Power unleashes six debutants and will swing 11 changes from last AFL game

Port Adelaide will field six new players in its season opener against Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday — and coach Ken Hinkley is bullish about their prospects.

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Port Adelaide will field six new players in its season opener against Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday — and coach Ken Hinkley is bullish about their prospects.

It comes as the Power will swing 11 changes from Round 23 last year and Hinkley was also confident ruckman-forward Paddy Ryder, who has had surgery for a depressed cheekbone, would play after he trained well in a helmet on Tuesday morning.

The players stripping for the club the first time will be Willem Drew, top draft picks Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma and the players they traded in from other clubs — ex-Hawk Ryan Burton and West Coast premiership ruckman Scott Lycett.

“It’s incredibly exciting, there’s no doubt about that,” Hinkley said of the sweeping changes.

Connor Rozee, Xavier Duursma and Zak Butters will all front for the Power in round 1. Picture: AAP Image/Daniel Pockett

“They’re young people and they’re usually pretty bulletproof, young people.

“They have a lot of confidence in themselves.

“They’ve had a pre-season in which they’ve played and trained and done everything among AFL players the whole pre-season.

“We’ve seen their form through JLT (Community Series) against opposition and they’ve done really well in that.

“We’re really comfortable that they’re ready to go.

“‘Drewy’ is slightly different — he’s a more mature player — but the three younger boys are high picks, fantastic, and ‘Parks’, (recruiting manager) Geoff Parker and (list manager) Jason

Willem Drew during the JLT Series. Picture SARAH REED

Cripps have made some changes to our team for us which is really exciting.

“I’ve always said the first-round picks now, more often than not, they almost always play.

“If they’re going OK and they’re injury-free and they’ve had a good run they’re more often than not going to get into the team.

“They’re not picked because they’re young and they’re not picked because they’re high draft picks.

“They’re picked because they can play really good football already and we think they can certainly have an impact straight away.”

Ryder trained well the club’s session at Alberton, even though he did struggle with some of his peripheral vision because of the helmet.

But he did enough to impress the coaching staff with his marking and contact work that he would be right to play in Round 1.

It will be his call whether he wears the helmet.

“He’s fine; he should be OK,” Hinkley said. “Obviously he’s got to get through the rest of the week but you’ve seen him out there, he did what he needed to do and did the whole of the last drill.

“We expect him to play.

“It was the first time he put it (the helmet on). It’s a precaution, more for Paddy to feel safe but right now he’s playing.

“He was marking the ball, he was jumping at the ball … 100 per cent, unless something changes, he’s playing.”

Paddy Ryder tries out a helmet at training on Tuesday to protect his damaged cheekbone. Picture SARAH REED

Former Brisbane player Sam Mayes narrowly missed out on selection while Matthew Broadbent, who was pencilled in to play a SANFL trial game on Friday, hurt his hamstring and is expected to miss a week.

Hamish Hartlett is expected to play with the Magpies as he returns from a knee reconstruction.

Co-captain Ollie Wines is expected to be held back for a week or two as he recovers from a shoulder injury as the club doesn’t want to risk him re-injuring himself while key forward Charlie Dixon is expected to miss the first four to six rounds as he recovers from a broken leg.