Port Adelaide injury, selection news ahead of Round 6 clash against St Kilda
Port Adelaide will unleash another debutant against St Kilda on Sunday — and his journey to the AFL has been a remarkable one.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
When a football landed in Marty Frederick’s house as a child, he and his twin brother Michael did not know what it was.
On Sunday, Marty will follow 14-game Fremantle player Michael in marking the latest milestone in their Aussie rules journeys by making his AFL debut.
Marty, who is Adelaide-born and of South Sudanese heritage, will replace another Next Generation Academy draftee, Lachie Jones (ankle), for Port Adelaide’s home clash against St Kilda.
Power coach Ken Hinkley said the 20-year-old half-back flanker/wingman had a remarkable story.
Watch the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Every match of every round Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
“Him and his brother one day a football got kicked over the fence and they didn’t have a clue what it was, and that was where their journey started with AFL,” Hinkley said.
“It’s continued to go in the right direction.
“Let’s hope he’s got a long career in front of him.” Hinkley said Frederick was raw when he was rookie-listed at the end of 2018 but had improved significantly.
The coaches challenged the speedster before the season to play consistently in the SANFL and Hinkley said he had responded.
“He’s worked really hard for three years to get an opportunity,” Hinkley said.
“He’s full of energy, full of bubble and he’s the sort of kid you like having around your football club.”
Frederick’s inclusion will be the Power’s only change unless Hamish Hartlett (thigh) or Dan Houston (shoulder) are not passed fit.
Hinkley was confident Hartlett would play but said Houston had “a little bit more to tick off”.
With the Power also missing Zak Butters (ankle), Xavier Duursma (knee) and Riley Bonner (hamstring), Hinkley said injuries were not only testing the club’s depth, but becoming a concern for the competition.
“I reckon it’s highlighting something in the game already this year and everyone’s starting to talk about it,” he said.
“The length of the game, the reductions in everything (rotations, pre-season), collision injuries that are happening because you’re out there for longer.
“Maybe there is no solution but length of the game is certainly one we played around with last year and we went to the longer one this year.
“I’m not sure if that’s right or wrong, I’ll leave that to the decision-makers.”
While Port Adelaide is one of the premiership favourites with a 4-1 record, St Kilda enters the game at 2-3, after an 86-point loss to Richmond.
The Saints beat the Power by 29 points in Adelaide last year.
“They’ve got their own problems with their form and we don’t want to be any part of their solution,” Hinkley said.
REVEALED: NOW WEAPON POWERING PORT
High-flying Port Adelaide has found a new weapon by improving its transition scoring.
A year after being the AFL’s best forward-half side, the Power is leading the competition in points for from its defensive half, according to Champion Data.
Port Adelaide is averaging 50 points per game from its defensive half, ranking it first in the league, up from eighth last season.
The 4-1 Power is also the best team so far this year at generating points from kick-ins, averaging nine per game, up from a ranking of eighth in 2020.
With a dangerous forward line mix of three talls and pacy smalls, Port Adelaide likes to attack through the middle of the ground to open up its options.
It ranks second this year for corridor use when exiting its back 50 – after being third in 2020 – and is converting more chances from them, while sitting second-last for boundary use.
The Power have launched a score from 11.5 per cent of its defensive 50 chains – third-best in the competition.
Collingwood premiership star turned football analyst Mick McGuane said while five rounds was a small sample, Port Adelaide was making up for a slight drop-off in its front-half game by taking advantage of rule changes.
“There’s no doubt the new rules have invited length in the game from kick-ins,” McGuane told The Advertiser.
“You can get the ball to centre circle nearly or centre wing and then you’re one contest away from forward 50 if you get it right.
“If you’ve got the conviction or courage to go through corridor on 45 (degree angles), the whole front half opens up.
“When you’ve got distributors like (Dan) Houston, (Ryan) Burton or (Hamish) Hartlett, you can probably play the game with a bit of risk v reward mentality.
“If you get the risk right, the reward becomes super beneficial because you know in front of the footy they’ve got avenues to goal that can win contests or with back space, they have speed to get into it.
“They can score very effectively and quickly.”
McGuane said the availability of Burton, who featured just eight times last season due to injuries, helped the Power’s ball movement and allowed Houston to move up the field.
Port Adelaide has an 11-2 record with Burton in the side over the past two years.
“You always want to get the ball in your best ball users hands,” McGuane said.
“They make good decisions, can be aggressive with their mindset, look inside and switch the ball inside … and that’s when you become an effective transition team.”
The Power ranks fifth for inside 50 differential and ninth for time in its forward half differential after being ranked first and second in those categories last season.
It is also equal fourth for clearance differential after leading the competition in that statistic in 2020.
McGuane expected those to improve.
“I’d be surprised if they went away from what was really working for them,” he said.
“I think they’ll rediscover that because that’s when they play their best footy – win territory, get repeats.”
McGuane believed Port Adelaide was well placed to challenge for a flag again this season.
The Power faces St Kilda, which is 13th with a 2-3 record, at home on Sunday.
