Port Adelaide deep dive: Can Port Adelaide play four tall forwards in the finals?
The Power have been forced to adjust their game plan on the fly in an attempt to overcome a top-eight opponent hoodoo. Is their tall attack the answer for finals?
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Will Port Adelaide play four tall forwards in the finals?
And can whatever combination they choose stand up in September?
The answer to the first question right now is the Power is open to it and will pick what it thinks works best.
The answer to the second will probably go a long way to determining how far the club progresses this season.
Port Adelaide played Charlie Dixon, Todd Marshall, Mitch Georgiades and Peter Ladhams, together with No. 1 ruckman Scott Lycett, for just the third time this year on Friday night – a 28-point victory at Marvel Stadium against Collingwood that took the Power to a 13-5 record.
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It was the second consecutive match those five all featured but only the third since Georgiades joined the club at the end of 2019.
While the four-pronged attack was not initially successful in a 37-point loss to West Coast in Round 3, the past fortnight would be much more encouraging for the Power.
On Friday night, Dixon booted 4.3, while Marshall (three goals, 15 disposals) and Ladhams (two majors, 17 touches) both made valuable contributions.
Georgiades was quiet, going scoreless and registering seven possessions, but he starred at the same venue last week, booting four goals in the triumph over St Kilda.
“Mitch didn’t have the night that he would like from a scoreboard point of view but that’s what happens, you take your turn,” Power coach Ken Hinkley said.
“If you’ve got multiple options, it’s really hard for the oppo to defend and I think that’s a key part of our team going forward, not just for this year but for future years as well.
“It’s exciting for us but we’ve still got to make it work effectively more consistently.”
On its run to a preliminary final last year, the Power overlooked first-year high-flyer Georgiades and veteran swingman Justin Westhoff, opting for Marshall and Ladhams instead.
The move was questioned externally after the six-point loss to the Tigers and was understood to have raised the eyebrows of some at the club, who believed Westhoff’s experience and versatility should have earnt him a spot.
Marshall and Ladhams had 12 disposals and one goal between them that night.
Ladhams kicked the last major of the game to edge the Power to within four points.
He also conceded a game-high five free kicks – three more than any other Port Adelaide player – on a wet night where taking territory was pivotal.
Georgiades has established himself in the forward line since then, playing every game apart from Round 1 to provide a pack-crashing foil for Dixon.
The 19-year-old has kicked 27.15 and is a contender to win the Rising Star Award.
Ladhams has been the one squeezed out this season, splitting his time between the AFL (11 games) and SANFL (six).
He returned to the Power line-up after the 31-point home loss to ladder-leader Melbourne a fortnight ago, largely to support Lycett against St Kilda’s ruck tandem.
Ladhams’ showing on Friday night was far more influential than last week, looking dangerous at times in attack.
Marshall is an interesting case because he is targeted by Power supporters yet very highly rated at Alberton.
If you scroll through the Power’s social media, few players cop more flak than Marshall.
Teammate Connor Rozee told News Corp he found criticism of the 22-year-old surprising.
“He’s a bit of a whipping boy and I don’t really understand it because he’s probably one of our most important players,” Rozee said.
“He cops a really good defender every week and plays a really unselfish role, which probably means he probably doesn’t get as many touches or goals as some of the other boys.
“The little things he does, things you probably don’t see on TV, away from the ball, are vital to the team’s success and he deserves a lot more credit than he probably gets (externally).”
Marshall’s naysayers usually point to his low possession counts – he has never averaged more than nine a game in his five seasons – or his contested marking numbers, believing he does not split enough packs, particularly for a tall forward.
His contested mark average of 1.13 is 75th in the league and behind Dixon (2.61, fourth in the AFL) and Georgiades (1.29, 60th), but better than Eric Hipwood and Joe Daniher.
That Georgiades regularly sits on opponent’s shoulders, including Max Gawn’s in one of the best marks this year, or at least tries to, has seemed to help endear him more universally to Power fans.
Dixon’s influence, as the hulking, heart-on-his-sleeve big man who leads the league in total contested marks and ranks equal seventh in goals, is hard to miss.
Marshall is not Dixon or Georgiades, but what he does complements them.
