The second game on Saturday for AFL Finals Week 1 is between Collingwood Magpies and Port Adelaide Power. The match is to be played at MCG with the opening bounce set to commence at 7:45pm local time with home team Collingwood Magpies currently holding favouritism in the market. View our AFL live scores, odds and results for the game between Collingwood Magpies and Port Adelaide Power.

WHERE AND WHEN: MCG, 7:45pm AEST Saturday, September 7, 2013

Opening odds comparison:

Collingwood Magpies	1.30	1.28	1.23	1.28	1.30	1.28
Port Adelaide Power	3.55	3.70	4.30	3.70	3.55	3.70

Preview:

The third match of Finals Week 1 sees Collingwood play Port Adelaide, 7.45pm on Saturday at the MCG. This is the first elimination final of the weekend, and both teams will be desperate for a win. Collingwood have got the shortest odds all weekend, and should be able to take out what is a young and inexperienced Power side. The Magpies will also have the home ground advantage for this encounter, something that could prove crucial against a young side playing their first round of finals footy since 2007.

While Port have had some big wins this year against the likes of Sydney, West Coast, and Collingwood themselves in Round 14, the experience of the Magpies will be tough to overcome. Collingwood have won three of their last five matches, and this momentum together with a strong home ground advantage should get them though to the next stage.

Teams:

Collingwood Magpies:
B: Paul Seedsman, Nathan Brown, Heath Shaw
HB: Marley Williams, Lachlan Keeffe, Tyson Goldsack
C: Harry O’Brien, Dayne Beams, Alan Didak
HF: Steele Sidebottom, Quinten Lynch, Jarryd Blair
F: Luke Ball, Travis Cloke, Ben Reid
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan
INT: Brent Macaffer, Nick Maxwell, Josh Thomas, Sam Dwyer
EMG: Jordan Russell, Jamie Elliott, Ben Kennedy

In: L.Ball, H.O’Brien
Out: J.Russell, B.Kennedy

Port Adelaide Power:
B: Cameron O’Shea, Alipate Carlile, Tom Logan
HB: Matthew Broadbent, Jackson Trengove, Tom Jonas
C: Brad Ebert, Travis Boak, Kane Cornes
HF: Robbie Gray, Justin Westhoff, Domenic Cassisi
FF: Chad Wingard, Jay Schulz, Angus Monfries
Foll: Matthew Lobbe, Hamish Hartlett, Oliver Wines
INT: Andrew Moore, Jasper Pittard, Sam Colquhoun, Aaron Young
EMG: Cameron Hitchcock, Jake Neade, Jack Hombsch

In: A.Carlile, R.Gray, H.Hartlett
Out: B.Renouf, L.Stevenson, J.Hombsch

Injured Magpie Lynch misses AFL training

A missed training session for Collingwood’s Quinten Lynch has cast doubt on the big man’s availability for Saturday night’s AFL elimination final.

The former West Coast player spent time on the bench during Sunday’s loss to North Melbourne after twisting his ankle.

The initial indication from coach Nathan Buckley on Monday was that Lynch should recover well enough to take his place against Port Adelaide in Saturday night’s do-or-die clash at the MCG.

But both Lynch and key defender Nathan Brown, who was subbed off with a knee injury against the Kangaroos, have been listed as needing a fitness test on the Magpies’ weekly injury list.

While Brown trained without apparent problems on Wednesday, Lynch failed to join his teammates for the session.

If the Magpies are unwilling to take a risk on his ankle holding up, it could mean a recall for veteran ruckman Darren Jolly, who hasn’t played an AFL game since round 12.

Jolly initially lost his place in the side through injury.

But in recent weeks, it has been the strong form of first-year ruckman Brodie Grundy and Lynch’s ability to combine his work in attack with ruck pinch-hitting that has kept Jolly from returning.

Grundy, 19, has played just six AFL games since making his debut in round 18, none of those alongside Jolly.

He said this week he would welcome the chance to have the senior ruckman partnering him in the team.

“It would be good,” Grundy said.

“I’d relish the opportunity to play with someone like Darren and learn off him while playing.”

Grundy said his own whirlwind rise to filling the club’s No.1 ruck berth heading into finals had surprised him.

He and Jolly would likely have to rotate through attack, filling Lynch’s role as a third tall forward, along with time in the ruck, if Lynch is missing on Saturday night.

But Grundy, who has kicked one goal this season, admits playing in attack comes less naturally to him than ruckwork.

“Playing my junior footy, I mostly just played as a ruckman so that (playing forward) is definitely an area of my game that I do need to improve,” Grundy said.

Harry O’Brien (ill) and tough midfielder Luke Ball (calf) both look set to return to the side after completing training on Wednesday.