All the Port Adelaide 2023 pre-season news: Jeremy Finlayson expected to be back for opener
Port Adelaide’s tall stocks have taken a serious hit with Jeremy Finlayson booked in for surgery just as the club looks to ramp up its preparations for the coming season.
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Port Adelaide forward Jeremy Finlayson is expected to be available for the Power’s season opener despite having to go in for surgery.
Finlayson will have to go under the knife to repair his syndesmosis after suffering the injury at the Power’s training on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old had his left ankle caught under a teammate as he was tackled at Alberton and was unable to complete training.
MRI imaging confirmed the injury and the need for surgery.
On Thursday the Power said that while Finlayson was going under the knife he was expected to still be available to play in their season opener against Brisbane on March 18 at Adelaide Oval.
After moving from GWS, Finlayson impressed with his versatility in his first season at the Power in 2022.
He had to become a make-shift ruckman for the Power after Scott Lycett went down with a shoulder injury and Sam Hayes was dropped and couldn’t find his way back into the side.
While giving up some size, Finalyson impressed once the ball hit the deck.
He continued his strong form into the Power’s pre-season, with Lycett earlier this week speaking of his excitement about the two working together.
“We get on together quite well, we’ve been working a lot on the same team so far this pre-season, so really looking forward to getting into the proper hit-out games and see where we are,” he said.
With the start of the AFL season fast approaching the Power will soon ramp up their preparations with an intra-club trial game and then a trip to Perth to take on West Coast and Fremantle in trial and practice matches later this month.
Power’s ruck conundrum to cause positive headache
Port Adelaide small forward Orazio Fantasia could be involved in full drills at training on Wednesday for the Power.
Fantasia didn’t manage a single minute of AFL action in 2022 as he dealt with two knee surgeries and a quad injury.
The livewire small forward was last week running along the boundary and was expected to ramp up his training this week as he dealt with some calf tightness.
But he was still experiencing calf tightness on Monday and was held out of the Power’s main drills.
However it is expected that Fantasia will train for the Power on Wednesday.
“He is going to be back training on Wednesday I think, he’s had a bit of a quiet week,” Port Adelaide ruckman Scott Lycett said.
“I think he did something little there but he should be back training on Wednesday.
“He is on a bit of a modified program because of the issues with his body over the last couple of years so coaches and physios have come together and made a program for him.
“He has been going really well, I think he has been one of our best trainers (this pre-season).”
Star Travis Boak and ex-No. 1 draft pick Jason Horne-Francis both missed the session at Alberton on Monday because of illness.
Power players are coming off a four-day break and Boak and Horne-Francis have returned negative RAT tests.
Lycett said the Power needed to be careful to contain any potential illnesses hitting the squad hard.
Trent Dumont is again dealing with a calf injury after one interrupted his first season at the Power after moving to Alberton from North Melbourne.
Lycett said he believed Dumont wouldn’t be too far away from returning to action.
“He’s just waiting for some more information from the doctors, it is sad really because he was going really well this pre-season so a little bit of a setback but he should play in the trial game soon,” Lycett said.
The Power will travel to Western Australia to take on Fremantle and West Coast in practice and trial matches next month before the season starts.
Port will hold its own intraclub game on February 17 before Ken Hinkley’s side heads to Perth.
Lycett said they would be vital in who can emerge in the battle for the No. 1 ruck position after he only played four games in 2022 following a shoulder injury.
Brynn Teakle has impressed in pre-season while Sam Hayes and Dante Visentini are also looking to put their names forward.
The elder statesmen of the ruck group at 30, Lycett said he was welcoming the competition.
“Definitely, I think having competition for spots can only be beneficial for the team,” he said.
“If you look at the best teams there are guys who are knocking down the door and they can’t get a game so it is definitely a good thing.”
Port’s injury issues led to Jeremy Finlayson being deployed as a No. 1 ruck and he impressed with his ability to impact the game when the ball hit the ground.
Lycett said he and Finlayson had been used together a fair bit in the Power’s pre-season so far.
“He is awesome … we get on together quite well, we’ve been working a lot on the same team so far this pre-season so really looking forward to getting into the proper hitout games and see where we are,” he said.
“Even before I was injured last year we played a couple of games and I really rated him so keen to play more with him this year.
“Yeah definitely (that they can play on the same team) he has proven that he has gone pretty well in the ruck so I wouldn’t be surprised seeing him in there quite a bit.”
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