All the latest breaking and selection news out of Port Adelaide for Round 13
When Charlie Dixon was out for much of the early part of the season, it was up to Todd Marshall to step up and ‘be the man’ in Port’s forward line.
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By his own admission Todd Marshall is “a bit of a shy and quiet guy”.
So the need for him to step up and be the leader of Port Adelaide’s forward line when Charlie Dixon was missing in the early part of the season had the 23-year-old out of his comfort zone and answering the challenge that the Power’s forward coach had for him.
Marshall did the best he could to prolong them, almost single-handedly keeping the Power in the game in the first half.
He finished the game with three goals, 13 disposals and six marks.
Two of these goals kept the Power alive in the second quarter, after Richmond were able to pile on the goals and looked extremely comfortable in defence following giving up the first two goals of the game.
This helped the Power go into the halftime break just eight points down.
But Marshall wasn’t able to repeat the trick in the third quarter, missing arguably his easiest set shot of the night - which would have had the margin back to two-points.
“It hurts, losing by 12 points and what could have been,” Marshall told The Advertiser post-match.
“But football is about moving on from mistakes, I got that one wrong but if I get another opportunity like it I’ll step up.”
There’s a good chance that Marshall would convert his next opportunity.
He has kicked 23.5 already this season.
It’s one goal less than his previous best haul for a season, in nearly half the games.
“I just have built up a good routine over my career. I know in the pressure environment I can fall back on that and trust that I’ve done the work during the week to build that confidence,” he said.
“So when it comes to game day, and I get a chance I need to take that chance.”
It is this improvement that has Marshall as one of the real bright sparks from a Power season few saw coming.
After kicking one goal and having just eight touches in the first two games of the season, prompting widespread debate about his place in the Power team - Marshall has been in career best form for the Power.
“I started the year poorly, and I let that get to me a little bit,” he said.
“I had some really good chats with people in my life and I narrowed the focus on why I play footy and having that enjoyment back in my footy has seemed to help me play better.”
This came while the Power were without key spearhead Charlie Dixon after two lots of ankle surgery.
In the words of Power forwards coach Nathan Bassett, someone had to step up and “be the man” in the attack.
And while Marshall has maybe been “a little bit too polite”, this allowed him to unleash a different side to him.
“ I’ve had plenty of those conversations (with Bassett),” he said.
“I’m invested in this club and in this team and sometimes the best thing I can do is to go back and kick the goal after taking the mark rather than trying to pass it off.
“So I have worked on, I don’t want to say being selfish but a bit more confident going for marks and that.
“I’ve tried to bring that into my game, I‘ve had a lot of support from my coaches and my fellow players.”
Being the leader of the Power forward line wasn’t something that came naturally to Marshall.
But he feels like his game is a lot better for doing it.
“Obviously with Dicko (Dixon) being out and Robbie (Gray) injured it was a young forward line,” he said.
“We all spoke about stepping up and doing a bit more extra.
“And I think it helped me, with my personality being a bit of a shy and quiet guy I got out of my comfort zone and tried to be that leader there for the forwards.
“I think it benefits my game.”
Dixon is back, meaning that Marshall doesn’t have to worry about dealing with the oppositions’ No. 1 defender anymore.
But he revealed that he actually enjoyed the challenge.
“I just like the challenge of each week and what the different teams through at you,” he said.
Marshall has arguably already showed in 2022 why Power senior coach Ken Hinkley has always had significant faith in him.
Despite this, he said there was still plenty for him to improve on.
“I just want to be as consistent as I can be in my contest for my teammates,” he said.
“I still feel like I’m drifting a bit in and out of games. I can improve that a lot, I feel like there is an opportunity to stay more in the game if I’m not hitting the scoreboard through my tackles and contest work.
“I’ve still got a lot of things to work on and that‘s the challenge of AFL footy.”
Unless they can pull off a miracle, with a tough run of fixtures coming up, it is looking likely that the 2022 season is going to be one of disappointment for the Power.
But a bright spark, and a big one at that, has been the arrival of Marshall as he becomes the player the Power coaching staff were always confident he would be.
Port make call on Hinkley future
Port Adelaide chief executive Matthew Richardson says Ken Hinkley “will be our coach in 2023” as the Power’s final chances for 2022 suffered a near-fatal blow.
The Power are now two games out of the eight, and are also behind their rivals on percentage, after going down to Richmond by 12-points.
The loss is a huge blow to the Power’s already slim chances of playing finals, after a 0-5 start to the season.
Hinkley’s future has been heavily speculated this season, with the Power senior coach dismissing reports linking him to GWS if there was to be a mutual parting of ways between him and Port after 10-years at Alberton.
Richardson told Fox Footy on Thursday, prior to the loss, that Hinkley wasn’t going anywhere.
“Ken is our coach and he will be our coach in 2023,” Richardson said.
