How Power will attempt to exploit height mismatches with a tall forward line this season

The Power started life with two genuine ruckmen playing in the same team on Friday when Paddy Ryder and Scott Lycett showed what they will bring both in the centre and forward of the ball.

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Port Adelaide started life with two genuine ruckmen playing in the same team on Friday evening when Paddy Ryder and Scott Lycett showed the potency they will bring both in the centre and forward of the ball.

Port’s forwardline, even without Charlie Dixon who is recovering from injury, resembled the land of the giants making it clear they will attempt to exploit opposition defences with their height this season.

Playing on the same team in the first half of Friday night’s internal trial game at Alberton, Lycett and Ryder worked in tandem in the ruck and then deep forward including from the goalsquare in line with the AFL’s new starting position rule.

Port’s Tom Jonas bumps Todd Marshall on Friday. Picture: Tom Huntley

1. Although some players switched sides at half-time, Port initially went tall versus small particularly up forward.

At one end stood Todd Marshall (198cm), Justin Westhoff (200cm) and Ryder (197cm) swapping with Lycett (203cm), and they looked dangerous even against Dougal Howard, Tom Jonas and Tom Clurey. Jack Watts played predominantly on the wing.

Ryder, who kicks at 61 per cent accuracy across his career, should relish the extra time forward this season.

Last night he kicked two goals including a clever snap around his body while Marshall matched him and Brad Ebert who was at their feet added three.

It will be interesting to see where Dixon slots in and who moves out when he returns.

That's it at Alberton Oval 🏉

Goals: Ebert 3, Ryder, Marshall 2

Rockliff, Powell-Pepper, Amon, Boak and Trengove found plenty of the footy#weareportadelaide pic.twitter.com/RAyEP3YGG0

— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) February 15, 2019

2. Matthew Broadbent is back and has plenty of good footy left in him. ‘Broady!’ the fans cheered every time he went near the ball and for good reason. He’s lost none of his class or his poise with the footy playing in his familiar post across half-back. In the third quarter he ran 50m at full pace to catch Sam Powell-Pepper on the wing and forced a turnover.

After being dogged by ankle and foot injuries, Broadbent did not play an AFL game last season and it was possible we might have seen the best of him. But after an encouraging pre-season he’s shown he’s still got plenty to offer the Power this season.

He gave fans a minor scare when he hobbled off after being caught in an Aidyn Johnson tackle early in the second quarter but he soon returned and played out the game.

Jack Watts gives instructions during Port Adelaide’s trial game on Friday. Picture: Tom Huntley

3. Power fans were understandably concerned when Chad Wingard and Jared Polec both left in the off-season but the early indication is their No. 20 and 21 guernseys are in good hands. Connor Rozee’s sidestep and blind turn in traffic oozed class while Xavier Duursma could make the wing his own as a ready-made replacement for Polec from Round 1.

Duursma took two early intercept marks and caught Sam Gray holding the ball and Watts with the footy in an encouraging first up display.

But two other young guns taken at the opposite end of the draft also showed they were more than comfortable at the level in rookies Kai Pudney and Martin Frederick.

Frederick’s pace is explosive, he won a two-on-one contest on the wing in the third quarter and kicked a fourth-quarter goal, while Pudney’s gut-running is a standout. He left it all out there in the second quarter when he started a coast-to-coast goal from half-back. Pudney kicked to Justin Westhoff through the corridor, kept running, burned off his opponent, got the footy back and steadied to hit Ryder in the pocket.

Zak Butters was also lively and got under a few players’ skin including Billy Frampton and Tom Jonas who both got physical with the No. 12 draft pick but he appeared to thrive on it. Butters got cleaned up in a contest across half-forward in the final quarter and stayed down for a few seconds but got up and ushered the trainer away to keep running.

Connor Rozee during Port Adelaide’s trial game on Friday night. Picture: Tom Huntley

4. With no Charlie Dixon, Robbie Gray, Ollie Wines, Hamish Hartlett and Dan Houston playing, it gave plenty of others the chance to stake their claim for JLT or early season selection.

Brisbane recruit Sam Mayes was good on the wing and Willem Drew showed enough to suggest he should finally make his AFL debut this season providing he stays injury free with a solid game on the ball. Hawthorn recruit Ryan Burton started the game on the ball in the first half then moved to half back in the second and looked good.

Port Adelaide’s Karl Amon tackles Sam Powell-Pepper. Picture: Tom Huntley

5. The first name uttered by teammates and coaches when asked ‘who’s been the standout’ this pre-season’ has been Sam Powell-Pepper and it showed last night.

Although his disposal at times remains hurried, he looks as fit as ever which allowed him to run to repeated contests and his centre clearance in the fourth quarter was sublime.

WHITE 5.3 7.4 11.5 12.5 (77)

BLACK 0.0 1.1 3.1 5.3 (33)

GOALS — White: Ebert 3, Ryder, Marshall 2, Drew, Mayes, Westhoff, Frampton, Frederick. Black: Davidson, Patmore, Amon, S. Gray, Cox.