Round 1: Port Adelaide vs Essendon

[hearts on fire]

Must win for Port, get the season off to a good start and if Port want to finish in the eight this year, they need to bury sides like Essendon.

I think the Power will get up and win by about 5-6 goals.

Info: 2:40pm start @ AAMI Stadium.

[CoverKing]

Port to win by a fair amount, as much as it hurts to say, they will be the big movers this year!

Port by 58 points.

Hartlett will not play due to a hamstring injury! Should keep him out for the next week or two before he makes a run at the Power side through West Adelaide's winning form

[Booney]

Ports first 8 games:
H-Home A-Away

Ess H
WCE A
Melb H
Haw A
St K H
Ade H
Nth Melb A
Rich H

We could,I stress could be 6 and 2 with the Hawks and North games the ones I wrote as losses. Beat Essendon and WCE then come home for Melbourne could be the best team to ever be 3 and 0.

Port over Essendon by 54 points.

[CoverKing]

Ports first 8 games:
H-Home A-Away

Ess H
WCE A
Melb H
Haw A
St K H
Ade H
Nth Melb A
Rich H

We could,I stress could be 6 and 2 with the Hawks and North games the ones I wrote as losses. Beat Essendon and WCE then come home for Melbourne could be the best team to ever be 3 and 0.

Port over Essendon by 54 points.

Ul lose to richmond, st kilda and the crows booney! lets see if ur mob can get a win to start the year of first before ya think about being 6 and 2

[Magpiespower]

Really have to win those first three games.

Don't wanna be 'the greatest 0-4 team in AFL history' again...

[JK]

I'd expect Port to be 6-2 or 7-1 over that period

[Pup]

I'd expect Port to be 6-2 or 7-1 over that period

You would expect Port to be 3-0 or at least 2 and 1 by round 3 but then it gets a bit harder. Hawthorn and the Kangaroos wont be easy away from home and Adelaide and St Kilda are no push overs and who knows what Richmond will dish up so really have to wait a couple of rounds to have a look at the form in the real stuff rather than the Pre Season.

We will know a lot more about Port's 2009 by about round 7.

[the joker]

Carn the Dons

[hearts on fire]

Carn the Power

[Il Duce]

I do honestly think that Port will win but dont think it will be a walkover (at least I hope not) port by 4 goals

[JK]

I'd expect Port to be 6-2 or 7-1 over that period

You would expect Port to be 3-0 or at least 2 and 1 by round 3 but then it gets a bit harder. Hawthorn and the Kangaroos wont be easy away from home and Adelaide and St Kilda are no push overs and who knows what Richmond will dish up so really have to wait a couple of rounds to have a look at the form in the real stuff rather than the Pre Season.

We will know a lot more about Port's 2009 by about round 7.

Yeah fair call mate, but they usually go alright against the Saints, and I'd tip them (note: at this stage, unseen of course) to get past the Kanga's, leaving the Hawks as the expected loss.

[Thiele]

Here are the Squads for both side

Port Adelaide
B: Michael Pettigrew, Alipate Carlile, Jacob Surjan
HB: Nathan Krakouer, Troy Chaplin, Domenic Cassisi
C: Shaun Burgoyne, Chad Cornes, Steven Salopek
HF: Robert Gray, Justin Westhoff, Peter Burgoyne
F: Brett Ebert, Warren Tredrea, Daniel Motlop
Foll: Dean Brogan, Kane Cornes, Danyle Pearce
I/C from: Travis Boak, Josh Carr, Brendon Lade, Tom Logan, David Rodan, Wade Thompson, Toby Thurstans

New: Wade Thompson (North Adelaide)

Essendon
B: Henry Slattery, Michael Hurley, Dustin Fletcher
HB: Heath Hocking, Paddy Ryder, Courtenay Dempsey
C: Bachar Houli, Brent Stanton, Andrew Lovett
HF: Alwyn Davey, Jay Neagle, Adam McPhee
F: Angus Monfries, Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas
Foll: David Hille, Jobe Watson, Jason Winderlich
I/C (from): Tom Bellchambers, Hayden Skipworth, Sam Lonergan, Tayte Pears, Ricky Dyson, Jarrod Atkinson, Jay Nash

New: Michael Hurley (Macleod)

[Psyber]

I hope the Power can get it together this year [apart from against the Crows], but I wouldn't bet on it happening.

[catchisthecry]

Port backline looks terrible.

[Booney]

Will Thurstans have to wait even longer to play his 100th game? 10 years is a long wait already...

[auto]

Here are the Squads for both side

Port Adelaide
B: Michael Pettigrew, Alipate Carlile, Jacob Surjan
HB: Nathan Krakouer, Troy Chaplin, Domenic Cassisi
C: Shaun Burgoyne, Chad Cornes, Steven Salopek
HF: Robert Gray, Justin Westhoff, Peter Burgoyne
F: Brett Ebert, Warren Tredrea, Daniel Motlop
Foll: Dean Brogan, Kane Cornes, Danyle Pearce
I/C from: Travis Boak, Josh Carr, Brendon Lade, Tom Logan, David Rodan, Wade Thompson, Toby Thurstans

New: Wade Thompson (North Adelaide)

Essendon
B: Henry Slattery, Michael Hurley, Dustin Fletcher
HB: Heath Hocking, Paddy Ryder, Courtenay Dempsey
C: Bachar Houli, Brent Stanton, Andrew Lovett
HF: Alwyn Davey, Jay Neagle, Adam McPhee
F: Angus Monfries, Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas
Foll: David Hille, Jobe Watson, Jason Winderlich
I/C (from): Tom Bellchambers, Hayden Skipworth, Sam Lonergan, Tayte Pears, Ricky Dyson, Jarrod Atkinson, Jay Nash

New: Michael Hurley (Macleod)

Tough job trying to find the four bench players. IMO Lade, Carr and Boak are definites but who will be the other? Hopefully we get some serious competition for places not like last years "competition" for places. Port by 12 goals

[Thiele]

Final Sides for teams on Sunday

Port Adelaide
B: Michael Pettigrew, Alipate Carlile, Jacob Surjan
HB: Nathan Krakouer, Troy Chaplin, Domenic Cassisi
C: Shaun Burgoyne, Chad Cornes, Steven Salopek
HF: Robert Gray, Justin Westhoff, Peter Burgoyne
F: Brett Ebert, Warren Tredrea, Daniel Motlop
Foll: Dean Brogan, Kane Cornes, Danyle Pearce
I/C: Travis Boak, Josh Carr, Brendon Lade, David Rodan
Emg: Tom Logan, Wade Thompson, Toby Thurstans

Essendon
B: Henry Slattery, Michael Hurley, Dustin Fletcher
HB: Heath Hocking, Paddy Ryder, Courtenay Dempsey
C: Bachar Houli, Brent Stanton, Andrew Lovett
HF: Alwyn Davey, Jay Neagle, Adam McPhee
F: Angus Monfries, Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas
Foll: David Hille, Jobe Watson, Jason Winderlich
I/C: Tom Bellchambers, Hayden Skipworth, Sam Lonergan, Ricky Dyson
Emg: Jarrod Atkinson, Jay Nash, Tayte Pears

New: Michael Hurley (Macleod)

[Bully]

lets hope the Dons can beat the Power. Heard a rumour going around that when power have the home game at AAMI they have to close parts of the seating area as they have some financial issues and cant afford the catering staff etc? Can someone confirm this or is it just a rumour?

[jackpot jim]

Essendon r Tripe.
Power by 15 goals.

[SCD]

Essendon r Tripe.
Power by 15 goals.

I think you're giving Essendon too much credit there JJ