AFL Port Adelaide news 2021: Stay up to date with what’s happening at the Power
Port Adelaide will welcome a trio of exciting inclusions for its Friday night clash with Collingwood — all from the same draft class.
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Port Adelaide will receive a huge boost for its Friday night clash against Collingwood, with the Power to welcome back their three young stars in Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Xavier Duursma.
The trio from the 2018 “Super Draft” have helped transform the Power into a top four side but haven’t played together since Round 4 against Richmond because of injury.
Duursma suffered a knee injury in that game, and has spent the last two weeks in the SANFL, while Butters went down with a syndesmosis injury and subsequent damage to the nerve in his leg.
He did return against Melbourne in Round 17 but then sprained the medial ligament sprain in his knee, with the fear that he would be out for a month.
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But Butters will make an early return and Hinkley will reunite the 2018 Draftee’s – with Rozee sitting out the gutsy win over St Kilda last time out as part of management of a knee issue.
Hinkley said he was thrilled to welcome the three back into the side.
“It is quite remarkable because the three boys have had an impact on our club from the day they came in,” he said.
“They came into the side together and funnily enough they come into the side together at a moment when we need them in the side.
“We certainly think it gives us a boost in our ability and also our enthusiasm, our willingness to play the game in an exciting brand because all three do that really well.”
Hinkley said Butters and Rozee’s returns in particular come at a good time, with Port Adelaide facing a small forward shortage, but said all three would help the Power’s flexibility.
“It certainly makes a difference because they all play in slightly different positions and they all add flexibility to other positions,” he said.
“Both Zak and Connor give us an opportunity through the midfield to grow out and develop our midfield as well, which we set out at the start of the year to have a really key focus on and we haven’t been able to do.
“And Xavier can run up and back all day, and one of the good benefits of Xavier missing has been the emergence of Miles Bergman as a good quality wingman as well.
“So we feel like we have grown our club without them playing but we know we are better with them in our team and we need to get some games into them.”
Butters’ return to the side is his second ahead of schedule in three weeks after he sat out months of footy following the syndesmosis injury, and the discovery of nerve damage in the same leg.
Hinkley said Butters quick return from that injury was more of a surprise than this one.
“With any of those injuries you get a scan that may suggest that it is three to four weeks and you do always treat what the patient is like,” he said.
“And our doctors and medical people have always said lets get the scan but then treat the person first and Zak initially once he saw the scans and saw surgeons and the right people they were optimistic that his medial was nowhere near as bad as we first thought on the night.
“Lazarus if you want to go with that you can butIi think he was more ‘Lazarus’ when he got back from his foot to be fair
“His foot was one that came quicker than his medial was expected to so if you like I’ll refer to him as Lazarus from now on.”
The trio of young guns come in for Sam Mayes, Jarrod Lienert and Martin Frederick.
Should Wines be given another chance to captain Power?
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has ordained his resurgent midfielder Ollie Wines as the next potential stand-alone captain of the Power.
Wines co-captained Port alongside good mate Tom Jonas in 2019 after Travis Boak stepped down, but the co-captaincy only lasted one season before the club decided to proceed with a stand-alone captain in Jonas, and Wines his vice.
When asked whether the 26-year-old could one day again lead Port, this time with the No. 1 jumper on his back, Hinkley said without hesitation: “Absolutely, he could”.
“I have great faith in Ollie,” the 111-game coach told the Sunday Footy Show.
“Tom’s captain today, and if you looked at it from afar you’d be sitting there going: ‘Well, who’s next?’.
“And I think it’s pretty clear that Ollie looks like he could be the next stand-alone captain of Port Adelaide.”
Hinkley’s call comes as Wines continues his dominant form, which has seen him average a career-best 32.7 touches a game.
Against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium on Saturday, Wines was close to best-on-ground, picking up 36 touches, 11 clearances, five tackles, five marks, 553m gained and kicking 1.1.
He was instrumental in Port’s 13-point victory.
It means the 187cm midfielder remains in solid Brownlow Medal contention and according to tab.com.au Wines sits second in the odds at $4.50, behind Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli ($2.40) and ahead of Melbourne midfielder Christian Petracca ($7) and Essendon’s ball-getter Darcy Parish ($7).
Last year, the 26-year-old finished the Brownlow count with 10 votes, while fellow Power midfielder Boak finished overall runner-up with 21.
Hinkley praised Wines’ year-long performances.
“I think the No. 1 thing that Ollie’s got a hold of now, is he knows exactly what he is and who he is,” Hinkley said.
“Every young player coming through and Ollie was one of those we probably put a lot of hype and pressure around, and he wanted to be absolutely everything to everyone.
“What he now knows really well is what he brings to our footy club.
“He’s done it unbelievably well every week this year, he’s in great form, he knows how to play the game that suits Ollie best, he’s hitting the scoreboard, he’s doing all the things you want your best minds to be able to do, and he’s playing four quarters flat out.”
Meanwhile, Hinkley said the club was hugely excited about the future of their 192cm, forward Mitch Georgiades, who kicked four crucial goals in Saturday’s win over the Saints.
“For the position he plays, he’s as good as any of the young tall forwards going at the moment,” Hinkley said of the 19-year-old.
“There’s so much upside to Mitch Georgiades and we’re excited about what he can bring.”
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