Port Adelaide 2023: All the highlights from the Power’s clash with Freo
Port Adelaide finished its pre-season trip winless. Where are the Power at ahead of round 1? See the full practice match player ratings.
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Port Adelaide heads back to South Australia without a pre-season win and plenty of work to do ahead of its Round 1 clash with Brisbane.
With coach Ken Hinkley admitting “there’s some stuff we obviously didn’t like” in the 31-point loss to the Dockers, the season opener can’t come quick enough.
But what was there to like?
After a big summer, young gun Connor Rozee starred through the midfield, confirming he’s ready to take another step in 2023, while high-profile recruit Jason Horne-Francis also had some moments that excited Port fans.
Here’s how every player fared on Thursday night.
1. Tom Jonas – The Power captain had his hands full standing ex-Fremantle skipper Nat Fyfe, who was in his new role as a permanent forward. Gave Fyfe too much space a few times, cut off several other chances and the dual Brownlow Medallist finished with a game-high three goals.
2. Sam Powell-Pepper – Another impressive showing for the bullocking forward/midfielder who has been one of the club’s best performers this pre-season. Used his strength to hold off Andrew Brayshaw and boot the Power’s first goal and provided his usual, workmanlike efforts. Inconsistent until last year, Powell-Pepper is now one of the club’s most reliable players.
3. Ryan Burton – Fremantle small forward Lachie Schultz was able to find space behind him and mark inside 50 a few times as the Dockers rebounded quickly from defence. Made a good spoil close to goal on tall forward Josh Treacy and took several Power kick-ins.
4. Todd Marshall – Relatively quiet day in attack, finishing with nine disposals, four marks and one scoring shot – a behind. After a breakout 2022 campaign, he should benefit from Charlie Dixon’s return.
5. Dan Houston – Gave the Power plenty of drive from half-back and gathered 25 disposals. Looks on track for another strong season after finishing third in the club’s best-and-fairest last year.
6. Kane Farrell – Farrell is settling into his half-back role he finished last season playing. He provided rebound, a piercing kick and even did some nice defensive things, including a desperate lunge to save a goal in the third term.
7. Xavier Duursma – Keen to atone for a disappointing 2022 campaign, Duursma again worked hard both ways, setting up several attacking forays. Some tardy kicking at times let him down.
9. Zak Butters – Split his time between midfield and attack without having a major influence. It was his return game from a shoulder injury so would be expected to step up again in round 1. Had 16 disposals.
12. Trent McKenzie – The key defender lined up in just a third of the match and kicked a goal from beyond 50m during the last quarter. Expected to again battle Tom Clurey for a spot, having been chosen ahead of him on Thursday.
13. Orazio Fantasia – Crunched by Fremantle recruit Jaeger O’Meara during the first quarter before recovering and kicking a goal a short time later. The Power would be pleased the injury-prone goalsneak got through another game, playing 80 per cent of Thursday’s. Finished with eight touches.
14. Miles Bergman – Arguably the Power’s best against the Dockers. Playing on a wing, Bergman registered 25 touches as well as a game-high 651 metres gained. Was neat in possession and kicked a goal. He looks primed to take another step in his development this year.
16. Ollie Wines – The 2021 Brownlow Medallist registered a team-high 26 disposals in a typically industrious performance. Had some nice moments, such as setting up a Bergman goal, but the Power midfield was well beaten.
18. Jason Horne-Francis – Offered a heap of grunt and dash, charging forward from stoppages and laying a great, early chase-down tackle. He played directly, had some neat, drawing passes as well as a couple of poor turnovers and free kicks against.
19. Mitch Georgiades – Finished the game on the bench with cramp. The West Australian did not have a shot at goal in a quiet outing, albeit in just 58 per cent game time.
20. Connor Rozee – Looks to have picked up where he left off after his All-Australian campaign, zipping through the midfield, pushing forward at times and being one of the most creative players for the visitors. He gathered six disposals in the first term and finished with 25, behind only Wines for the Power.
21. Aliir Aliir – Stood key forward Matt Taberner for the most part in what was an intriguing battle. Taberner finished with two majors, but Aliir often read the ball better and was able to cut off Fremantle forays with intercepts.
22. Charlie Dixon – Returned to the side and his usual role as the spearhead of attack, before being moved into the ruck to start the third term to try to combat Sean Darcy’s dominance. Port looked better with him in the middle, which should ensure some interesting match committee discussions ahead of round 1.
26. Riley Bonner – Only played 24 per cent of the game and did not feature until the last quarter, indicating he was not in the Power’s best 23. Not long after being thrown into the action, the wingman was caught holding the ball.