Part of the perception problem around Marshall is although he is 198cm, his strengths are not what you expect of a player his height and are more subtle: his skills, football IQ, off-the-ball work and craftiness.
He displayed those traits on Friday night, particularly early, in what finished as one of his best performances of the season.
Marshall was often the most composed Power player in possession forward of the ball.
Several times he made good, unselfish decisions to find teammates in better positions.
One such example came when he deflected an errant Trey Ruscoe kick, collected the footy then chipped it into space for Zak Butters to mark inside 50 during the second quarter.
“He’s really smart with the ball,” said Rozee, who registered 16 disposals and a goal after missing last week with knee soreness.
“He showed that tonight.
“He’s not your typical tall who takes contested marks all night.
“He obviously makes mistakes, like we all do, and those seem to get noticed for some reason a lot more than others.”
Marshall was relatively quiet last week and poor against Melbourne, going goalless and getting regularly outmarked by Harry Petty.
But he kicked six goals in the three games he finished before that – he was concussed early versus Geelong.
Hinkley said Marshall played one of the hardest positions on the ground and was always put under unfair pressure externally.
“I have total belief in Todd Marshall as a footballer and the team does too,” he said.
“Yes, we’d like Todd to play outstandingly well every week but we know that’s not the case.
“I’ll reward the players who reward us as a team and Todd does that more often than not.
“We value what he brings to the team … and clearly we pick him every week.”
Hinkley will have big selection decisions to make regarding the Power’s attack as more injured players become available before finals.
Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma returned against the Saints and there are a trio of small forwards to come.
Robbie Gray is three to four weeks away from resuming, Orazio Fantasia is expected back within a fortnight and Steven Motlop is about a month off.
If the Power opts to drop Ladhams again, that will force Dixon, Aliir Aliir or Marshall to provide ruck support.
Yet Port Adelaide seems reluctant to use Dixon too much in the centre square, Aliir has been a back-up ruckman just once this year, struggling against Melbourne – his only five hit-outs in 2021 have come from that Demons game after having 66 last season and 93 in 2019 – and we know how crucial the club views Marshall’s forward role.
Whether to play four talls in attack is a conundrum for the Power, but the quartet has shown – albeit against two sides outside the top eight – they can cause headaches for the opposition and the other three can ease the burden off Dixon.
“It’s a tough one and it’s probably one for the selection committee to ponder,” Rozee said.
“We can go small or tall, which is the good thing about it.”
MILESTONE MAN SHINES AS POWER OVERCOME PLUCKY PIES
Port Adelaide has celebrated Travis Boak’s 300th AFL match with a hard-fought 28-point win over a Collingwood side that lost star skipper Scott Pendlebury to injury in the first quarter.
The Pies trailed by as much as 32 points in the third term but rallied to be just nine points in arrears early in the last quarter before the Power steadied to notch a 14.13 (97) to 10.9 (69) win at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
Boak was chaired off by Ollie Wines and Sam Powell-Pepper, with his teammates and the Magpies forming a guard of honour.
It was a fitting end to the club stalwart’s celebration, and it was a win that he helped orchestrate, the evergreen midfielder starring with 30 possessions and seven clearances.
Willem Drew was also outstanding at the stoppages, Dan Houston and Karl Amon provided plenty of run and carry, and Charlie Dixon booted four goals in a forward line that had multiple threats.
Boak’s 300th was set to take place in front of adoring fans at Adelaide Oval but those plans were shelved on Tuesday when both South Australian clubs fled the state ahead of a lockdown.
While the celebration at a cavernous Marvel Stadium, devoid of fans and with the roof closed, lacked the appropriate party atmosphere, the Power chose it as the venue for their home game because of its fast deck and the decision paid off.
After a sluggish start, Port’s slick ball movement sliced through the Pies again and again as Ken Hinkley’s side kicked six goals in succession in a purple patch that saw them lead by 19 points at halftime and 32 points early in the third term.
300 games.
— AFL (@AFL) July 23, 2021
Travis Boak you are a champion!#AFLPowerPiespic.twitter.com/zFpsulQNTk
INJURY BLOW EXPOSES GIANT SUB
Collingwood suffered a big blow, losing captain Scott Pendlebury to injury at quarter-time.
Pendlebury was substituted out of the match at the first break due to an issue with his lower leg.
