Mark Bickley: Charlie Dixon is Port Adelaide’s barometer as the 2020 AFL premiership race heats up
When Charlie Dixon has failed to have an impact this season Port Adelaide has lost. However, it’s too simplistic to argue the Power must rely on their key forward to fire to be a flag contender, writes Mark Bickley.
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The equation is simple, no Charlie Dixon, no Power.
Port Adelaide’s three losses have coincided with key forward Charlie Dixon’s three least productive games.
It may seem a reasonable conclusion, but it’s never that simple.
In fact it is almost the opposite. If Port Adelaide don’t play well further up the field it makes Dixon’s job infinitely more difficult, as we saw last Friday night against Geelong.
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Port Adelaide was well beaten in all aspects of the game, including a complete shutdown of Dixon by the Geelong defence.
I say, Geelong’s defence because it was always multiple defenders competing against Port Adelaide’s No. 1 forward.
Dixon was completely blanketed, and failed to score or even have a possession in Port Adelaide’s forward half of the ground.
The situation exacerbated by the complete dominance of Geelong’s key man Tom Hawkins. Hawkins kicked six goals, took seven contested marks, and seemed to have all the space in the world to work in.
How does that happen?
The way Geelong moved the ball gave the Power defenders little chance to get set and help each other out.
The Cats continually change the angle of attack with short kicks forcing the Power defenders to continually readjust. It also keeps the Port Adelaide defenders engaged with their opponents knowing that if they drop off, the Geelong midfielders will hit the forwards on the lead.
Hawkins was then isolated deep allowing the big Cat to dominate Tom Clurey, then skipper Tom Jonas.
Geelong took 18 marks inside their forward 50 compared to Port Adelaide’s two.
The situation wasn’t helped by the lack of pressure being applied to the Geelong entry kick, players with time and space will more often than not will put the ball to their forwards advantage.
For Port Adelaide, time and space was a luxury rarely afforded and as often is the case when under pressure, forward entries become less precise, leaving the long kick to Dixon predictable and easy to counter.
The numbers back it up.
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Dixon this year has been targeted with the inside 50 entry kick on average, 32 per cent in the first 11 rounds.
Last Friday night it was 45 per cent. From almost one in three to almost one in two.
The Geelong defenders knew it and at every chance came off their direct opponent to assist in the air. The result was very effective.
The good news for the Port Adelaide faithful is, there is a solution, and it’s well within the capabilities of the Power players.
Firstly, they have to win their share of the contested ball, the Power were -23 around the contest and that rarely gets it done, as it gives the opposition first crack, and teams like Geelong and West Coast, who use the ball so well, give you little opportunity to win it back.
Port Adelaide also found out how important it is to have numerous options in attack.
Peter Ladhams and Scott Lycett had no impact forward, and at the very least need to create a better target to keep their direct defender engaged.
Todd Marshall will also help. Mitch Georgiades is a baby in football terms and still learning his role.
Marshall has three extra years of experience and was enjoying his best season before getting injured, his return is timely.
Brad Ebert is another who can assist in this area. Deceptively good overhead and often underestimated by the opposition, Ebert provides a difficult match up for opposition teams.
So while Friday’s loss is not a disaster, it does show Port they still have work to do.
Teams will now look to replicate how the Cats went about it and for Ken Hinkley and his players, they have to fine tune how they want to play, before the real stuff begins.
Make no mistake West Coast, Richmond and Brisbane’s midfield and backline are every bit as good as Geelong’s, so the next month is critical for Port Adelaide to reaffirm what has been to this point a successful season.
It starts with the midfield winning their share, it relies on numerous options up forward, this leads to less predictable entries making it harder for teams to drop off and intercept or spoil. The end result is fewer raw entries directed towards Dixon but of a higher quality and with less opposition defenders to contend with.
So in reality this is much less about Dixon the individual and much more about Port Adelaide the team.
The modern day key forward has never been more reliant on what happens up the ground than in season 2020.