Port Adelaide midfielder turned forward Sam Powell-Pepper will have opposition defenders looking over their shoulders this season
Port Adelaide midfielder Tom Rockliff has lauded the pressure new forward line powerhouse Sam Powell-Pepper brought against Brisbane, saying he will make opposition backlines nervous in 2020.
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Tom Rockliff has hailed the move of Port Adelaide hardman Sam Powell-Pepper to the forward line, saying he will have opposition defenders looking over their shoulders.
Showcased as a forward for the first time in an official match in the Power’s 21-point Marsh Community Series win against Brisbane in Queensland on Sunday, the bruising Powell-Pepper was an instant hit.
He had 23 disposals, including seven contested, laid seven strong tackles and had seven score involvements in a standout display.
But his signature moment came when he didn’t even touch the ball.
In an illustration of what coach Ken Hinkley wants from his new forward line wrecking ball, Powell-Pepper’s intense pressure and tackle forced Lions defender Marcus Adams into a goal line turnover, which gifted a major to small forward Zak Butters.
After kicking the goal, Butters immediately pointed to Powell-Pepper for his role in the goal.
“His pressure was outstanding and he was the one who probably got us going in the second quarter,’’ veteran midfielder Rockliff said of Powell-Pepper.
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“Butters was the beneficiary of that tackle on the goal line, but he’d earlier had a huge tackle and won a free kick and then he finished the quarter with that goal line tackle.
“We’ve seen in the past – (former Crow and current Blue) Eddie Betts is probably a great example of it – where opposition teams are worried about the chase down and ‘Peps’ has that physicality as well as the speed to get to the contest.
“Keeping the footy in your front half is so important in modern footy and we also feed off his energy.
“When he’s up and about there’s no doubt we’re a better team.’’
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Moving the 22-year-old Powell-Pepper from the midfield to an inside 50 presence was one of the Power’s key off-season positional moves.
Rockliff said the comeback from injury of veteran Brad Ebert to a forward line role, and return to fitness and form of imposing key forward Charlie Dixon and lively flanker Steven Motlop, had also given Port’s attack a giant boost.
“Any time you’ve got a key forward that’s in good form and kicking goals it gives you a really good opportunity,’’ Rockliff said.
“Charlie gives us the option for the bail out kick if we don’t like what we see coming down the field.
“And ‘Mots' has had an outstanding pre-season and has unbelievable running capacity.
“He covers the ground at high speed and gets to a lot of contests and not too many players can go with him when he’s up and about.’’
Powell-Pepper said he had enjoyed his first proper taste of a prime forward line role.
“We’ve got a few mids so the coaches came up to me in the pre-season and said I’d play more forward than mid this year,’’ he told the club website.
“I just embraced it and I’m loving it down there.’’
Another great finish from Motlop.#MarshSeries pic.twitter.com/I9Gkx5uDwA
— AFL (@AFL) February 23, 2020
Powell-Pepper said Hinkley had told him to bring the heat in his new role.
“That’s one of the things I promised Kenny,’’ he said.
“He just wants me to bring that pressure and cause a few turnovers, like I did on the goal line.
“There’ll be a bit more of that this year, I reckon.’’
Hinkley described Powell-Pepper’s performance as “exactly what I’m looking for from him consistently’’.
Rockliff said Port had “tried a few different things’’ during the pre-season and that the introduction of AFL Rising Star runner-up Rozee into the midfield and a full-time on-ball role for one-time defender Dan Houston had given the club “a different mix’’.
“We feel like we’ve got a really good balance at the moment,’’ he said.
“It’s only the first pre-season game, but there was a lot to get excited about.’’
Originally published as Port Adelaide midfielder turned forward Sam Powell-Pepper will have opposition defenders looking over their shoulders this season