All the Port Adelaide news this pre-season campaign

The Power are hopeful their key forwards will not be on the sidelines for long as they consult surgeons regarding their respective knee and ankle injuries.

AFL Round 10. 23/05/2021. Collingwood vs Port Adelaide at the MCG, Melbourne. Lachie Jones of the Power. Pic: Michael Klein

Port Adelaide is hopeful forwards Charlie Dixon and Orazio Fantasia will not be sidelined for long as they consult surgeons on respective pre-season ankle and knee concerns.

Dixon, 31, will be in a moon boot for the short term after tearing ligaments in his left ankle, landing awkwardly on a teammate’s foot in a marking contest at training on Friday.

The club is waiting for swelling to go down before a decision is made.

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It is not the same ankle as his season-ending injury in 2018.

Fantasia, 26, is having issues with his right knee and will speak to a surgeon about how best to address it.

Power teammate Connor Rozee said Dixon’s injury stemmed from a pretty innocuous incident during a warm-up.

“Hopefully it’s not too long-term, fingers crossed,” Rozee said.

“It’s probably better than doing it just before Round 1.

Port training

“He’s in the right mindset now where he’s got things outside of football that can take his mind off that sort of thing.

“We’re fully confident that he’ll be back better than ever.”

Fantasia had off-season surgery to tidy up both knees and his left one had recovered well.

The ex-Essendon goalsneak was training on Monday, mainly on an exercise bike.

He played 15 games last year – his first at the Power – after injuries had restricted him to just five the previous campaign.

“He’s been in good spirits,” Rozee said.

“One (knee) is giving him a little bit of issues, which is why they’re slowly getting him back into the main group and they haven’t put him fully in yet.”

Rozee, who is entering his fourth campaign, falls out of contract at the end of the season.

The 22-year-old said he was leaving negotiations to his manager but was “sure that will get put to bed soon”.

“It’s not a massive priority at the moment, pre-season’s the main one and being fit for Round 1,” he said.

“I really enjoy playing for Port Adelaide and have loved my first four years here.

“I think they’re slowly talking with the club at the moment and hopefully sometime soon or during the year we’ll get that sorted.”

Rozee, who did not have off-season surgery, expected to increase his midfield time from roughly 25 per cent in games last year.

“The (past) injuries have made me have two or three months off at a time where I’ve had to spend the latter part of pre-season getting my fitness back up so it’s been nice to come back fully fit,” he said.

“I’m feeling really fit and strong at this stage and have been able to really push for that midfield spot, so hopefully I can stay fit.”

Key men down as Power struck with double injury blow

Port Adelaide forwards Charlie Dixon and Orazio Fantasia are set to consult surgeons over respective ankle and knee concerns.

Dixon, 31, will be in a moon boot in the short term after tearing ligaments in his left ankle, landing awkwardly on a teammate’s foot in a marking contest at training on Friday.

Charlie Dixon tore ligaments in his ankle at Port Adelaide training last week. Picture: PAFC

It is not the same ankle as his season-ending 2018 injury.

He will remain in the moon boot while the ligaments recover.

Fantasia, 26, is having issues with his right knee.

The ex-Essendon goalsneak played 15 games last year - his first at the Power - after injuries had restricted him to just five the previous campaign.

Fantasia has recovered well from surgery to his left knee.

MORE TO COME

Young guns in line to supercharge Power midfield

- Simeon Thomas-Wilson

New Port Adelaide midfield coach Brett Montgomery says he is looking forward to the challenge of growing the Power’s on-ball stocks.

But he says a perceived lack of midfield depth wasn’t necessarily the reason for the Power’s preliminary final horror show against the Western Bulldogs, despite it being the main criticism of how Port Adelaide’s 2021 campaign ended.

After midfield coach Jarrad Schofield went to West Coast, and senior assistant Michael Voss became Carlton’s senior coach, Montgomery has been tasked with the Port Adelaide engine room for 2022.

He walks into the job with many believing the Power needs to improve their midfield depth, especially after being blown away by the Bulldogs.

Montgomery said he was looking forward to helping the Power build their midfield depth but said necessarily wasn’t why Port fell short against the Bulldogs.

Port Adelaide players after the preliminary final. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)

“It would be tempting to really bite at that narrative, I’m not sure that it is really the issue,” he said.

“I think we are talking about one game where it was dysfunctional across the ground for whatever reason.

“But what I can tell you today is that I’m interested and passionate about growing the depth in the midfield, I’m passionate about making them a little bit more detailed in what they do in all facets of the game.”

Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Xavier Duursma have all been earmarked for more midfield minutes in 2022.

Montgomery said they weren’t the only young players in line.

“There is some young talent that hasn’t gotten a look that perhaps they have deserved such as Miles Bergman, Jackson Mead, Jed McEntee is another one that might get some time as well as well as some of the new players that we have brought into the club such as Josh Sinn,” Montgomery said.

“We have to make sure they are ready. We don’t want to displace an older player who has runs on the board just for the sake of it but we think there is some merit in improving that group and making sure we share the load.”

Cult hero Lachie Jones could be another to get a chance.

Brett Montgomery said he believed Lachie Jones could eventually play in the midfield. Pic: Michael Klein

“I don’t see why not, I think someone like Lachie and those guys like Jackson Mead and Miles Bergman there shouldn’t be any limitations on what they can do,” Montgomery said.

“And talking Lachie specifically I have no doubt that with some experience and some exposure I think Lachie Jones can play in any of the areas (of the ground).

“I’ve got a keen eye on him for the midfield, I think he will get his first go as a defender because that is probably fairer on him.”

After a quarter of their squad were in the AFL’s Covid-19 protocols, the Power have had nearly their entire quad back at Alberton this week.

Montgomery said despite a couple, most players were not having any real effects when they were returning to training.

Port Adelaide midfield mainstays Travis Boak and Ollie Wines enjoy a win.

“If we look at it on an individual basis they may be one or two that we need to be reasonably vigilant around who have had more of an impact than others,” he said.

“We know in line with the community some people have been hit a lot harder than others … so we have a case-by-case mentality here but for the most part everyone is really good and is tracking nicely.

On return there has been no fears

“We have some guys who need to tick off some things when they get here and those are usually the guys who have carried more symptoms than others.

“But to be perfectly honest we are committed to push forward, we are not letting the day to day role call weigh us down in any way.”

Originally published as All the Port Adelaide news this pre-season campaign