Port Adelaide season 2025 preview: Matt Turner breaks down where the Power sit

Port Adelaide have kept the faith in Ken Hinkley for 12 years without a grand final to show for it. Could this be his last hurrah? MATT TURNER previews the Power’s season.

Where do the Power sit?

It’s been a case of so close yet so far for over a decade at Port Adelaide.

Is 2025 finally their year to reach the last Saturday in September?

Or will there be yet another decision to make on Ken Hinkley’s future come the end of the season?

Matt Turner analyses where the Power are at, where they’re headed and everything in between.

Logan Evans came a long way in 2024. Picture: Getty Images

SURPRISE PACKET OF 2024

Port Adelaide and coach Ken Hinkley were booed in Logan Evans’s debut game against Brisbane in June. It was an inauspicious start for the mid-season draftee. But from there he blossomed in the Power’s defence. The Norwood product did not miss a game after his debut, featuring in 13 in total, including all three Port finals. Evans showed poise and confidence in possession, took more kick-ins than any Power player across their last four games, started many attacking forays with neat passes through the corridor and shone in some of the club’s biggest matches – he was one of Port’s best in the thrilling semi-final victory over Hawthorn. With Dan Houston gone, expect Evans to take on more responsibility next year.

INS AND OUTS

IN: Rory Atkins (trade, Gold Coast), Benny Barrett (Category B rookie), Joe Berry (No.15 draft pick), Tom Cochrane (Rookie Draft), Jack Lukosius (trade, Gold Coast), Christian Moraes (No.38 draft pick), Jacob Moss (Category B rookie), Joe Richards (trade, Collingwood), Jack Whitlock (No.33 draft pick)

OUT: Tom Clurey (delisted), Charlie Dixon (retired), Francis Evans (delisted), Dan Houston (trade, Collingwood), Kyle Marshall (delisted), Tom McCallum (delisted), Trent McKenzie (retired), Quinton Narkle (delisted), Tom Scully (delisted)

WHO’S PLAYING FOR A CONTRACT?

Miles Bergman will be highly sought in his home state of Victoria as he enters the final season of his deal. The Sandringham Dragons product backed up his eighth-placed finish in the club’s 2023 best-and-fairest by polling ninth this year. Asked to play on some of the opposition’s best forwards, Bergman is a versatile defender who marks well for his size and has a penetrating kick. He eventually wants to move into the midfield. Will that be at the Power? Port believes Bergman is more settled in Adelaide now than in past seasons and is hopeful he stays.

LAST YEAR IN CONTRACT

Tom Anastasopoulos, Rory Atkins, Miles Bergman, Travis Boak, Jase Burgoyne, Ryan Burton, Lachie Charleson, Logan Evans, Jeremy Finlayson, Kane Farrell, Hugh Jackson, Will Lorenz, Jed McEntee, Josh Sinn, Dante Visentini, Dylan Williams

POSITION THAT NEEDS TO BE FILLED AND WHO CAN FILL IT?

Houston’s halfback spot is the obvious one. Burgoyne was best on ground in that role during the semi-final, but he made the wing his own this year and was expected to stay there in 2025. As long as he remained healthy, Sinn should play far more than the six games he did this year. Sweet-kicking Kane Farrell, who missed the finals due to a hamstring injury, became more crucial the moment Houston was traded to Collingwood. Port may not have an All-Australian sitting there to replace Houston but with Burgoyne, Sinn, Farrell, Logan Evans, Miles Bergman, Ryan Burton and recruit Rory Atkins, it has options.

BURNING QUESTION

Can they finally reach the big one? A grand final has eluded the Power during Hinkley’s 12-year tenure. The club’s last appearance in an AFL premiership decider came in 2007. Its only top-level flag was in 2004. Port Adelaide has stressed it is never wants to rebuild, which means trying to compete every year and finding more creative ways to do so while regenerating its list. That is admirable in some ways. Only Brisbane has won more games than Port Adelaide over the past five seasons. But the Lions have two grand finals and one flag to show for it and the Power has not been able to get past three preliminary finals. Port’s finals record during that span is 3-6. The Power will continue to be criticised for its September shortcomings unless it gets over the preliminary final hump. Brisbane has shown it can be done. The Lions were 5-7 from 2019-2023 before becoming the second side under this finals system (along with Western Bulldogs in 2016) to win four consecutive major-round matches and claim a flag.