Australian Survivor 2019 Power Rankings (Round 1)

Former castaways Fenella McGowan and Tess O’Halloran face off!

The battle between Champions and Contenders is happening again, and that, of course, means Inside Survivor is back with another edition of Australian Survivor Power Rankings. That’s right, this is where the real showdown takes place.

Returning to the battlefield is reigning Power Rankings champion Tess O’Halloran, who took home victory last season in a close fight with Sarah Tilleke and current Champions tribe member, Luke Toki. Joining the fun this year is season 3’s sixth-pace finisher, fan-favorite Fenella McGowan, who is sure to bring her charm and wit to the proceedings. Sarah Tilleke can no longer take part this season, and so that means your third competitor is me; apologies for the downgrade.

Who will come out on top? Will Tess hold on to her crown? Will Fenella prove to be a worthy contender? Or will I embarrass these Aussie all-stars? Let’s play!

RULES

We use the Gordon Holmes format of Power Rankings. Each week the three power rankers create separate rankings based on least likely to most likely to be eliminated. The ranking of the player who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the rankers will earn. For example, if the person you ranked in 1st place is eliminated in the next episode, you will recieve 1 point. If the person you ranked in 20th place is eliminated, you will receive 20 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the Australian Survivor Power Rankings Champion.

As Australian Survivor airs multiple episodes per week, the rankings will count for each episode aired that particular week.

If you have trouble viewing the rankings try clearing your browser cache and refreshing the page.