27. Brynn Teakle – Offered something a little different against Darcy in the ruck, leaping into the Fremantle big man, but he played only 28 per cent game time. Made a costly turnover in the defensive half in the first term that resulted in a Dockers goal. Looks likely to start the season out of the Power side.
28. Willem Drew – You know what you are getting with Drew – he works tirelessly as a defensive midfielder and has impressed new assistant Josh Carr this pre-season. Still needs to add more to his offensive game.
29. Scott Lycett – After two strong performances helped him reclaim the No. 1 ruck mantle, Lycett struggled against Darcy, particularly in the first half. Darcy led Fremantle’s dominance in the middle and Lycett could not negate his influence. He is still working his way back from missing most of last season with a shoulder injury but what the Power does in ruck this year remains something to watch. Getting caught napping in possession summed up his day.
31. Francis Evans – The ex-Geelong small forward pushed his selection case with a lively last-quarter cameo that included two majors, a goal assist and another near miss. Only played 35 per cent of the match but created more opportunities than several teammates. With Junior Rioli to return for round 1, Evans may struggle to hold his spot.
33. Darcy Byrne-Jones – Came back into the team after missing last week’s match and played his usual role at half-back.
34. Lachie Jones – With Jase Burgoyne, Farrell, Houston and Byrne-Jones looking locked in at half-back, Jones again played bursts in the midfield, rotating at half-forward. Cannot fault his tenacity and defensive efforts, though needs to improve his kicking.
36. Jase Burgoyne – The Power clearly likes him, playing him for the majority of the game, despite being loaded with half-backs. And it is easy to see why – the son of Power great Peter Burgoyne is composed in possession and makes good decisions.
41. Jed McEntee – Like Evans, McEntee is trying to stake his claim for a small forward berth, although he offers more defensive qualities and not as much of an attacking threat. The Sturt product played more of the game than Evans (56 per cent to 35 per cent) but had less influence.
‘NO EXCUSES’: HINKLEY LAMENTS SECOND PRE-SEASON LOSS
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley says the club will be ready for round 1 with no excuses after finishing its Perth pre-season trip winless, needing to quickly improve in all three parts of the ground.
The Power coughed up several easy goals out the back on the rebound, could not make the most of its inside 50 advantage, was inaccurate and was well beaten at stoppages in the 31-point practice match loss to Fremantle on Thursday evening.
That result followed an eight-point defeat over four quarters to West Coast last week.
Hinkley’s side now has just a fortnight to sharpen up before starting its campaign at home against premiership fancy Brisbane on March 18.
“There’s some stuff we obviously didn’t like,” Hinkley said.
“Obviously there’s stuff we’ve got to work really hard on.
“We’ve got no excuses going forward, we’ve had our pre-season, we just need to be better than we performed today.
“They were much better than us today.”
Asked if he was concerned about the team’s form, Hinkley said “not so much ... because that’s what trial games are about, they give you information”.
“We’ve got a lot to learn but I’m sure we can,” he said.
The Power lost the clearance count 39-33 as Sean Darcy dominated Scott Lycett in the ruck.
“We got beaten badly,” Hinkley said.
“Darcy’s a high quality player and Scooter’s coming back after a year (sidelined), he’ll get better from that.
“Defensively they got through us a bit easy a couple of times, mind you a couple of those we gave up (late) we were pushing pretty hard.
“Normally we defend pretty well.”
Hinkley said it was obvious that inaccuracy remained an issue for the club, despite working hard on goalkicking over summer.
Port kicked 8.13 against the Dockers.
For the second successive week, the Power also could not capitalise on having more inside 50s than the opposition - 13 extra on Thursday.
“We haven’t really had that (forward) group together, even over the last three weeks,” Hinkley said.
“We know we’re generating chances.
“We need them spending time together quickly, we know we don’t have much time now but come round 1, we’ll be right, we’ll be ready to go.”
Hinkley said veteran Travis Boak, who missed the match with bruised ribs, was in no doubt for the season-opener.
CHECK OUT ALL THE MAJOR TALKING POINTS FROM THE GAME
WASTED OPPORTUNITIES
How concerned should Port Adelaide be, two weeks out from round 1, after a second consecutive pre-season defeat on the back of a sloppy internal trial?
The Power considered Thursday’s practice match against Fremantle in Perth as the ideal lead-in to its March 18 home clash with Brisbane and its near full-strength side was second-best, falling 31 points short.
For the second consecutive week, the Power won the inside 50 count but could not capitalise.
