Thomson, Chaplin right to play Saints - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Thomson, Chaplin right to play Saints

By Daniel Brettig 23/04/2008 05:52:11 PM Comments (0)

Port Adelaide will retain midfield hard man Adam Thomson and poised defender Troy Chaplin for this week's AFL encounter with St Kilda after both breezed through training on Wednesday.

Their recovery from nasty knocks was welcome news for a Power side striving to build some momentum after breaking a 0-4 start by beating the out of sorts West Coast Eagles in Perth.

Thomson (corked shoulder) was a particularly useful addition to the team against the Eagles, providing the right combination of hardness and skill as epitomised by a tough smother and long goal in the first term.

Chaplin (concussion) will be one of several options the Power are likely to try on Saints spearhead Nick Riewoldt.

Though fellow forward Justin Koschitske's preference to stay close to goal when not in the ruck will make him a probable match for one of Toby Thurstans or Alipate Carlile, Riewoldt's running power will require a more athletic type.

Michael Pettigrew and Chaplin are the major candidates.

"They're a very tall, mobile side, the likes of Justin and Nick Riewoldt, they're very dominant players, then you've got Milne and a very good onball brigade," said Thurstans.

"Michael's got the speed and athleticism to go with Nick Riewoldt, but he's probably the kind of player you don't just play one player on throughout the game, you probably throw one or two different people at him to break up his rhythm.

"It could be any one of four or five players who get him."

There appears some inequality about Port's draw this week, given they did not return to Adelaide until Monday but are playing a Saints line-up who played their previous fixture on Friday night in Melbourne.

"I don't really think about those sorts of things, a trip away to Perth is a long weekend but we got back and we've got a six day break," Thurstans said.

"There's probably a lot of other teams and games where you only have six days and the club are pretty professional in the way we do our rehab and we'll be right."

In-form ballgetter David Rodan trained only lightly before leaving the track early.

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