Go around again? Veteran duo Travis Boak, Charlie Dixon’s futures up in air after finals
Charlie Dixon and Travis Boak’s futures beyond finals are both in limbo. Should they go around again? Port’s fate could have a big say in it, writes MATT TURNER.
The futures of two of Port Adelaide’s highest-profiled players remain in limbo heading into the club’s knockout semi-final against Hawthorn on Friday night.
Travis Boak and Charlie Dixon are entering what may be their last games for the Power, unless the team can stave off elimination.
Both veterans are coming out of contract and decisions on whether they go around again are on hold until after Port’s season ends.
Boak is still weighing up what he wants to do on the back of a solid campaign in which he has played 21 of the team’s 24 games, mostly on a wing.
Just how far the Power goes these finals is expected to be a factor in the 36-year-old’s call but will not be determinative, although if he captures a flag he is likelier to bow out.
Boak is one of the club’s most decorated players and its AFL games record holder with 369 matches, the 12th-most in the competition’s history.
He is Port’s longest-serving AFL captain (139 games), a dual best-and-fairest winner (2011, 2019), three-time All-Australian (2013, 2014, 2020) and Brownlow Medal runner-up (2020).
After the Power’s straight-sets finals exit last season, Boak and the club took a fortnight before recommitting for an 18th year.
Dixon will also sit down with the club after its campaign ends.
The 33-year-old key forward has booted 23 majors from 17 games this year and is coming off a poor performance in the 84-point home qualifying final defeat to Geelong.
A goalless Dixon registered a game-low three disposals, one mark, one tackle, one behind and seven hit-outs in 78 per cent time on ground against the Cats.
He had been in form late in the season, kicking nine majors during a four-week stretch from rounds 19 to 22, before missing Port’s away win over Fremantle in the last minor round due to illness.
Dixon has booted 262 goals from 155 games since arriving from Gold Coast at the end of 2015.
He is the Power’s fifth leading goalkicker of all-time, sitting behind only Warren Tredrea (549), Robbie Gray (367), Justin Westhoff (313) and Jay Schulz (275).
Boak and Dixon are among four Power players from the Cats’ defeat without deals for next year, along with goalsneak Francis Evans and regular substitute Quinton Narkle.
Evans has kicked nine majors from 15 AFL games this year, starting as the sub or getting subbed off in six of them.
Fellow ex-Geelong player Narkle has been the sub in his past six appearances.
A contract call on the 2023 mid-season draftee looms as a wait and see.
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