“He has taken us to the last two preliminary finals and has shown great strength. He is contracted for 2023 and that is not going to change.”
North Melbourne legend David King said following Richardson’s comments the focus now needed to turn to the Power players, with finals extremely unlikely this year.
“This group will be the discussion now,” he said on Fox Footy.
“Will there be another opportunity with this group.”
Two-time All-Australian Leigh Montagna said the Power needed to decide whether they believed this current group could return to being a top four side.
“Then you stick with Ken Hinkley and go again,” he said.
“But they have to sit down and decide whether they have enough weapons with the list they have to compete with the best teams.
“I’m starting to waver, you can’t expect any more from Robbie Gray, we can’t expect any more from him, Charlie Dixon how can he keep going with his age and his body, Travis Boak can’t keep being as strong as he has.
“So I’m wondering whether the next wave of players we thought would come through and spike whether they have done it enough for them to be a challenger.
“If they believe they have a list that can challenge again then you go with Ken Hinkley who is a fantastic coach.
“But if you decide to get more talent in, it could be a three year rebuild.”
Hinkley rejects ‘unfounded’ GWS coaching speculation
Ken Hinkley has dismissed speculation linking him to the vacant GWS coaching job, saying it is not something he has discussed and he is committed to Port Adelaide.
Reports this week have suggested the Giants may look to swoop on the 10th-year Power coach at the end of this season if there is a mutual parting of ways at Alberton.
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Asked on Wednesday about the talk, Hinkley, who was contracted to Port Adelaide until the end of 2023, said bluntly: “I should be able to have a reverse press conference sometimes and question some of the people who put some of those things up”.
“I don’t take any notice of it because I’m committed to Port Adelaide and I’ve got a job to do at Port Adelaide,” Hinkley said.
“This happens all the time – speculation just comes from nowhere, a lot of it unfounded.
“By even talking about it, I’m wasting my time.
“I’m not interested in it, it’s not something that we’ve talked about in any way, shape or form.”
GWS is searching for a new coach after Leon Cameron’s resignation last month.
Four-time premiership winner Alastair Clarkson has been linked to the position, along with Hinkley, whose job has been under more scrutiny this season due to the Power’s 0-5 start.
Port Adelaide improved to a 5-6 with a home win over Essendon in its final game before its bye.
The Power added 22-year-old East Fremantle ruckman Brynn Teakle during its break to boost the club’s tall stocks with Scott Lycett (shoulder) sidelined for another month.
Hinkley hinted that Teakle could soon come into the team, which had been relying on seven-gamer Sam Hayes.
On Wednesday evening, Port Adelaide will name its line-up to face Richmond at the MCG on Thursday night.
“(Teakle) is a good option for us because Hayesy’s only a very young ruckman, he’s still developing and got a long way to go,” he said.
“We’re stretched a little bit with experience in the ruck at the moment.”
Hinkley said the Power would likely field a shorter side because of the wet weather forecast.
The club will take three extra players to Melbourne for Covid cover.
Hinkley remained wary of Richmond, which was 6-5 and still brimming with premiership winners from its three flags from 2017-20.
Power key defender Trent McKenzie will return from knee surgery via the SANFL for his first game since the Showdown in round 3.
Grund designs: Crows, Port urged to pursue Pie move
The two South Australian AFL clubs should “definitely go” for Brodie Grundy if Collingwood are open to trading the ruckman, inaugural Adelaide coach Graham Cornes says.
Grundy signed a lucrative seven-year deal for the Magpies, at $1 million a year, ahead of the 2020 season after establishing himself as one of the competitions best ruckman.
This came after it was debated at length in 2019 whether the Crows should make a big-money play for the SA product – before the emergence of Reilly O’Brien.
When he signed his new contract at Collingwood, Grundy did concede that his mum had hoped he would return to Adelaide.
Since signing that big-money deal Grundy has failed to reach the lofty heights he had set, with no appearances in the All-Australian team since the 2019 season.
The 28-year-old is out with a PCL injury and in his absence Darcy Cameron has impressed for the Magpies.
This has prompted questions from pundits such as Garry Lyon as to whether it would be in the best interests for the Pies to consider trading Grundy given it could free up significant salary cap space for Collingwood.
Cornes said if Collingwood was open to this then the two SA clubs, especially Port Adelaide, should definitely look at trying to lure Grundy back to Adelaide.
“He is a good player, he is having a bit of quiet spell at the moment but he will work his way through that,” he said.
“It is just a matter if they could afford the contract. “It is quite significant so whether the South Australian clubs would be prepared to play that, whether Collingwood would be prepared to pay some of it that sort of thing.
“It would definitely be worth going after him but I think it is a bit too early to know whether Cameron can take over from him.”
The Crows and Power both have healthy salary cap positions with Adelaide building up a war chest for the next part of their rebuild while Port Adelaide could free up further space in its if Karl Amon departs Alberton as widely expected.