In the defeat to West Coast, Port estimated to have had about 25 more, while it had 13 extra on Thursday.
It was inaccurate yet again, kicking 8.13.
Another issue for the visitors was how easily the Dockers scored on the rebound, getting several easy goals out the back of the Power defence.
RUCK AND ROLE?
Does the Power still have ruck question marks?
The past fortnight suggested Scott Lycett was definitely its No. 1, having entered the clash against the Dockers in form and with the backing of midfield coach Josh Carr.
But Dockers counterpart Sean Darcy mostly dominated him in the ruck, particularly in the first half, leading to Port Adelaide shifting Charlie Dixon into the middle to start the third term.
Brynn Teakle had his moments when given an opportunity, jumping into Darcy to offer something different.
But Darcy made the most of his extended ruck time in the absence of big man teammate Luke Jackson (head knock).
RECRUIT WATCH
Jason Horne-Francis offered a heap of grunt for the Power and again had several promising passages.
The former North Melbourne midfielder/forward played directly, bursting away from packs, but was let down at times by his execution.
Recruited as a David Mundy replacement, Jaeger O’Meara has fit seamlessly in the Dockers’ engine room, starting several attacking forays.
Ex-Geelong small forward Francis Evans pushed his case for a round-1 berth for the Power with a lively last-quarter cameo.
Evans, who played seven games in three years at the Cats, barely featured to three-quarter time but was heavily involved in the action to start the last quarter.
First, he handed off a goal assist to Trent McKenzie, then he bobbed up for two majors, capitalising on loose balls in attack.
Evans almost kicked another late.
ATTACKING THREAT
Nat Fyfe is looking very much at home as a forward.
Backing up his three-goal showing in last week’s match simulation against the Crows, Fyfe kicked another trio of majors on Thursday.
The Brownlow Medallist slotted two majors in the first half, both from snaps.
He almost took a screamer in the first term when he launched above a pack.
The former Fremantle captain is going to cause plenty of headaches for rival defenders and coaches this season if he stays fit.
It was Power captain Tom Jonas who stood him on Friday.
Fyfe’s set-shot goalkicking remains a battle for him.
INJURY WATCH
High-flying forward Mitch Georgiades provided an injury concern for the visitors when he came off during the third quarter with what looked to be a left hamstring issue.
The West Australian hurt himself overrunning a marking attempt at high speed and went to ground.
Georgiades came back on the field later in the third quarter but looked a little proppy. He sat out the last quarter.
PORT VETERAN AND RECRUIT TO MISS FINAL HIT OUT BEFORE R1
Port Adelaide will be without veteran midfielder Travis Boak and new recruit Junior Rioli to for its clash with Fremantle in Perth on Thursday night.
Rioli missed Tuesday’s training session at Joondalup after experiencing fever symptoms as well as a sore throat and was sent back to Adelaide to recover.
Boak had been pushing to play the Dockers, four days after being sent to hospital with severe rib bruising, but he and coaches mutually agreed at Wednesday’s training to sit out the last practice match.
Defender Darcy Byrne-Jones (back bruising), on-baller Zak Butters (shoulder) and star recruit Jason Horne-Francis (ribs) have been cleared to play.
Port midfield mentor Josh Carr said if the season-opener was this week, Boak probably would have played.
“Boaky was a wait and see to see how he feels, and considering round 1 is only a couple of weeks away we thought he wasn’t quite right to go out there,” Carr said.
“He’s still just a little bit sore so no risk with it.
“Trav’s a professional with the way he looks after his body with recovery and everything he does, so he gave himself the best opportunity to play and really wanted to play.
“But, in the end, with a bit of contact and things like that, it wasn’t worth it.”
Among the notable selections in Port’s 26-man squad were key defender Trent McKenzie being chosen over Tom Clurey and ex-Geelong small forward Francis Evans being picked, along with fellow goalsneak Jed McEntee.
Carr said facing a strong Fremantle side, led by a midfield of Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong, Will Brodie and Jaeger O’Meara, was ideal preparation for the Power ahead of its home with Brisbane on March 18.
The Dockers will be without ruck/forward Luke Jackson (head knock).
“We’re preparing like it’s a round 1 game,” Carr said.
Power selection notes:
■ Scott Lycett will be the main ruckman with Brynn Teakle backing him up and that is how Carr sees the battle right now. “Scooter’s last two games have been outstanding, he’s definitely put his hand up to take that role,” Carr said. “He’s obviously got a lot of experience … missed the majority of last year and has had a good pre-season.”
■ Miles Bergman and Xavier Duursma were named on the wings.
