Freo need two Hayden Youngs, Power defence in good shape: Five things we noticed from Power v Dockers

The Power proved far too strong for the Dockers at Alberton in both clubs’ final hit-outs ahead of Round 1, with MARK DUFFIELD running the ruler over what we learned from both sides.

Fremantle need two Hayden Youngs, according to Mark Duffield: one in defence and one in the midfield. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

Port Adelaide proved too strong for the Dockers at Alberton in the two clubs’ pre-season clash at Alberton, with the Power set to prove the doubters wrong after a disappointing showing in the finals last season.

Meanwhile, Fremantle still has a long way to go in their rebuild.

FIVE THINGS WE NOTICED ABOUT PORT ADELAIDE

1. Port’s ability to put speed on the ball out of traffic has the potential to devastate opponents this year. The fast feet and hands of Connor Rozee and Jason Horne-Francis proved a nightmare for the Dockers even after Zak Butters had gone down with an ankle concern in the opening term. The Dockers pressed in trying to close the space Port had to move in but it only took one clean possession or lightning quick weave to open them up.

2. The Power recruited to tighten their defence over summer and the early signs are looking very good. Esava Ratugolea marked strongly and looks set to compliment the intercept game of Aliir Aliir. Brandon Zerk-Thatcher also contributed and Lachie Jones played the small defender’s role well, whether opposed to classy Docker veteran Michael Walters or Sam Sturt.

3. And the Power are still able to access the elite kicking skills of Kane Farrell and Dan Houston to put speed on the ball quickly. The defensive boost is not the only area Port’s recruiting for specific needs appears to have paid dividends. Ruckman Ivan Soldo bolted forward from the first bounce to test Sean Darcy’s defensive capacity and he was rewarded with the game’s first goal and Jordan Sweet proved to be a good back up.

Nat Fyfe is tackled by Willie Rioli at Alberton on Friday night. Photo: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

4. Jeremy Finlayson was one of the great stories of 2023, providing the Power with a ruck back up and another viable target in attack. He kicked 38 goals last year but he is going to find this a hard team to break into. Port still wants King Charlie Dixon as the behemoth in the hot spot and Ollie Lord and Todd Marshall look like a likely support cast. Mitch Georgiades is looming on the way back from a knee reconstruction too.

5. Willie Rioli looks as fit and sharp as he has looked since his glory days at West Coast. He kicked 31 goals for Port last year - three goals more than in his 2018 season for the Eagles but he looks fitter again this year and his three goals for the night could have even been more had he kicked straighter.

FIVE THINGS WE NOTICED ABOUT FREMANTLE

1. Nat Fyfe gave the Dockers great grunt around stoppage in the opening half with 15 disposals including 10 in the opening term with seven of them in contests. But unlike last week against West Coast the Dockers couldn’t translate the wins to decisive outside possession. Port were great at either getting pressure on the Fyfe touch or extreme pressure on the next Docker in the chain.

2. Matt Taverner had a chance to press selection claims with Jye Amiss absent and he couldn’t take it. Just looked a step off with Port interceptors Esava Ratugolea, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher and Aliir Aliir all having strong games. Sam Sturt couldn’t make much headway either, run down in space by Kane Farrell and outpointed in first half contests by Lachie Jones before butchering a sitter of a goal in the third term.

Fremantle need two Hayden Youngs, according to Mark Duffield: one in defence and one in the midfield. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

3. One player who did stake a claim for a round one berth was Patrick Voss, Picked as an SSP selection after being a train on player at the Dockers over summer, Voss had nine first half disposals, had a hand in two first quarter goals and then kicked a second quarter goal after intercepting an Port Adelaide exit from their defensive fifty. If anything he showed more than Josh Treacy who struggled to read the ball coming forward and was beaten to the drop several times.

4. Skipper Alex Pearce is getting back to his best. After a competitive first term the Fremantle defence was under siege and Pearce did a super job, defending assertively and intercepting several dangerous attacks. Had Charlie Dixon for much of the opening half and Dixon’s one shot at goal over that time was the result of a free kick conceded by Sean Darcy in a ruck contest and his goal in the third term came from a costly Fremantle turnover further upfield which left the Fremantle defence with no hope. Dixon finished with two but only beat Pearce in contests a couple of times all night.

5. The Dockers need two Hayden Youngs. He was the midfielder who looked most likely to create something meaningful out of contested ball wins around stoppages and snapped two great first half goals as a result. But Fremantle’s stagnant and timid ball movement from defence, hemming themselves in on the boundary line, not daring to go back inside the corridor often and not faring well when they did go inside, points to Young’s knifing left foot being required back there as well.

Originally published as Freo need two Hayden Youngs, Power defence in good shape: Five things we noticed from Power v Dockers