Port Adelaide news: Charlie Dixon fails to prove fitness for Dees clash
The Crows and the Power have made their decisions on two of their big forwards with both sides preparing for mammoth top eight clashes this weekend. Check out the full teams here.
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Port Adelaide spearhead Charlie Dixon has failed to prove his fitness for the Power’s Friday night blockbuster against Melbourne, while Adelaide has rested star forward Taylor Walker for its trip to Ballarat to take on the Western Bulldogs.
The Power has also recalled ruckman Scott Lycett ahead of a testing night against the Demons star duo of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy.
The Power, who will go by the name Yartapuulti for the clash to open Sir Doug Nicholls Round, have gone with Brynn Teakle as their ruck option in recent weeks.
But with Gawn and Grundy in store, the Power have decided to recall the bigger bodied Lycett.
Key forward Dixon failed in a fitness test on Thursday as he deals with a quad strain and with a knee injury.
Dixon was put through his paces at the Power’s captains run on Thursday at Adelaide Oval as he attempted to prove his fitness for the blockbuster.
With his knee heavily strapped he didn’t look to be moving freely as he did some straight line running and then two changes of direction before joining the group of players having a quieter captains run.
The Power said he was deemed ineligible for selection as he recovered from the quad strain.
Teammate Sam Powell-Pepper said on Thursday that Dixon needed to listen to his body.
“He is such a big part of our team so we’d want him out there whenever we can,” he said.
“So if he is fit and healthy enough we can’t wait for him to go out and play.
“If you asked him he would play every game but it is up to what his body can do and we would love to have him out there.”
It means the Power will go into to the huge clash with Jeremy Finlayson and youngster Ollie Lord as their key forwards.
As well as Lycett leadership group member Darcy Byrne-Jones also returns for the Power after he was a withdrawal from the side that defeated North Melbourne last time out through illness.
Byrne-Jones and Lycett replace the concussed Todd Marshall and Teakle.
Last week’s sub Jackson Mead is in line for the role again after he was named as an emergency along with Tom Clurey, Lachie Jones and Jase Burgoyne.
Over at West Lakes the Crows have decided to rest Walker for the trip to Ballarat.
He is one of three changes to the side that defeated St Kilda with Tom Doedee out through concussion and Riley Thilthorpe out with knee soreness.
Lachlan Gollant and Elliott Himmelberg come in for Walker and Thilthorpe while Nick Murray returns to replace Doedee.
Walker has started the season in strong form, with Crows head of football Adam Kelly saying the decision to rest the 33-year-old would ensure he can continue this in the second half of the season.
“We went into the year planning to manage Taylor at points in the season (and) have reached that point this week,” Kelly said.
“We know that Taylor has benefited from an in-season freshen up previously and this is something that was something discussed with him before the season commenced.”
AFL ROUND 10 TEAMS AND FIXTURE (All times AEST)
YARTAPUULTI (PORT ADELAIDE) v NAARM (MELBOURNE)
Friday May 19, 7:50pm at Adelaide Oval
POWER
B: A.Aliir, T.McKenzie, T.Jonas - C
HB: R.Bonner, R.Burton, D.Houston
C: T.Boak, J.Horne-Francis, M.Bergman
HF: J.McEntee, C.Rozee, S.Powell-Pepper
F: D.Byrne-Jones, J.Finlayson, O.Lord
FOLL: S.Lycett, O.Wines, Z.Butters
I/C: D.Williams, W.Drew, K.Farrell, F.Evans
EMG: J.Mead, L.Jones, J.Burgoyne, T.Clurey
In: D.Byrne-Jones, S.Lycett
Out: T.Marshall (Injured), B.Teakle (Omitted), J.Mead (Omitted)
DEMONS
B: J.Bowey, S.May, M.Hibberd
HB: C.Salem, J.Lever, A.Brayshaw
C: T.Rivers, C.Oliver, K.Pickett
HF: E.Langdon, T.McDonald, J.Viney
F: C.Spargo, B.Grundy, B.Fritsch
FOLL: M.Gawn - C, C.Petracca, L.Hunter
I/C: J.van Rooyen, A.Neal-Bullen, K.Chandler, J.McVee
EMG: B.Laurie, J.Jordon, J.Smith, T.Woewodin
In: C.Salem, T.McDonald
Out: T.Sparrow (Suspension), H.Petty (Injured), J.Jordon (Sub)
WESTERN BULLDOGS v ADELAIDE CROWS
Saturday May 20, 2:10pm at Mars Stadium
BULLDOGS
B: T.Duryea, L.Jones, E.Richards
HB: B.Dale, R.Gardner, J.Johannisen
C: O.Baker, M.Bontempelli - C, B.Williams
HF: A.Scott, J.Ugle-Hagan, C.Weightman
F: A.Jones, A.Naughton, R.Lobb
FOLL: T.English, B.Smith, T.Liberatore
I/C: T.O’Brien, C.Daniel, J.Macrae, J.O’Donnell
EMG: L.McNeil, M.Hannan, L.Cleary, J.Sweet
In: T.O’Brien
Out: A.Keath (Omitted), L.McNeil (Sub)
CROWS
B: M.Michalanney, N.Murray, J.Butts
HB: M.Hinge, B.Smith, W.Milera
C: J.Soligo, J.Dawson - C, C.Jones
HF: L.Sholl, L.Murphy, L.Pedlar
F: L.Gollant, D.Fogarty, I.Rankine
FOLL: R.O’Brien, R.Laird, B.Keays
I/C: J.Rachele, R.Sloane, P.Parnell, E.Himmelberg
EMG: M.Crouch, S.Berry, N.McHenry, J.Worrell
In: N.Murray, L.Gollant, E.Himmelberg
Out: T.Doedee (Injured), R.Thilthorpe (Injured), T.Walker (Managed), N.McHenry (Sub)
EMERGING YOUNGSTER RE-SIGNS AS POWER SURGE ROLLS ON
Port Adelaide has re-signed emerging forward Ollie Lord until the end of next season.