He had limped off in the first quarter, having appeared to have had his leg sandwiched between Power tackler Willem Drew and the turf.
Pendlebury went down to the change rooms and did not return.
Forward/ruckman Mason Cox replaced the Magpies veteran to start the second quarter.
The decision to name 211cm giant Mason Cox as the medical sub appeared either bold or ill-advised before the game and it proved to be the latter when Pendlebury departed after a knock to the lower leg. There’s no replacing the class of Pendlebury, but in choosing Cox ahead of a more versatile player the Pies were a midfield runner down after the skipper left the game halfway through the first term.
Pendlebury and Taylor Adams were pivotal as the Pies got off to a flyer with the first two goals of the match, but some Amon magic was the highlight as Port worked into the game.
The silky-skilled midfielder danced around two defenders and snapped a brilliant goal from long range as his side trailed by five points at the first break.
A 211cm sub....
— SuperFooty (AFL) (@superfooty) July 23, 2021
Thoughts? #AFLPowerPiespic.twitter.com/I2ElBs2fwE
"I'll be interested in the Harvey press conference around playing someone that size (Mason Cox) as a sub if Collingwood lose this game. Pendlebury goes down and they lose a runner - you'd think you'd play someone with a lot more versatility."
— 3AW Football (@3AWisfootball) July 23, 2021
- Matthew Lloyd#AFLPowerPies
ROUGH NIGHT
“What have you got against me?” a frustrated Jordan Roughead was heard asking the umpire after he gave away a second free kick to direct opponent Dixon in the second quarter.
The Port spearhead slotted a superb goal from the boundary line to spark his side’s run of six unanswered goals.
GREAT GRUNDY
Brodie Grundy had an enthralling battle with Scott Lycett and the Magpies’ big man was the driving force behind his side’s resurgence. Brody Mihocek booted three goals, with the Pies slotting the first two of the final term before Port fought back for their 13th win of the season.
SCOREBOARD
POWER 2.4 6.8 11.11 14.13 (97)
MAGPIES 3.3 3.7 8.8 10.9 (69)
PHELAN’S BEST
POWER: Drew, Boak, Houston, Amon, Wines, Dixon.
MAGPIES: Grundy, Crisp, Adams, Mihocek, Sidebottom, Maynard.
GOALS
POWER: Dixon 4, Marshall 3, Ladhams 2, Amon, Rozee, Houston, Wines, Woodcock. MAGPIES Mihocek 3, Henry 2, Cameron, Cox, De Goey, Elliott, Bianco.
INJURIES
POWER: Nil.
MAGPIES: Pendlebury (lower leg), Adams (TBC).
UMPIRES Rosebury, Stephens, Rebeschini
MARVEL STADIUM
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 W. Drew (Port)
2 T. Boak (Port)
1 B. Grundy (Coll)
Earlier: Boak’s mum barred from 300th game
Radio station SEN failed in its bid to take Travis Boak’s mum along to an empty Marvel Stadium on Friday night for his 300th game.
The AFL and the Victorian Government blocked the plan, announced by Kane Cornes on Twitter, after an angry online backlash from the public.
Melbourne footy fans are stuck at home and banned from games this weekend because of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Proud of @AFLNation team led by @jrbrooks89@julianbayard to have made this happen for a very special lady who can now watch her son’s 300th in person. Take a listen now on @1116sen@1629senSAhttps://t.co/qNWM714ovo
— Craig Hutchison (@craighutchy) July 23, 2021
The radio station had hoped to expose a loophole by declaring it would use Chicki Boak for special comments during its AFL Nation coverage of Port Adelaide’s clash with Collingwood.
SEN chief executive Craig Hutchison told News Corp they had received approval for Chicki to be at the ground but it was subsequently revoked.
“Our intent was good to ensure that a great mum could add to our broadcast with her experience and share the moment with her son,” he said.
“It was initially approved and then that view changed, we respect and understand that AFL’s view and only intended to do the right thing to enhance our broadcast.
“And really feel for Chicki Boak and the Boak family, these things happen, these are abnormal times but we respect the umpires decision in the end.”
It was another sad blow for Chicki who had to watch her son’s incredible milestone from her Torquay loungeroom.
The AFL has been contacted for comment.
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