Port Adelaide track watch: Jeremy Finlayson could head to defence as injury cover
Port Adelaide may have found their cover for key defensive duo Brandon Zerk-Thatcher and Esava Ratugolea. Get the details here.
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Jeremy Finlayson could be an answer as Port Adelaide continues to look at options to deal with injuries to key defensive duo Brandon Zerk-Thatcher and Esava Ratugolea.
The Power may start the season with Aliir Aliir the only fit senior key defensive option after Zerk-Thatcher hurt his back and Ratugolea had surgery last week to trim his meniscus.
Zerk-Thatcher will definitely miss the start of the season, while Ratugolea could be in the mix for Round 1 against Collingwood next month, depending on his recovery.
But it has left the Power a bit short in the back line – with the Crows and their four-tall forwards of Taylor Walker, Darcy Fogarty, Riley Thilthorpe and Dan Curtin to come in a pre-season match on Friday at Mt Barker.
At training at Alberton on Monday, the Power had a look at who could provide some much-needed height alongside Aliir.
Ryan Burton (191cm), started with Aliir and Miles Bergman (189cm) – who can play on tall forwards – before the Power switched tact, with Finlayson moving into defence.
Finlayson played just 12 games for the Power in 2024 due to a ban for using a homophobic slur and then a lacerated spleen, which ended his season prematurely. But the versatility of the 29-year-old could be crucial for the Power early this season.
While he has impressed for the Power as a key forward and in a hybrid ruck role – especially when the ball went to ground in ruck contests – Finlayson did start as a defender for previous club GWS Giants.
Power leadership group member Willem Drew said Finlayson’s versatility was a great asset.
“I am not sure how we are going to look there (defence) at the moment, but it is exciting for guys to get an opportunity,” he said.
“I did notice him going back, which was a bit of a surprise, but he can play anywhere. He has been playing as a ruck during pre-season and can give a chop-out there and is great as a forward and can even go back.”
Drew himself got through training for the first time since he went under the knife to fix a plantar fasciitis issue. He said he was hopeful of playing against the Crows on Friday.
“At this stage, yeah, I am hoping to (play); trained today fully and felt good,” he said. “It will be good to have a hitout – not against your own teammates.
“I think there will still be a bit of (injury) awareness there, speaking to the physios and medical people that is to be expected, but I am feeling good so very happy.”
Drew was speaking as the club launched a new program – Power UP – designed to educate students on how to have a positive and safe experience online. Developed in partnership with CentaCare Catholic Community Services, the eSafety commissioner, and CatholicCare Northern Territory, Power UP is aimed at students aged between 15 and 17.
“It is a really important issue in society and something this club does well is providing programs to the community and online safety is going to get more and more important,” he said.
The program will be accessible for remote Northern Territory communities, with two of the modules also available in Eastern Arrernte language.
The online program is free and initially available to schools across both SA and the NT.
THE KEY MEN WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM PORT’S GAME PLAN TWEAK
Key forward Mitch Georgiades has dominated what may be Port Adelaide’s last match simulation before trial games, kicking five goals at Alberton Oval on Friday.
Georgiades was one of the standouts during a three-period hitout that featured mixed teams propped up with more fill-ins than usual because of the absence of five players for the Indigenous All-Stars clash.
The 23-year-old benefited from the Power’s tweaked game style that showcased quicker ball movement and forwards pushing higher up the ground.
He and others were able to kick easy majors out the back in space, some from very close range, after working up the field then sprinting towards goals when teammates won the ball.
Port should be able to play that way more often without long-time spearhead Charlie Dixon because the retired 200cm big man typically stayed deep in attack.
The Power ranked 12th in the league last year for goals from 0-15m, last for expected accuracy and bottom for accuracy, according to Champion Data statistics.
Ken Hinkley’s side was essentially taking the most difficult shots of any team, contributing to struggles in front of goal.
In theory, playing a faster brand with more athletic forwards and a more open attack should lead to easier shots and better conversion.
Time will tell if that is the case.
Coming off a career-best 44-goal campaign in his first season back from a serious knee injury, Georgiades becomes more important with Dixon gone and clever tall forward Todd Marshall (ruptured achilles) out for most of the year.
Georgiades wore Marshall’s number 4 on Friday in a nice gesture for his fellow forward, who was watching from the sidelines.
Ex-Collingwood goalsneak Joe Richards was another to impress and use the space inside 50 to his advantage, outbodying Logan Evans to mark and goal from close range in the third term.
Richards added another when his tackle earnt a free kick and he slotted truly from 30m.
Former Sun Jack Lukosius booted at least one goal, again looking good as a leading forward.
In a sign of how he could be used, Lukosius pushed back into defence in the closing stages of quarters in a Justin Westhoff-like role to help prevent late goals.
Port was missing Jason Horne-Francis, Sam Powell-Pepper, Jase Burgoyne, Jeremy Finlayson and Willie Rioli because of the Indigenous All-Stars match in Perth on Saturday.
Powell-Pepper, who is hoping to make his comeback in round 1 from a season-ending knee injury, is not playing in the representative game.
Half-back Kane Farrell (hamstring), veteran Travis Boak, defender Lachie Jones and midfielder Willem Drew (foot) went in and out of the match simulation.
Ruckman Ivan Soldo (managed) did not feature at all.
Such were the number of absentees, former Power players turned specialist coaches Hamish Hartlett, Matthew Lobbe, Cam Sutcliffe and Justin Westhoff got involved, along with several SANFL signings.
Port plays its first pre-season game next Friday, taking on Adelaide in Mount Barker.
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