Is this three-headed monster the meanest of all?
Port Adelaide’s dual Rising Star nominee Mitch Georgiades believes the Power’s version of the three-headed monster forward line has shown it can work together.
A week after Adelaide’s Lachie Sholl became the 12th player, and first in nearly three years, to have a second rising star nomination in two years — Georgiades joined him in the club after a fine game for the Power against Carlton at the MCG.
“It’s very nice to have that, it shows a little bit that your hard work is paying off,” Georgiades told The Advertiser.
The exciting young key forward finished with three goals, 15 disposals and five marks to earn his second nomination.
But it also showed what a potent attack of talls Charlie Dixon, Todd Marshall and Georgiades can be for the Power this year.
The unbeaten Western Bulldogs and West Coast Eagles have had their three-headed monster forward lines already making impacts on games in 2021.
Against Carlton in the Power’s impressive win, Dixon had two goals, 13 disposals and seven marks while Marshall finished with 19 possessions and a goal.
“Yeah us three tall forwards between Charlie, Todd and myself worked really well that night,” Georgiades said.
“It’s something that we’ve been working a lot on to make it work for the team and for all of us to perform and make an impact and work together was really good to see.
“It’s something that we have been working on and to test it out and see it working whether it is Charlie taking his massive marks or Todd being able to get up the ground and provide another option it is really taking the load of all of us so we can work together and utilise that.”
The three tall forwards had played together this season prior to the win over the Blues, but that was alongside the dual ruck combo of Scott Lycett and Peter Ladhams.
With Ladhams dropped to the SANFL, it was up to the key forwards to help out Lycett and Georgiades said they adapted well.
“Personally it doesn’t really affect me because I don’t go into the ruck so I’m happy but Charlie and Toddy they managed it really well and gave us another option,” he said.
The 19-year-old played seven games in his debut season for the Power in 2020, but didn’t feature in the AFL side after Round 13.
He said an emphasis on his defensive work and goalkicking — even though Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall said he had a “simple routine that is technically perfect” — had been his focus to play more games in 2021.
“It is something I have had problems in the past where I have struggled kicking straight at goals in particular so I went away over the last couple of years and especially over this pre-season to make sure when I do get those shots on goals I am making the most of it,” he said.
“That was something I've always made a big emphasis on, that my routine is very constant and everything I do I back myself 100 per cent on.
“So as soon as I go into my set shot process I know what I need to do and hopefully more often than not it results in a good outcome.”
Battered Power stars racing clock for Anzac Day
Port Adelaide is hopeful Dan Houston can play against St Kilda on Anzac Day after he was cleared of any damage to his shoulder.
And Hamish Hartlett is expected to be right for the clash against the struggling Saints despite a severe corkie.
Houston was substituted out of the Power’s impressive win over Carlton at the MCG on Saturday night in the second quarter after hurting his shoulder.
But scans have revealed the classy defender and occasional midfielder has not suffered any structural damage to the shoulder and while he is still in a sling Power forward’s coach Nathan Bassett said he could play against the Saints.
“Dan had scans yesterday and they were positive, there was no real damage in there so he will be a test for this week,” he said.
“He got hit hard and is a bit sore but he’s a chance to play this week.”
Hartlett had to play much of the second half as a deep forward because of the corkie, but has pulled up well from the knock.
“Hamish is similar to Connor (Rozee) last week, a significant corkie that he could kind of play on in a way,” Bassett said.
“He tried, I think we all got amused by that kick out the back and he had to chase it
but I think the guys managed it pretty well.
“He should be fine.”
Bassett said he was impressed how tall trio Charlie Dixon, Todd Marshall and Mitch Georgiades all fared for the first time this season without a second ruck in the line-up.
Georgiades kicked three goals, Dixon two and Marshall one to go with 19 possessions and nine marks.
“I think they have great potential,” Bassett said.
“George has only played 11 games, Todd I think played as good a game as he has played for the club and Charlie’s contest and hunt was outstanding early.
“It’s good as a start, I think we can keep building on what those guys do.”
Dixon’s two goals and seven marks came after a couple of quiet games for the All-Australian forward.
“I thought he was much better, I thought he had been a little bit down over the past couple of weeks,” Bassett said.
“Players just have their good moments and not so good moments, he is a very good footballer and had a couple of weeks where he was below his best.
“But I think he went back to staying in the contest a bit longer, hunting on the ground and he protected his space in the marking contest so very happy with Charlie.”
Sam Powell-Pepper will have to spend another week in the SANFL before he can push for a return for the AFL line-up after spending a month away from the club to focus on his wellbeing.
While after a 41-touch game at state league level Tom Rockliff may have to rely on an injury to get back into the AFL side.
Ablett family reveal details of son’s condition
Jordan and Gary Ablett had chosen not to reveal many details about their little boy’s heartbreaking condition until now.
Four Cats sign on as flag trio remain without deals
Four Cats have signed short-term contracts with the club, including a free agent. It means three ageing stars are the only uncontracted Geelong players at the club.