Port Adelaide deep dive: Charlie Dixon could be the key to the Power’s hopes of winning a flag
If Port Adelaide is to make a serious charge at this year’s flag, you know Charlie Dixon will have plenty to say about it. Is he the Power’s most important player?
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Charlie Dixon may not get a second consecutive All-Australian nod this season but if Port Adelaide is to make a serious charge at this year’s flag, you can expect he will have a big say.
The 200cm, 107kg forward was, in coach Ken Hinkley’s view, almost the best player on the ground in the Power’s thrilling 10-point home win over Sydney on Saturday.
In a crucial match in the context of the Power’s season, he finished with two goals, 19 disposals, three marks, six hit-outs, one clearance – and a limp.
Port Adelaide fans would have been nervous when they saw the spearhead hobbling around the oval late in the game.
He had spent the last eight minutes of the third term on the bench, getting treatment for what Fox Footy boundary rider Mark Ricciuto said was a bruised heel.
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But Dixon fought out the final quarter, staying on to provide a focal point, as well as his usual blend of unselfishness and aggression when his side needed him.
“He’s bashed up, as he is every week,” Hinkley said post-game.
“But he kept going and I thought Charlie was outstanding.
“We expect a lot from him and he gives us a lot.
“In my personal view, he was almost the best player on the ground.
“He gets in a lot of contests, he gets physically bashed up a bit but he thrives on it.
“If he didn’t come off sore, he probably thinks he didn’t play.”
Dixon’s impressive form over the past two months might have snuck up on some people outside of Alberton.
In the seven matches from Round 8 to now, he has registered at least 100 Champion Data rankings points five times.
On Saturday, he notched 90 but it would probably have been another ton if not for his sore foot clearly restricting in his movement during the last term.
After being held goalless three times in the first seven rounds, Dixon has booted 16 in his past seven matches.
During that time, he has also provided ruck support during Scott Lycett’s suspension and now with Peter Ladhams being omitted.
“I think he’s had a really strong last six weeks particularly,” Hinkley said of Dixon, who kicked 34.21 last year to earn his first All-Australian honours.
“He gets a lot of attention, gets a lot of pressure, we kick a lot of balls to him.
“His form has been pretty consistent.”
Power on-baller Willem Drew said Dixon was a massive presence for the team and he was happy to see him stay out on the field.
“When he’s up and about the forwards really thrive off that,” Drew told The Advertiser.
“He’s really important part of the team, obviously, a super player and everyone loves him.”
Drew himself has become a crucial cog in the Power midfield this season.
After playing 10 matches in 2019, he did not feature last year, sustaining a stress fracture in his foot on the first day of pre-season then re-injuring it and requiring a second surgery.
He is yet to miss a game in 2021, stepping up to fill the void left by the injured Tom Rockliff.
Drew complements ball magnets Travis Boak and Ollie Wines because his strength is his defensive pressure and workrate.
On Saturday, the redhead had eight tackles – the second-most on the ground and equal-most for the Power – to take his tally to a club-best 87 for the season.
He ranks third in the AFL in tackles.
Just as Dixon grinded out the match, so did Drew, whose chasing, harassing and pressure late in the last term was important.
None more so than when Errol Gulden looked like kicking a goal from 50m, only for Drew to charge him down.
“For me it’s all about competing, putting that pressure on and trying to stop the opposition,” Drew said.
“I’m loving my role and hopefully can keep it going.
“I’m happy just to play my role and do the little things.”
Drew might have been out of the side if Rockliff and the likes of Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma were not sidelined through injury.
Instead, Rockliff continues to be massive for the Koroit product’s development.
“I’ve learnt a lot off him, as well as Ollie and Boaky,” Drew said.
“Rocky is well-known for his footy knowledge and he passes that on to a lot of the younger boys, especially in the midfield, and he’s someone if you have any questions you can go to him.”
Hinkley said the club was always confident Drew would be a quality AFL player.
“He’s been able to get a really good run at it, he’s a remarkable athlete, the way he trains, the way he works,” he said.
“He’s one of those really strong defensive mids you love in your team because he goes both ways all day.”
If Drew maintains his form and the Power’s season stays on track, he will get a chance to keep playing his role in his first finals campaign.
UNLIKELY HEROES SAVE PORT FROM BALLISTIC BUDDY
Jason Phelan
Port Adelaide has seen off a Lance Franklin-led smash-and-grab raid by Sydney to boost its top-four hopes with a thrilling 10-point win at Adelaide Oval.
