AFL 2024: Connor Rozee ruled out of Port Adelaide's match against Geelong

Port Adelaide won’t make the same mistake with captain Connor Rozee’s hamstring as it did during the Showdown, making an early call on his availability to take on Geelong.

Port Adelaide captain Connor Rozee will miss the Power’s daunting trip to Geelong despite scans showing he suffered no further damage to the same part of the hamstring he tried to play on in the Showdown loss to Adelaide.

Young defender Lachie Jones is also set to miss the clash against the Cats after he suffered a low-grade hamstring strain in the heavy loss to the Crows on Thursday night.

The Power captain came into the clash against fierce rivals Adelaide under a big injury cloud after he suffered a minor hamstring strain against St Kilda six days earlier.

Rozee passed two fitness tests during the week with Power senior coach Ken Hinkley saying he had “seen all the things you needed to see”.

But the Power knew a mistake had been made in playing Rozee at half-time on Thursday night, when fatigue set in and the star was clearly hampered by the issue.

After the game Hinkley said he “made a mistake” in playing Rozee.

“That was clear. It was obvious,” he said.

“All the testing that we’d done, all the medical support we could get, all the information I could get was ‘Connor was able to (play)’.

“I’d seen it with my own eyes - he was able to run as fast as he needed to, kick as long as he needed to - but once fatigue set in tonight, it was clear.

“I can try and hide behind it, but I’m not. I’m not a coward when it comes to owning a mistake, and that was what it was.

“(It was) my call.”

Connor Roze handballs against the Crows. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Hinkley was adamant Rozee did not worsen the hamstring by playing and scans on Friday appear to have backed up the Power senior coach.

The Power said the latest scans showed “a similar injury to the same part of the hamstring as last weekend”.

But no risk will be taken with Rozee this time, with the Power captain already ruled out of next Friday’s clash against Geelong.

The Power did not mention whether Rozee was in line to miss any more games.

While Hinkley said it was his fault, Rozee moved to blame himself on Friday.

“I’m taking full ownership, I was ready to play,” he told television crews outside of hospital.

“My body felt like it was in a position to do that, clearly it hasn’t worked.”

Jones is set to join him on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury of his own.

The young defender will be re-assessed on Monday but with his injury history is considered likely to miss the clash with the Cats.

Young forward Mitch Georgiades has been cleared of any structural damage after he suffered bruising to the same knee he had surgery on last year.

Todd Marshall rolled his ankle but is expected to be fine.

POWER STAR BUTTERS’ BIG SHOWDOWN ADMISSION

Port Adelaide vice-captain Zak Butters has said he felt the Power “didn’t quite believe” and didn’t have the entire team bringing “the same intent and energy” in its disappointing Showdown loss to fierce rivals Adelaide.

The Power were left to rue its inaccuracy in front of goal and going inside 50 early on as the Crows got the jump on them in the Thursday night clash.

Led by Butters, young star Jason Horne-Francis and Miles Bergman, the Power did get to within eight points at quarter time – but then only kicked one goal in the second and third quarters.

Despite this, the Power had the chance to bring the margin back to two goals early on in the fourth, but Jed McEntee missed his shot and the Crows ultimately cruised home to a 30-point win.

Speaking to his masthead post game Butters – who finished with a game-high 33 disposals, seven clearances and 624m gained – said the Power just didn’t show enough dare and lacked energy.

Zak Butters is caught by Crow Ben Keays on Thursday night. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

“I feel that as a group we didn’t quite believe and in a Showdown that hurts,” he said.

“I feel like we have to bring a bit more energy, a bit more dare to our game and as a group I felt that we lacked that.

“Credit to them they brought some great pressure and had some great moments but I thought we had enough chances to keep us in the game and get a roll on but we weren’t able to do that.

“As a group we need more consistency across the group, we need everyone believing and everyone bringing energy and there have been some lapses in that.

“Ideally you have all 22 on the same page at the same time with the same intent and energy.

“I feel if you have a few waiver from that, as a group it makes it hard to win games of footy.”

Butters said it would be something he and the rest of the Power’s leadership group would have to address.

“Yeah most definitely I think it is something that we need to work on and make sure that we have everyone bringing the same energy,” he said.

“A loss in the Showdown hurts and as a leadership group we will go to work on that, speak to the coaches and see if there is something we can tinker with and improve.

“But that hurts, that one will hurt, especially losing in that fashion. I didn’t think we really believed and wanted to keep at it to the end.”

Charlie Dixon was blanketed by Mark Keane. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Post game, senior coach Ken Hinkley said his side’s inability to convert killed its chances and he and the coaching staff would have to have a big look at it.

“Whatever you want to say the facts are we are not scoring at the level that we need to,” he said.

“We have never put more energy into our conversion... that then says there are a few things that might go into it.

“It is gamestyle, it can be personnel, it can be managing the stress of taking the opportunity.

“There are two to three things that we need to look really closely at because we can’t keep ignoring the reality... it is embarrassingly poor in front of goal.

“You have to go to gamestyle first and foremost, are we getting the shots we need to get in the positions we need to get them?

“Have we got what we need in front of the ball to allow us to convert more often than not? And at the moment the simple answer right here right now to both those questions is no, to what we have in front of the ball and yes to we need to look at the way we move the ball collectively through the ground and into our forward 50 and not just be pleased that we have 10 more inside 50 entries than the opposition.”

Butters said players had to step up in these moments.

“I think it is more about the belief in the actual moment,” he said.

“We do a lot of goalkicking practice, finishing work and the polish stuff but when you are in the moment you actually have to thrive in it, live up to it and be able to capitalise and I feel that as a group we have a few boys not stepping up in those moments.

“But I’m sure if we keep working on it they will.”

Originally published as AFL 2024: Connor Rozee ruled out of Port Adelaide's match against Geelong