demoralising four-point loss to West Coast in Perth a month ago, when cult figure ruck force Nic Naitanui took a whopping contested pack-mark and booted a set-shot goal after the final siren.

The Roos have copped four almost season-defining losses by a combined total of just 10 points in their sequence of near-misses ahead of resuming from their Round 12 bye, with the road trip to confront the most defensive unit in the business.

The Dockers concede an average of only 70 points a game under Lyon's stringent defensive mechanisms, while North has maintained healthy scoring powers with around the fourth-best weekly average of 104 points at each engagement.

"Their best has been elite," Lyon analysed.

"I think they've probably only had one disappointing game by their standards, which was probably the Gold Coast (15-point loss) which is their last game.

"But up until then they'd played the elite games in the competition and headed them and been in close games.

"As a young group I think they're right on track."

Lyon expects North's heavy internal scrutiny from within their own football management over last week's bye as well as the AFL industry, to potentially spark the Roos into a desperate approach to resurrect their flagging finals hopes on Sunday.

North would need to win at least eight and possibly as many as nine of their last 11 games to crash back up the congested AFL ladder to finish in the final eight in September.

In the next six appointments the Roos confront the Dockers and other possible finalists Richmond in Round 15 and Carlton a fortnight later both at Etihad Stadium.

Other engagements for North appear potential vital victories against Greater Western Sydney at Etihad in Round 14, Brisbane at the Gabba in Round 16 and beleaguered Melbourne at Etihad in Round 18.

"They've been put under a fair bit of scrutiny and the last time here against the Eagles, they probably had it (a win) pinched off them," Lyon assessed.

"We understand what's coming over.

"It's going to be quite difficult to get the points."

Lyon and his support staff are expected to rule later this week whether exciting small forward Michael Walters resumes after the opportunist goal-shark has missed the past month with an ankle problem.

Walters, 22, has booted 19 goals from his eight outings this season and looks more likely to resume than veteran stars Matthew Pavlich and Aaron Sandilands.

Pavlich, 31, resumed full training this week after Achilles surgery almost two months back, but is expected to be sidelined for at least another fortnight before a comeback.

Sandilands, 30, has not played a senior game this season on the back of a horror run of hamstring problems over last summer and surgery to remedy his woes.
 


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