Port Adelaide pre-season news: Charlie Dixon and Robbie Gray injury updates, summer showdown fallout

There’s good news for Port Adelaide’s Robbie Gray – but it’s a different story for a star forward. Here’s the injury latest from Alberton as the Power prepare for Round 1.

Simeon Thomas-Wilson and Matt Turner

5 min read

March 7, 2022 - 12:11PM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

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Port Adelaide footy boss Chris Davies says star forward Charlie Dixon is “less likely than likely” to feature in Round 1 against Brisbane.

Dixon had to have surgery to tighten ligaments in his ankle after landing on a teammate’s foot following a marking contest in January.

He has started running again and Port Adelaide have been optimistic that he could play in Round 1 against the Lions in Brisbane.

But Davies said he thought it was more likely Dixon wouldn’t feature.

“I think he is less likely than likely at the moment,” he said on SEN SA.

“We are confident he will be around the mark so it will be interesting to see where the coaches go from a selection standpoint.

“I think it is important when Charlie comes back we give him the best chance of hitting the ground running because he has missed some time now.”

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Port Adelaide forward Charlie Dixon is unlikely to play in Round 1. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

In good news for the Power, Robbie Gray has been cleared of any muscle injury after he reported hamstring awareness in the first quarter of the Community Series win over Adelaide on Saturday.

Gray didn’t return to action and Davies said it was out of precaution.

“He hasn’t missed a beat in pre-season so for him to miss the rest of the game wasn’t too bad and he should be right for Round 1,” he said.

After a disappointing showing against the Gold Coast in their practice match a week prior, the Power again started slowly against the Crows but a better second half resulted in a 37-point win.

“Definitely positive in the second half, if you look at the two pre-season games we were disappointed with the game up on the Gold Coast,” Davies said.

“We were happy the guys were competing in the first half but it wasn’t clicking.

“Ken said it was time to put the foot down and the second half was the way we want to play.”

But Davies said the Power let Adelaide “score too easily”.

The Power have big selection decisions to make, both up forward and down back, with Hinkley likely to go with three talls at either end of the ground.

But Davies said that wouldn’t be the main selection issue.

“I think our challenge as much as anything is with the guys going through the midfield is what position they are going to play when they aren’t in the midfield,” he said.

Robbie Gray has been cleared of muscle damage. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

Scott Lycett came off towards the end of the game with “a bit of a sore back” but he should be right for Round 1.

Untried Sam Hayes has pressed his claim for an AFL debut this pre-season but will likely still have to wait with Lycett’s body tracking well. Davies said Hayes needed to work on his movement around the ground, not just in the ruck.

“From a pure ruck perspective I think Sam did a really good job,” he said.

“He is still working on a tank to get him around the ground.

“I think we saw enough to know that if he was to come into the team purely from a ruck stoppage perspective he would do a good job.

“I think Reilly O’Brien in fairness got the better of both guys and he works really hard, I think he’s a good example to Sam of someone who works back.”

Butters buzz gets bigger but Gray’s hamstring a concern

- Matt Turner

Port Adelaide is hopeful veteran Robbie Gray will be available for Round 1 as he tries to overcome a hamstring issue.

Gray went off the field during the first quarter of the Power’s 37-point win over Adelaide at Richmond Oval on Saturday and did not return, later icing his right hamstring on the bench.

With just a fortnight until his side’s season-opening clash with Brisbane at the Gabba, coach Ken Hinkley did not want to risk the 33-year-old star.

Robbie Gray left the game early with a hamstring issue. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

“He’s got some slight hamstring stuff going on,” Hinkley said.

“He just said ‘I’m not sure, I feel OK’, but it’s a simple decision ‘you’re out’.

“He’s got two weeks and I’d imagine he’ll be very, very much in the mix for Round 1.”

Hinkley described the performance as better than last week, when it fell by 21 points to Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.

“It took a little while to get going the way we’d like to play,” he said.

“I thought both sides were having a real crack and the conditions were quite swirly, it made it really challenging, certainly early.

“Our polish was off a little (in the first half), there’s no doubt about that .

“The finish wasn’t where we’d like it to be still.

“You want everything and we didn’t get everything, so we have to keep working.”

Minus Gray and spearhead Charlie Dixon (ankle), Hinkley liked what he saw from the three-prong tall forward line of Mitch Georgiades (four goals), Jeremy Finlayson (three) and Todd Marshall (one).

Mitch Georgiades takes a strong mark against the Crows. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

Jeremy Finlayson booted three goals. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

Georgiades was exciting, flying for a great mark close to goal in the second half, while ex-Giant Finlayson finished his opportunities and Marshall came into the game late.

The club is still hoping Dixon can be available to face the Lions.

“I thought the three talls together worked really well together and it gets us in a reasonable position for Round 1,” Hinkley said.

Hinkley said his midfield was proving it was deeper than last season but it remained a work in progress.

“We still haven’t got it to where we’d like it to go to,” he said.

“I think it’s going to go to a really high level.”

Sluggish starts

Hinkley’s side will not want to start this way against Brisbane in Round 1 in a fortnight.

For the second successive week, the Power did not get out of first gear early in the trial game.

It again booted just one goal in the opening term and struggled to match the opposition’s intensity around the contest.

Yes, there was a strong wind, but the Power’s goalkicking was nonetheless shoddy, as were its forward-50 entries.

It was 1.5 at the first break on Saturday, having been 1.10 at the same stage a week ago.

Injured goalsneak Orazio Fantasia told Fox Footy he thought coach Ken Hinkley “probably gave us a bit of a spray” at quarter-time.

The Power found more of the ball in the second term, but was rarely able to move the ball forward with any conviction.

Zak Butters starred with 32 disposals for the Power. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

Zak’s back

Zak Butters is the midfield sparkplug the Power needs.

The AFL world got a glimpse of the 21-year-old on the ball last season, including when he had 36 touches and six clearances against Essendon in Round 2, but injuries robbed him of the chance to play there regularly as the club charged to a preliminary final.

Now he is training there full-time and a fixture in the centre square.

Even when the Power was lethargic early, Butters was buzzing from contest to contest and providing both class and energy around the contest.

His hands are so good in traffic and he is the Power’s most creative player.

After a brilliant display last week, he finished with 32 disposals, four clearances and a goal on Saturday to be Port Adelaide’s best, along with second-year defender Lachie Jones.