FORMER Port Adelaide midfielder Josh Francou has urged his grand final-bound club to this week punt on a 19-year-old rookie who has played just five games.

Francou believes Robbie Gray should replace injured defender Michael Wilson, saying the tough youngster, who made his AFL debut mid-season, was an unknown quantity to Geelong and could kick goals quickly.

Francou pointed to Gray's explosive performance in round 12 against Essendon.

"I know he is not a proven defender, but I reckon that Port will be able to shuffle the side around. I think he can be an X-factor. He kicked three or four goals in a game earlier this year, including three in about a quarter."

Wilson, 30, a hero of Port's 2004 premiership, ruptured an Achilles tendon in the second half of Saturday's preliminary final. He was due to have surgery yesterday and his career is in doubt.

Finding a replacement for Wilson is expected to be Port's only change to the team to face Geelong.

It is believed that as many as six players are in contention: Gray, defenders Nick Lower, Nathan Lonie, Alipate Carlile and Brad Symes, and utility player Greg Bentley.

Lower is yet to play a game in 2007 and was in the SANFL reserves just a week ago. Francou acknowledged that the logical replacement for Wilson would be Carlile, who played nine games in a row between round 14 and the qualifying final against West Coast before making way for Darryl Wakelin last week.

Lower was mentioned as a possible inclusion by Port skipper Warren Tredrea, who labelled him a "like-for-like" replacement for the hard-nosed Wilson. Former Hawthorn player Lonie has played 17 games this year and was pulled out of North Adelaide's second semi-final team on Sunday to keep him fresh.

Meanwhile, club legend Gavin Wanganeen has urged the Power to take Geelong on with an indigenous-player pace blitz as they did in beating Brisbane in 2004.

"Normally when the indigenous players play well and play with their flair then the side is going to have a successful day," he said. "When you look at it, most of them have got electrifying pace and flair and that is hard to combat."

WEST AUSTRALIAN