Spoiler alert for Port Adelaide defender Dougal Howard who faces battle to play in round one

Port Adelaide key defender Dougal Howard has been left out of Port Adelaide’s team to play North Melbourne in the club’s final JLT hit out — and is unlikely to play in round one.

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In a major shock, Port Adelaide key defender Dougal Howard has been left out of Port Adelaide’s team to play North Melbourne in the club’s final JLT pre-season hit out — and is unlikely to play in round one against Melbourne.

Power senior assistant coach Michael Voss revealed Howard would drop out of the club’s 26-man side to play the Kangaroos on Saturday and instead line up in Port’s SANFL trial against South Adelaide at Noarlunga Oval on Friday night.

“He won’t play (against the Roos),’’ Voss said

“What we’ve tried to do is put the best form side out there, so he will miss.

“We feel like there are a couple of people who get the job ahead of him, so he’ll play (in the SANFL) and try to put himself in some good form.

“Then he will be considered (for AFL). All it means for this game is that the players playing have the jump on the others but it’s not exclusive.

Port’s Dougal Howard works out at JETS gym in Noosa during the pre-season. Picture: Sarah Reed

“But if you are in this side then you’ve got a really strong chance for round one’’

The high-leaping, mobile Howard — a sensational spoiler who recorded the most ever in an AFL season last year with 216 — has been told to raise his game, despite playing well in the under-23 trial game against Adelaide and featuring against the Crows in JLT1 at Port Pirie.

“We’re not happy enough (with his form) to suggest he is in front of some others,’’ Voss said of the 22-year-old.

“At the moment we feel like we’ve got a few others in a little bit better form, so they get the go at it.

“It's just basing up who we think is in the best form, there are no other tricks than that.

“We feel like we've got the six or seven who can get the job done for us (down back) and we’re getting to the pointy end.

“We get to talk about that in match committee, about what mix we feel like works for round one.

“But again, we are going in with this team because we feel like we have them in the best form, but it's not exclusive.’’

Port is using the game against North at Alberton Oval as a dress rehearsal for round one.

It has named new co-captain Tom Jonas and Tom Clurey as its main talls in the back six, alongside former Hawk Ryan Burton, Dan Houston, Darcy Byrne-Jones and Riley Bonner, illustrating its new-found desire to play with more run and flair.

Voss said former Demon Jack Watts, who has played most of his career as a key forward, would continue to be trialled in the back half and on a wing.

Jarrod Lienert — named on the interchange bench against the Roos — can also play in defence.

Of Watts, Voss said: “I think the big for us is that we are asking our players to be able to play in a couple of different positions.

“We have made a decision to get him up around the ball and use the ball through the middle of the ground, as well as spend some time down back.

“If he’s got another position it’s probably floating across half-back.’’

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