Mitch Georgiades addresses comeback from ACL tear, four-goal haul against Carlton

Mitch Georgiades only played two AFL games last season after tearing his ACL in the SANFL, but the year off may have helped the young forward forge a potentially great career at the Power.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 30: Mitch Georgiades of the Power celebrates a goal during the 2024 AFL Round 12 match between the Port Adelaide Power and the Carlton Blues at Adelaide Oval on May 30, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

In a strange way missing nearly a year of footy has actually helped Mitch Georgiades.

The high-flying young forward suffered the always dreaded ACL injury while playing in the SANFL in April last year.

It meant he only played the two games at AFL level in 2023.

Before that it looked like Georgiades was facing the first real test of his young career so far.

After playing seven games in his first season, and then 21 and 19 in his second and third campaigns the 22-year-old found himself out of the Power side.

From being remarkably accurate in front of goal, his accuracy was beginning to desert him as he kicked more behinds than goals in 2022 and 2023 at AFL level.

But Georgiades is back in the Power's side, not missing a match since he returned in Round 4 against Essendon.

And in a big boost for the Power, he looks to have his mojo back in front of goal.

While it was a disappointing loss for the Power as it went down by 36-points to Carlton on Thursday night, Georgiades was the big positive for Ken Hinkley’s side.

Georgiades played his best game on Thursday since he returned from injury. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

He finished with 4.1 and had 15 possessions and nine marks as the most dangerous Power forward by some way.

“To kick a couple of goals and get on the end of a couple with nice ball movement, it was nice to kick straight,” Georgiades told this masthead.

“I was happy with it.”

The accuracy was very noticeable about Georgiades’ game against the Blues.

He said it was quite simple.

“It is just knowing my process, it has never changed so it is about backing in repetition and getting myself in situations to use that so I know I am a good set shot and it is something I continue to work on,” he said.

But the young gun did concede that his struggles in front of goals did impact his confidence at one stage.

“I would be lying if I didn’t say it affected my confidence at one point but a freshen up from football last year with my knee injury put me in a real good state and I feel really confident where things are at right now,” he said.

It is an interesting concept, a serious knee injury actually helping Georgiades – especially since he did have some setbacks in his recovery from it early on.

But he said it gave him a lot of gratitude around just playing footy.

“The knee has been good, been really happy with how it is going and been really happy to be back out and playing football again,” he said.

“The year is such a grind when you have an injury that long and you don’t realise just how much you actually enjoy running out there and playing footy until it is taken from you.

“So for me this year is just about enjoying it and going one week at a time and not looking too far into the future but yeah I am really enjoying it.”

The Power face plenty of questions after their loss to the Blues. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The Power now go into its mid-season bye, with an 8-4 record but facing more questions about just where it sits in the premiership race.

Georgiades was optimistic about what the Power could do in the second half of the season, but said Port had to take lessons from what Carlton were able to do.

“Yeah 8-4 I think we have set up our season from the first half of it pretty strongly,” he said.

“Thursday night was disappointing but there are a lot of things we can take out of it, we go into the break and will freshen up but we are optimistic about where we are at.

“Just stand up in the big moments in the last quarter, to take our moments and when we do have the ball in hand be composed.”