Cornes said he expected Collingwood to keep Grundy, despite Cameron’s form.
“Grundy is still a good player, he still has a long-term contract because he is a good player,” he said.
“We’ve seen players bounce back from that, like (Patrick) Cripps at Carlton.
“So I’m sure he will bounce back but if he doesn’t then the South Australian clubs should definitely go for him.”
POWER DEFENDER’S RECIPE FOR FINALS PUSH
Port Adelaide defender Tom Clurey says the Power are about to embark on a run of games “that we have to win” if they are to keep their finals hopes alive.
The Power resume their season with a trip to the MCG to take on Richmond.
Following that it is Sydney and Gold Coast at home before a trip to Perth to take on Fremantle.
After a 0-5 start the Power are now 5-6 and are in the chasing pack for a top eight spot.
Clurey said they couldn’t avoid more slip-ups.
“Yeah we definitely are behind a little bit, we aren’t in that top eight so we need to keep winning,” he said.
“Where we were at the start of the year you would take 5-6 but we have to get back.
“The next month especially and few weeks is a big challenge, Richmond on Thursday night they are in some good nick.
“But where we have put ourselves these are the games that we have to win.”
Even if the Power becomes just the second team to make finals in the current system after a 0-5 start, they aren’t expected to make any real impact in September.
Clurey said the players still felt like they could be one of the best sides in the league.
“There are plenty of people out there, they are going to have their opinions on where we are and where we will finish,” he said.
“But us internally we’ve still had the belief that we can still be one of the best teams and an on any day we can beat anyone.”
In positive news for the Power, key defender Trent McKenzie is in line to play his first game since the Round 3 Showdown.
McKenzie had an arthroscopic clean-out of loose bodies in his left knee in April after a direct knock to his knee in the game against the Crows.
The 30-year-old has rejoined full training and will be assessed throughout the week by the Power with a view to him playing this weekend.
Orazio Fantasia and Josh Sinn have resumed running as they recover from a quad and groin issues respectively.
Fantasia is expected to miss three to four weeks of footy after his first game for the year in the SANFL lasted minutes.
Ruckman Scott Lycett is still five to six weeks away but has increased his running load and work in the gym as he looks for his first game since his shoulder injury in Round 4 against Melbourne.
Why Port’s newest recruit already wants a statue
Port Adelaide’s newest recruit Brynn Teakle has a statue in his sights.
When Port Adelaide chose him with the eighth pick of Wednesday’s Mid-Season Draft, it added to one of the more fascinating stories in footy.
Drafted from East Fremantle, the ruckman/forward is actually from the small farming community of Northampton – about 480km northwest of Perth.
And from this town of around 800, with Teakle’s selection, there have now been 10 players from Northampton on an AFL list.
“It’s a funny one, I have no idea. It must be in the water,” Teakle said.
“It produces a lot of talent for a small population.”
He has already been added to the WhatsApp group – along with Carlton superstar Patrick Cripps, West Coast’s Jamie Cripps and Josh Kennedy – consisting of players from Northampton.
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Also from the town are Geelong’s dual premiership defender Harry Taylor, inaugural West Coast player Andrew Lockyer, Eagles premiership swingman Daniel Chick, Fremantle champion Paul Hasleby, former Collingwood defender Tarkyn Lockyer and one-time North Melbourne midfielder Liam Anthony.
If Teakle, 22 and standing at 203cm, can taste AFL action with the Power then he will be immortalised alongside the other nine at the Miners Arms pub in the town.
To celebrate the town’s amazing record of producing AFL players, Northampton has erected life-size statues of its products to play in the big leagues.
Teakle is hoping it won’t be long until he has his own statue.
“I’m not sure if there’s going to be a big enough space for me,” he said.
“It’s up at the top pub there, it would be pretty cool if I can get one myself.”
Teakle trialled with Essendon in 2020 but couldn’t crack the senior list.
“Essendon gave me the feedback to live in the gym and put on some size, so I’ve put on 6kg since last pre-season,” he said.
“So that has definitely helped me on my journey and it has helped my game with contest and stuff like that.”
A ruck with impressive agility and foot skills, Teakle is hopeful he can make an impact quickly at Port Adelaide with Scott Lycett still out with a shoulder injury.
“He (Power coach Ken Hinkley) said there’s a good opportunity for you if you do the work early and come with the right attitude,” he said.
“I’m going to put my best foot forward and work my bum off as soon as I get to training tomorrow morning.”
He could also make an impact as a forward for the Power.
“That is something I’ve been working on (forward craft) for the last six months to a year. East Freo played me a lot as a forward,” he said.
“I also played as a forward for most of my juniors … I think I’m a pretty natural goalkicker so that’s another string to my bow.”
Collingwood and Hawthorn both showed interest in Teakle, but he said the Power demonstrated the most interest in him.
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