Lord, who made his AFL debut in round 6 and was viewed as a potential long-term replacement for spearhead Charlie Dixon, had been without a deal beyond this year.
After overcoming a pre-season kidney laceration to make his way into the team, the 21-year-old has booted two goals from three matches.
Lord said he was thrilled to remain at Alberton.
“We’ve got a really tight-knit group,” Lord said.
“It’s just so fun coming into work.
“All the coaches and players are on the same page and I’m really lucky to be part of such a special place.
“Getting to that top level and playing a couple of games just makes me want to work harder and aspire to be in the AFL side (regularly).”
Port Adelaide drafted Lord, the grandson of Geelong’s 1962 Brownlow medallist Alistair Lord, with pick 49 in the 2020 national draft.
The 197cm Sandringham Dragons product joined the club as a forward but became a key defender last season in the SANFL.
Port Adelaide sought to re-sign him after showing plenty of promise this year, including at AFL level in Dixon’s absence.
“While Ollie is still adding some size to his frame, his willingness to crash through packs and put his body on the line has been a hallmark of his play,” Power list manager Jason Cripps said.
“His AFL debut last month was just reward for his hard work in pre-season and while rehabilitating from his kidney injury.
“We look forward to seeing Ollie’s continued development in the next phase of his time at Alberton.”
Lord has also played 35 games for the club, booting 23 goals.
With key forward Todd Marshall set to miss Friday night’s home clash against Melbourne due to concussion, Lord will likely hold his spot, even if Dixon returns from a quad strain.
POWER TO TAKE CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO MARSHALL’S CONCUSSION WOES
— Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Port Adelaide will get some extra testing for Todd Marshall after the Power key forward suffered his second concussion in a month.
Marshall entered the AFL’s concussion protocols after he was on the end of a big collision in the opening quarter of the Power’s win over North Melbourne in Hobart on Saturday.
The 24-year-old was playing his second game since he sat out the Power’s win over St Kilda after he suffered a concussion against West Coast in Round 6.
The second concussion for Marshall in less than a month has the Power vowing they will be extremely cautious in bringing him back into the team.
“Todd is tracking along well, we will get some extra testing (for him),” Power assistant coach Nathan Bassett said.
“He is in the concussion protocols so he will miss this week and hopefully he will be OK in the near future which hopefully for us is pretty soon.
“We will leave it in the doctors hands and they will make a decision that is right for Todd.”
Bassett said the extra testing was more about providing clarity for Marshall after his second concussion in a short space of time.
“We will give him some extra testing, as much for him as anything to be honest so he feels confident and comfortable when he comes back that he is right to go,” he said.
Marshall will sit out the Power’s Friday night blockbuster against Melbourne at Adelaide Oval, with his first chance to return against Richmond next Sunday at the MCG.
He walked laps at training at Alberton on Monday.
Key forward Charlie Dixon walked a lap before stopping to talk to senior coach Ken Hinkley after he missed the win over the Kangaroos with a minor quad strain.
Bassett said the Power – who will go by the name Yartapuulti for the Sir Doug Nicholls Round opener on Friday night – were hopeful Dixon would take on the Demons.
“Charlie will be a test this week, he was not moving brilliantly at the end of last week and we don’t think it is a significant issue,” he said.
“So if he gets through training he will be right to play.
“We think it is not significant and he should be able to play this week.”
If Dixon can’t prove his fitness for the game it would leave the Power short for key forwards with Mitch Georgiades done for the season with an ACL injury.
Bassett said there wasn’t any real option in the SANFL putting their hand up, which could leave the Power going in with Jeremy Finlayson and three-gamer Ollie Lord.
Finlayson could be required to help the Power contain the Demons’ star ruck duo of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy with it looming as a big test for Brynn Teakle after he was convincingly beaten by North Melbourne’s Todd Goldstein.
“We would like to be going slightly better in the ruck,” Bassett said.
“We have certainly been challenged by ruckmen in most games this year whether it be in the ruck or around the ground,
“We think we can cope with the ruck stuff, it is more the stuff around the ground and limiting the impact of Gawn and Grundy when they are in front of the ball and behind the ball.
“The midfield has done a great job in absorbing some of the ruck hitout differential, it is more around the ground.”
Former No. 1 ruckman Scott Lycett played well in the SANFL, with 17 disposals and 19 hit-outs.
But that might not be enough to win his spot back in the team, even with it looming as a game in which Teakle could have a rough night.
“Scooter was good, he did well in the contest and certainly won the ruck battle,” Bassett said.
“So he did well. We will see how the week plays out, Scott played well yesterday.
“We know the challenge of two rucks and the physicality that those guys bring to the contest and around the ground.
“So it will be a challenge for whatever ruckman we pick.”
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