Fenella

0

Tess

0

Martin

0

1
Pia
Now here's a winning edit if ever I saw one! I’m basing this purely on her confessional saying, she’s always believed she’ll go out first; or take this thing out. So she better bloody take it out now. I don’t wanna lose!
1
John
Looking down the barrel of three episodes, and off the back of a pretty uninspired first vote from Tendies v2.0, the rankings this week are going to be a bit of a crab shoot (Martin's Note: During the making of these rankings, we learned that Tess has been saying "crab-shoot" instead of "crap-shoot" all these years. Hilarious). So I’m playing it safe and assuming that if we were going to lose this national treasure (the mullet that lives on John’s head) any time soon, we would have seen a lot more of him last week. The man under the mullet seems likable, very strong, and not stirring any dangerous pots- ipso facto, safe.
1
Matt
Matt is bodyslamming his way to the top of the rankings, and not just because I'm a pro-wrestling fan. When so much of the early game is focused around strength, I don't see Matt being targetted just yet.
2
Baden
I think we’re being built up to love this guy. He hasn’t really connected with anyone, he’s the token small frame, he’s clearly not on the keto diet (a key element in becoming one of the boys on my season), and yet old mate Andy has decided to take him under his wing and subsequently saved him last ep. I think he’ll use that position, wait till merge, then bid the superfan a hole in one farewell. YES BADEN.
2
David
David’s nestled into a sweet spot between big shield Luke on the one side and (more literally, from what we saw between the shots of Ross’ impressive snoring) Abbey on the other. If the Jocks take a shot at the Luke/David duo, Abbey should be able to protect David, and I doubt they would be willing to lose two big guys given the club-swinging, chest-beating mentality we’ve been seeing, so he should stay safe even in the event of a few losses. He’s also really, really ridiculously good looking - just saying.
2
John
Similar reasons to Matt, John is one of the stronger members of the Contenders tribe, and Australian Survivor is obsessed with brute strength. So even though you should never trust a man with a moustache, I think John is going to be around for a while.
3
Luke
Luke, you will forever be in my top three because for some unknown reason you always thought I was winning last season. WHY OH WHY WERE YOU WRONG?! PLEASE DONT COME SIXTH AGAIN! WE’RE BETTER THAN THAT!!!!
3
Abbey
Like David, Abbey’s got cover on either side, and the biceps to boot.
3
Daisy
As one of the small handful of Contender women to receive air-time, I'd like to think that means Daisy has longevity in this game. Although, the Australian Survivor edit can be confusing at the best of times.
4
David
David has a strong buddy in Luke, and by the looks of things, these two have an idol up their sleeve. I dig the idol dance. I dig their friendship. I dig they wanna shake things up. I dig them. I’m sorry but the only name I’m coming up with right now for them is Duke?! Which ruins Luke's King schtick. Good gravy, I hope I haven’t just given him a sixth place curse.
4
Sam
Looked like everyone was coming to Sam with their plans, and she was only too happy to flow along with others. She even sang along to the ‘tribe strength’ tune. I’m not saying this gameplay excites me, but I have a crown to defend here and I can’t imagine her going home in the next three eps.
4
Luke
Jungle-creeping, cigar-puffing, spy-shack-making... the King of the Jungle (and former Inside Survivor Power Ranker) is back! Luke's about to get his hands on an idol, and unlike Russell Hantz, I expect Mr. Toki to put it to good use and cause some fireworks.
5
Abbey
Abbey is in a good position as she's Davids snuggle buddy and it looks hella cold out there. There's no way he’d let his security blanket leave this early in the game. Both figuratively and literally.
5
Simon
We haven’t heard a peep out of Simon yet; he seems like a real nice chap though. Sort of like a benign, muscly extra on set at this point, sooo he’s probably looking at a top three finish.
5
David
Jericho's sure had quite the make-over since we last saw him... wait, that isn't Jericho? David is Luke's new "ride or die" and early signs point to another potentially fun duo. Even though he's currently on the wrong side of the numbers, I think his strength, plus his bond with the cunning Luke, will help him out.
6
Janine
Janine was on the wrong side of the votes in the first tribal, and her reaction gives me the impression that she was blindsided. HOWEVER, she’s claiming she’s pulling out the big guns and making some moves this week, so I think this shark is swimming in safe waters for the time being. PS. I’m low key LOVING the pun/analogy opportunities this woman is offering up. Please stay in the game for ages, I’m just getting warmed up!
6
Sarah
This is probably a bold choice, but the fact that Sarah’s name didn’t come up, even when all the hobby weight-lifters were deciding who to send home, is a major testament to her standing among the Tendies (v2.0). While the skirt and choice of buff placement (Sarah has gone for what is known in the industry as the handmaid’s headscarf style, over head, worn long… I’m making this up but you know what I mean) projects a mummish, salt of the earth vibe, her performance in the challenges so far suggests she isn’t going to be rolled over.
6
Abbey
I don't know much about Abbey, but we share a surname, so for no other reason, I'm ranking her high. Actually, she is comfortable in the "Sporty 7" alliance and is wanted as a number by the minority alliance. That puts her in a solid position.
7
Andy
Andy, I think, is pretty safe this week, but I think when the votes start to come his way we may get to see him implode. I'm here for it.
7
Shaun
He’s big. And married to Megan Gale.
7
Ross
Like Abbey, Ross is a member of the Sporty 7 but isn't perceived as a figurehead of the alliance. He is someone that the minority alliance is trying to sway, and so that gives him an element of power.
8
Matt
Matt is interesting. The first episode gave me major Zach PTSD feels. But I warmed to him when he was talking about Laura. He's safe for now because: tribe strength (BLAH BLAH). But I think he’ll have a target on his back as the game progresses.
