Port Adelaide’s old school Scott Lycett is being backed to counter the Western Bulldogs’ new-age Tim English in Friday night time’s pivotal battle of the rucks.
Lycett, the 30-year-old, is famend for his bash-and-crash fashion whereas the 25-year-old English is a contemporary grasp of mobility within the ruck place.
Power coach Ken Hinkley had his eye on the essential nature of their duel at Marvel Stadium every week in the past when substituting Lycett out of the Power’s 55-point rout of Hawthorn after simply 49 per cent of recreation time.
The cause? To preserve him contemporary for English.
“Obviously he’s in great shape for this week based on the fact that we took him out with about 40 minutes to go last week,” Hinkley stated of Lycett.
“We’re very much aware that English has been in great form and that Scott has got a big job and we need to make sure we gave him the best chance – and that certainly has given him the best chance.
“We have been snug sufficient to know that Scott, when he is freshest, is after we get one of the best Scott.”
Hinkley described English as another midfielder, given his running and ball-winning capacities – last week, the big Dog collected career-high disposals (27) and marks (12) in a loss to Geelong.
“Clearly we’re conscious of the opposition’s finest gamers and English has most likely been pretty much as good as anybody for them,” Hinkley stated.
“He’s like an additional mid in some methods, he can actually cowl the bottom. He’s not a conventional ruckman … he can do all kinds of issues.
“So it’s just around Scott knowing the role. He has taken on a couple of big roles in last few weeks for us.
“We’re actually snug if he can deal with (Melbourne’s Max) Gawn and (Brodie) Grundy and (Richmond’s Toby) Nankervis … that we predict he can get the job executed once more for us.”
The second-placed Power, on a club-record nine-game winning streak, recalled spearhead Charlie Dixon and ex-captain Travis Boak after injury while last week’s substitute Josh Sinn has been named in the starting line-up.
The seventh-placed Bulldogs lost defender Ed Richards (hamstring) and Ryan Gardner, Oskar Baker and Tim O’Brien have been dropped.
Utility Josh Bruce returns for his first AFL recreation since spherical 5 when he copped a rib damage whereas Alex Keath, Laitham Vandermeer and Rhylee West additionally return.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
