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Midfield must help stop Hall: Wakelin
5:13:53 PM Wed 9 June, 2004
Port Adelaide Football Club
Port Adelaide defender Darryl Wakelin will be looking for some help from the midfield when he lines up on giant Sydney goal-machine Barry Hall on Sunday at AAMI Stadium.
Wakelin was well beaten by Hall when the duo battled in the Qualifying Final last year and says a full team effort will be required to stop Hall and the Saint-beating Swans this weekend.
?He probably gave me a little bit of a touch up here in last year?s final but I?ve had some good battles with Barry over the years and he?s a very good player but hopefully we can keep the pressure on in the midfield and make my job easier,? Wakelin told media prior to training at AAMI Stadium on Wednesday.
?If you?ve ever played full back you know your job?s made easier by that pressure in the midfield and if there?s no pressure there it doesn?t matter if you?re the best full back going around it?s always a difficult task.
?You need help and we need to work as a team. We haven?t got the superstars in our team to win games, everyone needs to work together.?
Wakelin, who trained in his Kelly Football Club (from Kimba, SA) guernsey as part of Grass Roots weekend (see picture), played some of his best football this year in the second half of the game against Brisbane on Saturday night, limiting Jonathon Brown?s impact after he had got on top of an injured Chad Cornes early.
Wakelin said he was pleased with that effort after struggling with form and fitness through parts of the season.
?I?ve felt personally I?ve probably let down the teammates a little bit with my consistency,? Wakelin said.
?I feel like I?ve got the conditioning now to get me through games and I need to just start stringing some (good) games together, it?s definitely important.?
The Power comes up against a white-hot Sydney, fresh off a win over the previously unbeaten St Kilda.
?A lot of the guys had a chance to have a look at that game on Sunday when we got back and they are playing very good football and similar style to what they were playing last year. That?s a positive for them and it will be up to us to stop them,? Wakelin said.
?They are a quality side and when they play to their potential like they did last Sunday it just shows what they can do. We?re looking forward to that challenge, it will be a very good game.
?We?ve got some things we?re going to work on this weekend and at training during the week which we think will get us over the line and we?ll keep those things to ourselves.?
The Power will go into the match favourites, boasting a strong home ground advantage, that has seen it unbeaten against interstate opposition this year.
It will regain leading midfielder Peter Burgoyne and possibly the much-improved Adam Kingsley. Chad Cornes is in some doubt with a groin injury and Stuart Cochrane is suspended for this week after being found guilty of striking at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night.
5:13:53 PM Wed 9 June, 2004
Port Adelaide Football Club
Port Adelaide defender Darryl Wakelin will be looking for some help from the midfield when he lines up on giant Sydney goal-machine Barry Hall on Sunday at AAMI Stadium.
Wakelin was well beaten by Hall when the duo battled in the Qualifying Final last year and says a full team effort will be required to stop Hall and the Saint-beating Swans this weekend.
?He probably gave me a little bit of a touch up here in last year?s final but I?ve had some good battles with Barry over the years and he?s a very good player but hopefully we can keep the pressure on in the midfield and make my job easier,? Wakelin told media prior to training at AAMI Stadium on Wednesday.
?If you?ve ever played full back you know your job?s made easier by that pressure in the midfield and if there?s no pressure there it doesn?t matter if you?re the best full back going around it?s always a difficult task.
?You need help and we need to work as a team. We haven?t got the superstars in our team to win games, everyone needs to work together.?
Wakelin, who trained in his Kelly Football Club (from Kimba, SA) guernsey as part of Grass Roots weekend (see picture), played some of his best football this year in the second half of the game against Brisbane on Saturday night, limiting Jonathon Brown?s impact after he had got on top of an injured Chad Cornes early.
Wakelin said he was pleased with that effort after struggling with form and fitness through parts of the season.
?I?ve felt personally I?ve probably let down the teammates a little bit with my consistency,? Wakelin said.
?I feel like I?ve got the conditioning now to get me through games and I need to just start stringing some (good) games together, it?s definitely important.?
The Power comes up against a white-hot Sydney, fresh off a win over the previously unbeaten St Kilda.
?A lot of the guys had a chance to have a look at that game on Sunday when we got back and they are playing very good football and similar style to what they were playing last year. That?s a positive for them and it will be up to us to stop them,? Wakelin said.
?They are a quality side and when they play to their potential like they did last Sunday it just shows what they can do. We?re looking forward to that challenge, it will be a very good game.
?We?ve got some things we?re going to work on this weekend and at training during the week which we think will get us over the line and we?ll keep those things to ourselves.?
The Power will go into the match favourites, boasting a strong home ground advantage, that has seen it unbeaten against interstate opposition this year.
It will regain leading midfielder Peter Burgoyne and possibly the much-improved Adam Kingsley. Chad Cornes is in some doubt with a groin injury and Stuart Cochrane is suspended for this week after being found guilty of striking at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night.
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