Port Adelaide loses Brad Ebert and Ryan Burton for the season but co-captain Tom Jonas says that’s no excuse for sitting outside the top eight

Wines, Ebert, Dixon, Hartlett, Jonas and now Burton have all missed significant parts of the season but a Power co-captain is not using it as an excuse for sitting outside the eight. Listen to The Lowdown Podcast here.

Brad Ebert after hurting his knee against Brisbane. Picture: Sarah Reed.

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Brad Ebert’s season is effectively over and uncertainty surrounds the fitness of Ollie Wines but his co-captain Tom Jonas insists Port Adelaide is not hiding behind injuries as an excuse for sitting outside the top eight with five games to go.

The Power has been hit hard by injuries this year with Charlie Dixon (leg) missing 12 games, Hamish Hartlett (hamstring) missing 11, Wines (shoulder, ankle and now hand) missing eight and Jonas (calf) missing four games.

Ebert’s posterior cruciate ligament injury in last week’s loss to Brisbane now looks to be season-ending unless the Power goes on a miracle run deep into finals and half-back Ryan Burton also looks done after tearing his hamstring.

Brad Ebert after hurting his knee against Brisbane. Picture: Sarah Reed.

Wines is no certainty to return this week after breaking his thumb a fortnight ago, with coach Ken Hinkley on Tuesday rating him a “40-60” chance of taking on the Giants on Saturday.

“We don’t want to take that excuse, we feel like we’ve got enough depth, on the weekend we brought in Matt Broadbent for Ryan Burton who played a really solid game,” Jonas told The Lowdown podcast.

“There are people playing really strong Magpies footy so there are options there … it’s no excuse for us not getting it done.”

The Power plays GWS in what could be a season-defining match at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night and Jonas said spirits remained high.

“We spend a fair bit of time together anyway, we do a weekly get together and the backs are going down to Kart Mania at Richmond today to fizz around there, but spirits are good,” he said.

“Obviously we’re sitting just outside the eight but if we play quality footy as we know we can then we’ll be marching into September hopefully and the good thing is we would have had to win four out of five so we will be in some good nick.”

Ryan Burton after tearing his hamstring against Brisbane. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Port Adelaide had another slow start against Richmond on the weekend but stayed in the contest after that.

“We are obviously never satisfied with a loss but there were points in that game where we had an opportunity to be closer to the Tiges, we kicked inaccurately in the first quarter and they seemed to score quite easy goals,” Jonas said.

“When Duurs (Xavier Duursma) kicked that goal in the last (quarter) we went to 16 points down so right in it, we played some good footy but ultimately there were too many turnovers off half-back and we weren’t getting that turnover score as we usually do. The Tiges are a pretty tidy outfit and able to hurt us in that area.”

Jonas defended Duursma’s bow-and-arrow celebration which has been widely discussed in the media this week.

“He’s shown a bit of individuality but he never goes outside the team as a player, he’s a great young kid, he plays the ultimate team game, he’s on the wing running up and down helping us backs out all day,” Jonas said.

“And if he sees fit to kick a goal and do a little celebration at a time when we are effectively making a charge and can build energy in the crowd and his teammates then I’m all for it.

“There is a level of double standards around the media and commentary around it where if certain people do it it’s all right and if others then it’s not seen as the right thing to do, If we had of come home and won that game then they would have been all over him.

“I don’t think that was the wrong time or the wrong place, if we had of been 10 goals down or the last minute of a game when it’s clearly done, then yeah we probably don’t want him doing that but we were mounting a charge and he is building that momentum for us.

“He’s polite, he’s kind and he does anything for his teammates that basically says it all, he’s a good, rounded young kid who has come from a good family.”

Jonas doesn’t think all the talk will affect Duursma or his confidence.

“Those kids live in the media bubble and that’s not to say it won’t affect him but I’d like to hope it doesn’t because his individuality is one of his strengths.”

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