2001 PORT Adelaide is ready to dip into its latest draft pool to consider teenagers Kane Cornes and Domenic Cassisi for the Ansett Cup opener against Essendon on Saturday. Their names are on the whiteboard for selection tomorrow when Port coach Mark Williams will re-assess the 24 he pencilled in last week for the test against the Bombers. A difficult decision rests with returning ruckman Brendon Lade, who last weekend played his first match in almost a year after breaking his right leg. While Lade needs more game time, he is not ready to give Port a matchwinning edge against the Bombers. It is likely both will be acknowledged with places in Port's 26-man squad but will miss out on the starting 24 to face the Ansett Cup and premiership champions on Saturday night.
Port has considerable depth to delve into for selection.
From Saturday's encouraging internal trial at Alberton, only defender Darren Mead could not train yesterday. He suffered a corked thigh, while yesterday he also was diagnosed as having a virus with the 24-hour ''OMS'' strand. He is expected to play against the Bombers. Port's footballers were on the telelphone last night and will be ringing and fielding calls from Power supporters again tomorrow as the club tries to sell 5000 season tickets in the next eight weeks to restore membership to 1999 levels. All rights reserved.