8
Luke
OK, Luke, I can’t say I’m thrilled to see the spy shack coming back out - it didn’t go so well for me last time. And I probably won’t say this to your face, so you’ll have to read this to hear it… But Luke is playing about the best game you can hope for from a returnee in a newbie season. Went out fishing with the boys when he had to, not coming out too hard at anyone, and an idol clue in his pocket already. Making us proud! I’m a little nervous about the target on his back, but I think he’s done a great job at not making that any bigger than it needs to be. Don’t let this go to your head Luke… ;)
8
Andy
How was this guy sunburned before he even arrived on the island? Andy certainly talks a big game, and it's probably leading to a glorious downfall eventually, but right now, he's actually playing pretty well. He clearly wants to dig into the strategic game, but he's realized his tribe isn't in full-on game-mode yet, so is biding his time.
9
John
Oh Mullet Man, I loved the beans from day dot too. <3 I hope you toast the coconut and relish in the delights that is the coco rice. I also hope you start eating at night so no-one can see how much you’re actually serving yourself. I don’t see him leaving any time soon as again, tribe strength, and his hair set him in a comfortable spot.
9
Daisy
Seems like she’s everyone’s friend so far…
9
Shaun
Did we meet this guy last week? I'm not sure. I think he's another former AFL player but for some reason is on the Contenders tribe. Anyway, he's another buff guy, and Aussie Survivor favors that type in the early going.
10
Shaun
This positioning is based on how the tribal votes went down. He's obviously being told what to do, but he brings strength and seems to be a solid number that isn't ready to make moves of his own yet.
10
Hannah
I’m going to call this the Benji Wilson rule, if I haven’t heard a word from you in the first week, you’re surely safe for now, and I’ll expect you to shoot out the gate with 101 confessionals in about 32 days.
10
Susie
Susie's name came up last week, so it might be dangerous placing her this high. However, she is part of the majority alliance and doesn't appear the type to ruffle feathers. Plus, if Luke and co are able to pull off a move against the Sporty 7, I don't see them targetting Susie.
11
Steven
Hahahahha. I was ready to hate Steven! There were some Instagramming shenanigans that made me shut down on the man, but he’s proved me wrong! He’s planting seeds, he’s assessing the crowd, he’s taking chances, he’s putting himself out there. It’s scary doing it this early but power to him! He completely sucked at throwing and no-one mentioned his name. He's safe! For now...!
11
Matt
In theory, Matt should be safe. He’s got all the bits (you know what I mean) that you need for the first couple of few weeks of Australian survivor. It worries me a little though that he seemed petulant about not getting his way on the Baden vote, and it’s unusual for someone like Matt to not be getting his way over the Harrys and Andys of the world. Big talk in the challenges might seem like a good idea now, but if we do get an early swap, I wonder how much ET and Simon Black actually enjoyed that.
11
Simon
Simon says... nothing, apparently. Another underedited player who is hard to judge at the moment. But, as I said with Susie, if the underdogs do mount an attack on the Sporty 7, it won't be Simon who they come for.
12
ET
Same reasoning for Simon, BUT he's lower because I really think he should've caught a fish?! Get in there son!?
12
ET
Pinned by Luke as handing out the wrinkle cream, and not showing much acumen for the game so far. Steven had it right, it’s never good to be the leader in the early game, and if ET is inflexible about preferring challenge strength over strat-chat, he might start to cause some waves.
12
ET
I'm waiting for the moment Luke writes down ET's name at Tribal Council and says, "E.T... go hooome." You know that is coming. But I don't think it's happening this soon. If Luke's group come after the Sporty 7, they'll go after Steven and Nova first, who have been called out as the strategists.
13
Susie
Susie dodged a bullet last week. I don’t see her having that many connections in the tribe at the moment, but she's got Nova, and I’m living proof you don’t need many friends, just one good one!
13
Janine
Juicy Janine might be out of the numbers, but she doesn’t seem to be in too much danger. She’s tough, obviously well-liked, and seems very cool under pressure. If I go a little cross-eyed, it’s like deja vu… the only question is whether she’ll have a Sharn or a Kate Temby trajectory.
13
Sarah
Sarah's one of the older members of the Contenders tribe, and yet she's performed well in the challenges so far, and doesn't seem to have annoyed anyone at camp. If she can get her footing, she could clean up... wah wah.
14
Daisy
Daisy isn’t going anywhere. She seems to be in with the boys and is one of the only Contenders getting a confessional. We live to see her another week!
14
Casey
The only content we’ve had on Casey is around the doomed two-story shelter. She seems charming, but I’m not sure how far that will get her.
14
Sam
I guess the editors don't want to "show us" any of Sam. Get it? Her surname is Schoers. I'll show myself out (that's probably not even how it's pronounced). Seriously, though, we barely saw any of Sam in the first two episodes. I have no idea where she fits in the tribe or where to place her in these rankings.
15
Shaun
Shaun brings strength to the tribe and hasn’t really had that much screen time, so I’m guessing he’s here for another week.
15
Pia
I should come right out there and say that I’m a Pia fangirl. I absolutely loved Looking for Alibrandi… I was very, very happy when she scraped through the first tribal. I know exactly how she feels, having just made it through by the skin of her teeth and largely through the luck of a few handy conversations with the right people (or the wrong ones from Anastasia). I so hope that she had it right in her prediction: first out, or first place. Having said that, it’s so hard to get your name out of the air once someone lets it out; she’ll surely come up again from the Jocks if the Champs lose.
