Port Adelaide dodges injury bullet to captain Zak Butters as Fremantle Dockers put to the sword in pre-season game
The Power were given an almighty shock on Friday night as newly-appointed vice-captain Zak Butters went down with an ankle injury, but they appear to have dodged a scare while putting Fremantle to the sword.
Port Adelaide
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Port Adelaide survived an injury scare to one of its best players, and then put Fremantle to the sword.
Young star Zak Butters sent a scare around Alberton Oval on Friday evening when he went down with an ankle injury early on in the pre-season clash between the two.
But the Power quickly said he was being taken out of the game as a precaution.
And while Port were without one of its best players, the Power then flexed its muscles against a dour Dockers.
While Fremantle had a good first quarter, and were up in the contested possession count, the Power changed the tables from the second quarter onwards.
With a big focus on going through the corridor the Power were just far too strong for the Dockers and tuned up for Round 1 with a 39-point win.
BUTTERS ON ICE
Power senior coach Ken Hinkley has said he doesn’t enjoy watching Butters play footy sometimes because of his tendency to put his body on the line.
His heart would have been in his mouth when Butters went down in the eighth minute of the first quarter at Alberton, especially because it looked like an innocuous incident that resulted in the right ankle sprain.
After the reigning Power best and fairest made his way to the bench, he was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game with Port determined to be cautious with its star.
“He rolled his ankle, so we took him out,” Hinkley told Fox Footy at quarter time.
“We didn’t want to take a risk, he is not the sort of player who you want to mess around with.
“I don’t care how many minutes we have to play he is not going to be here.”
In Butters place Power captain Connor Rozee was dominant.
Wearing the historic No. 1 guernsey for Port, Rozee put in a captains performance and was electric all over the ground with one impressive snap in the second quarter.
ALL BUT LOCKED IN?
Power fans would now have a very good idea of how Hinkley is looking to line-up against West Coast in Round 1.
With leadership group member Willem Drew back in the side, he started on the wing along with Miles Bergman.
Club great Travis Boak and son of a gun Jase Burgoyne also rotated through the wings for the Power, but it looks like the elder midfielder is ahead of the young buck.
While Burgoyne did get a bit of the ball, he had multiple moments where he just let himself down with a skill error or a lack of composure.
Where as Boak slotted an ice-cool goal from the boundary.
Ivan Soldo came into the game with a sore back but quickly showed why he is Port’s No. 1 ruck option, getting forward quickly and kicking the first goal of the game in a good first quarter for him.
The selection question for the Power now might be what happens in the forward line.
With Jeremy Finlayson interestingly out of the side, Ollie Lord had some good moments with his attack at the ball.
Sam Powell-Pepper will miss the first four games through suspension and before he went off Butters was spending some time forward.
Jed McEntee was impressive as a small forward, while Jackson Mead well and truly put his name forward for Round 1 and could be in line for some time at half forward with Powell-Pepper out.
MORE MID TIME FOR GUN YOUNG
If the Dockers coaching staff were considering putting Hayden Young at halfback because of a midfield squeeze, his performance against the Power should end those thoughts.
After starting the game on the interchange Young went straight to the midfield when he was introduced and he was by far the Dockers best player.
He kicked two very impressive goals and most of the best things the Dockers did when the game was close involved Young’s impressive left foot.
Especially in the third quarter, the Dockers ball movement was just way too slow and Young might be the key in changing this.
His move to the midfield was arguably the highlight of a dour 2023 for the Dockers.
Finishing with 26 disposals and 2.3, Young showed that any thoughts of returning him to defence should be altered and the Dockers should try and get the ball in his hands as much as possible.
PLAYER NOTES
PORT ADELAIDE
Connor Rozee
The No. 1 captain’s guernsey fits Rozee well. Sparked the Power into life when the game was still in the balance, Rozee was everywhere at Alberton finishing with 26 disposals and a goal. His teasing of Dockers ruckman Liam Ready with his speed at one point just summed up the different level he was on to the Fremantle players.
Ollie Wines
Port have said the Brownlow Medallist is back to his best and this looks to be the case. The inside bull was massive for the Power at the coalface but also moved across the ground well, kicking a goal in the third when he went forward. A lovely fake to send Sam Switkowski the wrong way in the first quarter showed that Wines has his confidence well and truly back.
Ivan Soldo
Looks to be locked in as the Power’s No. 1 ruckman. Quickly went forward and kicked the first goal of the game for the Power and more than held his own early on against Fremantle’s Sean Darcy. The Power’s ruck issues might be a thing of the past.
Jason Horne-Francis
Started as a deep forward but was quickly in the midfield and showed that he is set for a massive year. His running has improved significantly and adds another dimension to the Power midfield. Finished with 26 disposals
Ryan Burton
A strange game for the defender. Got plenty of the ball and finished with a game-high 30 disposals but made some big mistakes, one turnover leading to a Dockers goal. His spot in the Power side just doesn’t feel completely secure at the moment.
FREMANTLE
Nat Fyfe
Started in the midfield and had 10 disposals in the opening term. It has been a rough few years for the dual Brownlow Medallist with injuries but Dockers fans should be quite optimistic about what Fyfe could do in 2024 as he finished with 26 disposals.
Caleb Serong
Got plenty of the footy but didn’t really damage the Power, with a shocking turnover going inside 50 in the fourth quarter summing up the Dockers’ issue in moving the footy. Will be on who needs to step up to change the Dockers’ fortunes.
Alex Pearce
Was very good early on manned up against Dixon and stood up tall when the Power went forward. But couldn’t stem the tide himself in the face of wave after wave of Power attacks as the match went on.
Cooper Simpson
There’s something about this kid. While he didn’t get a ton of the footy, 12 disposals for the match, he had a spark that the Dockers lacked for most of the evening. Kicked a nice goal at the end of the match.
Jeremy Sharp
Missed last week’s match simulation against the Eagles through illness and was quiet against the Power. He did hold his width well on the wing and kicked a late goal but the wing positions still look to be up for grabs for the Dockers.
Best
Port Adelaide: Rozee, Wines, Rioli, Houston, Horne-Francis, Burton
Fremantle: Young, Serong, Pearce, Ryan, Fyfe
Attendance: 4539
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