A new midfield move, players back from injury and the fountain of youth – why Port Adelaide can contend in 2020
It has been five years since Port Adelaide tasted a finals win, but there’s enough evidence to suggest the Power’s drought may be about to end.
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It’s been five years since Port Adelaide looked as if it would become one of the AFL’s powerhouses when it just fell short to Hawthorn in the 2014 preliminary final.
Yet, since then, the Power has had just one finals appearance and has been the very definition of mid-table mediocrity.
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After Port threw everything bar the kitchen sink at a premiership assault in 2018 by bringing in Tom Rockliff, Steven Motlop, Jack Watts and many others, it did a massive U-turn.
It traded out Chad Wingard, Jared Polec, Jasper Pittard, Paddy Ryder and Dougal Howard in the next two trade periods.
2020 feels like crunch time for the Power, and especially coach Ken Hinkley who is under increasing pressure from a portion of the Port Adelaide supporter base.
However, there is reason to be optimistic for those at Alberton.
Returns from injuries
Remarkably, only Darcy Byrne-Jones and Connor Rozee played all 22 games for Port Adelaide in 2019, with injuries hampering a lot of the side’s stars.
Jack Watts, Charlie Dixon, Brad Ebert, Hamish Hartlett and Ollie Wines all had significant stints on the sidelines in 2019, with all five struggling to get back to their best form.
Tom Jonas, Ryan Burton, Karl Amon, Robbie Gray and Tom Rockliff also missed patches of footy throughout the year, leaving the Power without any real consistency in their line-ups.
Charlie Dixon
Out of all of the above, Charlie Dixon gets his own category as the big, bustling forward will have a point to prove.
After a horror injury at the end of 2018, Dixon showed glimpses of what he’s capable of in 2019, but was also dropped after his return.
With Pete Ladhams’ emergence, Dixon may get some additional help down forward and may avoid ruck battles altogether, allowing him to play purely forward.
If the former Gold Coast Sun can get back to his powering best in 2020, then the Power will play finals.
Dan Houston and Connor Rozee in the guts
Arguably the best kick in the Power’s side, Houston’s move into the midfield was exciting for supporters.
The youngster amassed plenty of disposals and clearances and showed why his future should be in the centre of the ground.
The youngster was a shining light in a tough year in 2019, and if his glimpses of brilliance continue in the Power’s midfield, they’ll be hard to stop.
The fountain of youth
While Port Adelaide’s senior brigade (Travis Boak, Robbie Gray and Justin Westhoff) is still well and truly leading the way, the heroes of tomorrow have begun to make their presence felt.
Connor Rozee kicked 29 goals in his debut season to finish as the club’s leading goal-kicker, while Xavier Duursma and Zak Butters played 20 and 19 games respectively and performed very well.
Add in Houston (22), Sam Powell-Pepper (22), Burton (22), Willem Drew (21), Todd Marshall (21), Kane Farrell (20) and Pete Ladhams (22) as well as its new haul of draftees, and it’s an exciting future for the Power.
One captain
A happy fanbase can certainly contribute to how a side performs on the field.
This could help with a range of things – Tom Jonas could rise to a new level holding the number one jumper and Ollie Wines may have something to prove and could produce his best year to date.