15
Hannah
Do you even go here?
16
Sam
Sam seems to be one of the stronger girls, which means she’s safe for now.
16
Andy
I love him. The hat, the sunburn, the whole shebang. He’s learned a few lessons from his archetypes in seasons past (hey AK) and kept his scheming and big game talk for the confessionals (which must be absolutely killing him). My only concern is how long he can hold that in for…
16
Harry
The ice-cream scooper whipped things up last week to get his way with the vote, and his antics didn't go unnoticed. I think Harry might have scooped off more than he can... lick? Matt, in particular, didn't seem to like the taste of Harry's game.
17
Casey
Casey worried me at first because she seemed to be very vocal in how to make the really bizarre shelter. Sometimes for the chance at half a mil you’ve gotta bite your tongue! Regardless, I don’t think she's going this week. But I do see her and Andy clashing later on.
17
Ross
Honestly, this low placement is 100% snoring-related. That must be really, really annoying. Sleep out there is kind of a thing. Otherwise, I’m really enjoying him.
17
Janine
Despite her low ranking, I have high hopes for Janine. She seems to have a solid social game; those morning yoga sessions are a smart way to work her way into the tribe dynamic. But right now she's on a downward dog trajectory, and if things stay the same, I could see her as one of the next targets of the Sporty 7.
18
Sarah
Sarah is in this position because we’ve learned quite a bit about her and I’m skeptical with her edit.
18
Steven
I am loving Bradbury out of the gate. All the jokes have been made, but I’ll just say that I think he has been very deliberate in bringing together the Jocks, even in his branding of them (“sports team”, very clever). I love his sneaky little eyebrows and sly looks, and the way he pops into every frame when you least expect him. Having said all of that, I’m very worried that despite his best efforts he is still coming off as a leader of the group, and I don’t think the Sporty Seven has the legs it needs to carry him through.
18
Steven
Steven surprised me with his strategic game last week, in so much as I never expected him to have one at all. He put together the Sporty 7, and smartly let others take the reins. That said, Luke still clocked him as a leader, and I think he would be a prime target of some idol shenanigans.
19
Hannah
Hannah seems like she may be a target but I can’t put my finger on why. Soz Hannah?!
19
Susie
I’m worried that if an idol is coming out from Luke’s side, Susie has already been their target… We also got her hero package kind of out of the blue on Thursday. I’m sus that she’s not long for this game. Plus, Luke might be remembering the last benign-seeming champion swimmer to grace the Champs’ beach.
19
Casey
I don't know a lot about Casey yet, other than she seemed to annoy some of her tribemates during the shelter building. Why was that included? Maybe she will be chopped should the Contenders lose again.
20
Nova
Nova was in a strong position last week, but we're seeing an apparent shakeup this week, hence here we are! She does seem to be a bit territorial about the cooking?!
20
Harry
Really stuck his head out from behind the parapets for no apparent reason. Surely something else happened between him and Laura that we didn’t see, but it didn’t seem like there was enough of a difference between Baden and Laura in his overall game to make it worth the risk he took. Also, chewing that tiny stick in tribal is a hundred times more mob-bossy than Laura’s hat was.
20
Nova
Nova got her way at the first vote of the season, and as impressive as she's been so far, I think she's created a big target for herself. Her control of the "kitchen" is one thing, but when you put yourself out there as a controller of the game, it only draws more attention. Next to Steven, I think Nova is target number one if Luke's alliance pulls off a Sporty 7 slaughter.
21
Harry
HARRY NEVER TAKE A STICK IN YOUR MOUTH TO TRIBAL AGAIN. NO.
21
Nova
Like Harry, Nova took a lot of risks in swaying the vote, without a huge pay off. She is a dispensable Jock from the challenge perspective, and playing the middle in such an obvious split can make a lot of enemies very quickly when she’s forced to show a side.
21
Pia
However, if the Sporty 7 stays intact, then it looks like Pai is next in line for the boot. That would be a shame, and I hope I'm wrong because I find Pia very easy to root for. She did say in the first episode that she'll either "be the first one out or win." If that is a clue, then hopefully she is in for the long haul.
22
Ross
Ross, your snoring has meant you're down here on the ladder my friend. Soz! Sleep and food is everything out there!
22
Baden
We didn’t see enough genuine strategy from the Tendies to believe that they’ll get their act together and vote for anything other than straight-up muscle mass the next time they go to tribal. Also, I was low-key offended when he said there was too much Survivor to see it all… I have a life, I swear, but I’ve totally seen it all. Prove me wrong Baden.
22
Baden
Poor Baden. He just doesn't seem cut out for Survivor. I imagine this would be me if I was ever stupid enough to play Survivor. Throwing up on the first day and stumbling around challenges like a disorientated baby giraffe. Maybe his heartfelt Tribal Council speech earned him some supporters, but I can't see him sticking around if the challengers continue to be strength-focused.

Written by

Martin Holmes

Martin is a freelance writer from England. He’s represented by Berlin Associates for comedy writing and writes about TV and entertainment, currently for TV Insider and Vulture, previously Digital Spy, ET Canada, and Yahoo. A finalist for the Shortlist Sitcom Search in 2012 for “Siblings,” Martin received his BA in English with Creative Writing from The University of Hull. Martin is the owner and editor-in-chief of Insider Survivor.


One response to “Australian Survivor 2019 Power Rankings (Round 1)”

  1. Some of the discussion about Baden was cut off; I would like to see what else was said about the guy please.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.