Inside midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper has limited chances to break into the Power’s finals side
MIDFIELDER Sam Powell-Pepper risks missing out on a spot in the Power’s likely finals campaign with his way back to the AFL made more tricky by Port Adelaide’s SANFL bye this weekend.
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PORT Adelaide midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper’s quest to find a way back into the Power’s line-up has come at an unfortunate time.
Powell-Pepper, 20, was dropped for just the second time in his career from his spot in the midfield as one of the “Bash Brothers” alongside Ollie Wines.
It came after a three-week form slump that eventually forced coach Ken Hinkley to drop him out of the side.
But his return will not be easy: the Power’s reserves side, SANFL team the Magpies, are not playing this weekend.
With three rounds to go that leaves Powell-Pepper just one week in the state side to force himself into the side before the end of the home-and-away season — unless Hinkley is prepared to take a punt on him on training form alone.
Hinkley did not rule out that option, saying getting a freshener could be the key for Powell-Pepper, but it would not give the selection panel any real evidence the midfielder is back in form.
“Sam’s just a little bit out of form, isn’t he?” Hinkley said. “He’s not winning enough ball, he’s not winning enough contested ball, not winning enough clearances.
“He’s in the team to provide us with clearance and contested ball and his numbers have been down for three weeks in a row now, and significantly down.
“As much as anything I think perhaps just giving him a day off might be the way to getting him back into that form that we know he brings.
“He’s got to focus in not on just one part; he’s got a number of little bits that he’s trying to work on.
“Unfortunately it’s very hard to do (play in the SANFL) when we don’t have a game (this weekend).
“That’s the challenge.”
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