The Lowdown: All the likes and dislikes from Port Adelaide and Adelaide from Round 4
Tom Cochrane was taken with one of the last picks of last year’s rookie draft, but his brother could be taken with one of the first in 2026. Here’s The Lowdown on one of the state’s rising stars.
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It was a dramatic weekend for the Crows and Power, and Simeon Thomas-Wilson runs the ruler over both sides, plus the latest on a potential No.1 pick coming out of South Australia. Here are his likes and dislikes in The Lowdown.
THE LOWDOWN ON...
We said to keep an eye on Tom Cochrane a couple of weeks ago and he went and debuted for the Power the next week. He was back playing SANFL on the weekend but did his best to try and make this stint a brief one as he kicked four goals from 11 disposals for the Magpies against Sturt.
But it wasn’t the best haul by a family member over the weekend. Younger brother Dougie ended up with 6.2 and 20 disposals for Central District’s Under 18 side against South Adelaide. Still just 16, it further strengthened Dougie’s case as a potential No. 1 draft pick. And it makes whether a push that would get Dougie in Port’s Next Generation Academy, and potentially tied to the Power in the draft – as father Stuart explores what he believes is Indigenous heritage on his maternal side – is successful an extremely interesting one to watch.
LIKES
RILEY THILTHORPE
What is the ceiling for Thilthorpe this season if he stays healthy?
Fifty goals? 60? A Coleman Medal? The third seems a stretch when you consider Thilthorpe is only 22 years old, has played a mere 57 games and spent much of last season sidelined with injury. But the case for him winning it comes down to his form, size and Adelaide’s style of play. Thilthorpe is joint leader with North Melbourne’s Nick Larkey on 14 goals after round 4, having booted three hauls of three then five in the one-point loss on the Gold Coast.
His impressive run dated back to his return last season when he kicked multiple goals in all bar one of his seven games and 3.3 against eventual runners-up Sydney at the SCG in the last round.
At 202cm, he is proving a difficult match-up for defenders because he is plucking the ball above their heads, using his running power to cover the ground and outmuscling them in marking contests. Example A was the way he ragdolled reigning Suns best-and-fairest Sam Collins on his way to a goal. Thilthorpe showed his smarts and finesse by tapping the ball over Collins’s head for another major. The other thing in his favour is that Adelaide looks set to be one of the highest scoring teams again this season. In 2023, when it was No. 1 in the league for points scored, Taylor Walker fell just short of winning the Coleman Medal.
Thilthorpe is now Adelaide’s spearhead and with the Crows trying to kick big scores, he will get plenty of opportunities to boot bags of goals. His best in a season to date is 18, which he is on track to pass in the next few rounds. We are tipping he gets beyond 55 goals – all going well with injury – and that should place him in the top five. Larkey, last year’s winner Jesse Hogan, Suns forward Ben King, Western Bulldogs father-son gun Sam Darcy and Carlton star Charlie Curnow, if the Blues finally get on a roll, loom as the most likely contenders. Thilthorpe would be the tallest ever Coleman Medal winner.
OLLIE LORD
Let’s go to the big man at the Power. It could have easily been a like for Jason Horne-Francis for the way he responded from a down start to the season but the performance of Lord at has at least solved one of the issues facing Ken Hinkley’s side at the moment. With Jack Lukosius and Todd Marshall on the sidelines for the long-term, Lord must be in the Power’s forward line with Mitch Georgiades.
The 197cm forward finished with three goals even with Callum Wilkie on him and just provides the Power with a target up forward. Ivan Soldo was tried for a week against Essendon and it just looked like a round peg in a square hole, while Jeremy Finlayson simply looks to be on the outer. It was an intriguing pre-season for Lord and interesting that he wasn’t in the Power’s side for the first two games of the season before he hurt his shoulder in a SANFL trial. But he has a big opportunity in front of him.
DISLIKES
RIDICULOUS RUN
Plenty has already been made of the umpiring at the end of Adelaide’s thrilling loss to Gold Coast. But how is this for a stat?
In the only three Crows games decided by one point since the start of 2023, Adelaide has lost and the AFL has admitted to late umpiring blunders. Jordan Dawson would have had a shot after siren from 45m out to draw or win against Collingwood at the MCG in 2023.
Ben Keays should have put the Crows four points ahead with a minute left against Sydney later that season, in a heartbreaking loss that ultimately ended Adelaide’s finals hopes.
And then on Saturday, Izak Rankine was denied the chance to have a shot to put his side into the lead with just over one minute remaining. The results of those 2023 games ultimately kept the Crows out of the finals. Add to that Walker would have had a shot after the siren from 30m at Adelaide Oval last year if not for an umpiring error to call a ball-up when Essendon ruckman Sam Draper laid on the footy. Adelaide will be trying to avoid putting itself in as many close-game situations where things like an umpiring decision can have such an influence. But it will also be hoping its run with the whistle turns soon as it makes another finals push this year.
LOOKING ORDINARY
The effort and intent was there from the Power, as shown by the 13 more tackles Port had than Saints. But just too often on Sunday the Power looked average going forward. Either there was too much handballing, and the Saints were able to take advantage, or there was a lack of composure or hitting targets when the Power went forward. The Power has a different game plan and a new forward set-up but it was the same old problems for Hinkley’s side as Port just couldn’t convert its opportunities. In the second the Power had 4.7 when it started to bounce back after the Saints’ red-hot start. And worryingly for the Power its star-studded midfield was really found lacking in the first quarter – ultimately the difference between the two sides. It does nothing to stop the pressure rising on the succession plan.
VOTING WITH THEIR FEET?
Compare the pair. The last two games at Adelaide Oval have both been Sunday, 2.50pm starts with similar weather. The visiting teams have been Victorian ones, but in North Melbourne and St Kilda not ones who traditionally draw a big away crowd at Adelaide Oval. Yet the Crows in Round 3 had over 46,500 for their win over the Roos in Round 3 while on Sunday the Power had 34,201 watch its loss to St Kilda. Obviously the excitement around the Crows is fuelling this healthy crowd so is there a bit of disinterest among Power fans right now? It will be packed on Sunday night for the Gather Round rematch against Hawthorn but what about when the Power takes on the Roos in two weeks time.
Originally published as The Lowdown: All the likes and dislikes from Port Adelaide and Adelaide from Round 4
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