Franklin’s fourth goal put the Swans in front with just over five minutes remaining on Saturday, but goals to super sub Sam Mayes and ruckman Scott Lycett sealed a pulsating 12.9 (81) to 10.11 (71) win.
The Power led by as much as 16 points in the second half, but the Swans had all the momentum in the final term and looked set to pull off a stunning border raid, having flown into South Australia on the morning of the match due to Covid-19 restrictions.
But Ollie Wines and Travis Boak were terrific late in a midfield that wrested back the momentum to hand Port its 10th win of the season.
“There’s no doubt (the game) was slipping away a little … but I thought our resilience was remarkable,” Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said.
“There was a bit of an opportunity to not keep at it and to our boys’ credit they did keep at it.”
Franklin was the star up front for the Swans, with Callum Mills finishing with 10 clearances and 30 disposals and Luke Parker the leading possession winner on the ground with 34.
“I thought we showed great character in the last quarter to come back and hit the front,” Swans coach John Longmire said.
“It would’ve been great to be able to hang on but they were a bit too good.”
Trent McKenzie and Will Hayward showed great courage to straight line a loose ball in the last quarter but McKenzie came off second best, the defender subbed out of the game after injuring his left shoulder in the huge collision.
WET AND WILD
Scoring dried up as heavy rain fell late in the first quarter and early in the second.
The Swans adapted to the change in conditions quicker and went inside forward 50 16 times to Port’s five late in the second quarter. But, a superb Tom Papley long goal aside, the visitors failed to make the most of their scoring opportunities.
Charlie Dixon, unsighted in a quiet opening term, exploded into action with two of his side’s three goals as the Power took a four-point lead into the main break.
BOAK BOBS UP
Boak had just seven touches in the first half, but he managed to shake minder George Hewett to kick the first goal of the second half.
After having his colours lowered early, Boak exploded with 13 disposals and a goal in the third term.
The Swans struggled to create forward thrusts as the Power ratcheted up the pressure, with another three-goals-to-one quarter giving the home side a 15-point lead at the last change.
FRANTIC FINISH
Franklin took over sixth spot on the all-time goalkickers’ list in his own right with the first goal of a frantic final term then chased down Tom Jonas in a brilliant tackle 15m out from Sydney’s goal, winning a free kick that he converted for his third. His fourth put the Swans in front by four points, but Mayes and Lycett were able to reply to seal a memorable win.
DETAILS
POWER 4.3 7.4 10.6 12.9 (81)
SWANS 5.4 6.6 7.9 10.11 (71)
PHELAN’S BEST
POWER: Wines, Lycett, Boak, Drew, Houston, Byrne-Jones.
SWANS: Franklin, Mills, Parker, Dawson, Lloyd, Hewett.
GOALS
POWER: Dixon 2, Marshall 2, Bergman, Mayes, Lycett, Boak, Farrell, Houston, Powell-Pepper, Rozee.
SWANS: Franklin 4, Papley 2, Hayward 2, Gulden, Parker.
INJURIES
POWER: McKenzie (shoulder), Hartlett (hip – late withdrawal). SWANS: Nil.
REPORTS: Lance Franklin (Syd) for making front-on contact with Jarrod Lienert.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3. O. Wines (PA)
2. L. Franklin (Syd)
1. T. Boak (PA)
BUDDY REPORTED FOR FORCEFUL HIT
Sydney superstar Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin will face scrutiny after being reported for forceful front-on contact against Port Adelaide on Saturday.
Franklin’s name was taken during the opening term at Adelaide Oval when he ran into Power defender Jarrod Lienert.
Lienert had the ball in Sydney’s attacking 50 when the Swans forward charged towards him to tackle and made contact.
Fox Footy commentator Mark Ricciuto said Franklin came in late and got Lienert high.
“He probably will get away with that but the umpire’s put him in the book,” Ricciuto said.
“It’s very dangerous to do that.”
Co-commentator Garry Lyon agreed: “Yeah, very dangerous”.
“The query will be he went around the side in the end so he was aware of how dangerous it was,” Lyon said.
“They (the Match Review Officer) have to make the assessment of whether or not he was trying to get himself out of that dangerous situation.”
“He was really reckless.
“I don’t think the level of contact was sufficient enough to see him have a week off but the action has got the potential to do much more damage, so I don’t mind what comes out of this. “You’ve got to protect the man with his head over the footy.
“I doubt he’ll get a week but he may cop a little bit in the hip pocket.”
Jason Dunstall believed the act was worthy of a fine “at worst”.
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