■ Horne-Francis was picked on the ball.
FREMANTLE v PORT ADELAIDE
Thursday 7.10pm AEDT, Fremantle Oval
DOCKERS
B: J.Clark 6, B.Walker 31, H.Young 26
HB: N.Wilson 14, B.Cox 36, A.Pearce – C 25
C: J.Aish 11, S.Sturt 1, L.Henry 23
HF: L.Schultz 5, M.Taberner 20, C.Serong 3
F: J.Treacy 35, N.Fyfe 7, S.Switkowski 39
FOLL: S.Darcy 4, A.Brayshaw 8, J.O’Meara 2
INT: L.Reidy 42, M.Johnson 44, J.Hamling 21, B.Banfield 41, E.Hughes 15, J.Amiss 24, W.Brodie 17, H.Chapman 27
EMERG: N.Erasmus 28, J.Corbett 19, K.Worner 40, T.Colyer33
POWER
B: R.Burton 3, T.Jonas – C 1, J.Burgoyne 36
HB: D.Byrne-Jones 33, A.Aliir 21, D.Houston 5
C: M.Bergman 14, W.Drew 28, X.Duursma 7
HF: M.Georgiades 19, T.Marshall 4, C.Rozee 20
F: Z.Butters 9, C.Dixon 22, S.Powell-Pepper 2
FOLL: S.Lycett 29, O.Wines 16, J.Horne-Francis 18
INT: K.Farrell 6, T.McKenzie 12, O.Fantasia 13, R.Bonner 26, B.Teakle 27, F.Evans 31, L.Jones 34, J.McEntee 41
EMERG: T.Clurey 17, D.Williams 23, J.Pasini 24, D.Visentini 38
PORT NOTES: BOAK’S SHOCK RECOVERY, MATCH SIM SELECTION HINTS
Four days after being taken to hospital, Port Adelaide veteran Travis Boak remains in the frame to play in the Power’s last pre-season game after getting through training on Tuesday.
Boak moved well during the session at Joondalup and seemed unhampered by the rib bruising he received from his collision with West Coast’s Jeremy McGovern last Friday.
He was sent to hospital that night and a significant injury was ruled out.
The former captain wore a pink hat in the club’s main session to ensure no contact from teammates and he completed the match simulation, which was mostly a best versus the rest.
“Sometimes you pull up sore then you look at Boaky and he’s sore but he’s out on the training track, working harder than anyone,” teammate Aliir Aliir said.
“I’m still trying to get my head around it and try to ask him questions ‘how do you do it?’
“I want to find out what his secret is so it’d be good if I can keep playing to that age.”
Star recruit Jason Horne-Francis also wore a fluoro cap due to rib bruising from the Eagles match but was in no doubt to face Fremantle in Perth on Thursday.
Fellow midfielder/forward Zak Butters discarded his pink hat for a visor during Tuesday’s session, an indication he was on track to return from an AC joint issue.
“They were moving pretty well,” Aliir said.
Ex-West Coast goalsneak Junior Rioli did not train, remaining at the hotel, due to illness.
He had a sore throat and fever symptoms before returning a negative RAT.
The Power will assess how he recovers before deciding if he will play against the Dockers.
Half-back Darcy Byrne-Jones is doubtful despite training because he is still recovering from back bruising.
Spearhead Charlie Dixon, who missed Friday’s hitout due to rib soreness, looked good on Tuesday, taking part in full training.
Key forward Jeremy Finlayson (ankle), on-baller Trent Dumont (calf) and wingman Josh Sinn (hamstring) spent much of the session jogging along the sidelines.
Goalkicking was a focus for the Power, which booted 11.10 in four periods against the Eagles.
The squad took set shots during most interludes.
Port Adelaide will name its team – expected to feature 24 players – on Wednesday.
MATCH SIMULATION
■ Scott Lycett led the ruck for the black side, which featured most of Port’s AFL regulars. He has been in a battle with Brynn Teakle this off-season for the No. 1 mantle and will get another chance to push his case against the Dockers.
■ Connor Rozee, Ollie Wines and Butters joined Lycett in the middle at most centre bounces. Horne-Francis and Boak were largely at half-forward. Miles Bergman and Xavier Duursma were on each wing for the black team.
■ Jase Burgoyne, Kane Farrell and Byrne-Jones were at half-back for the top side, while defensive midfielder Willem Drew, hard nut Lachie Jones and recruit Francis Evans were on the white team.
■ Swingman Ollie Lord has been back in full training for about a week, having recovered from a lacerated kidney that led to him losing about 8kg.
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