Port Adelaide pre-season training: How Power is adapting after Charlie Dixon

Port Adelaide is changing its game-style up through the middle and up forward to adjust to its new, shiny forward line. MATT TURNER was there to break it down.

Port Adelaide is honing a more handball-happy, faster-paced game style it hopes will help its Charlie Dixon-less forward line.

Power development coach Hamish Hartlett revealed the plan after the club’s training session at Alberton Oval on Monday, saying list changes were part of the reason behind the tweak.

One of the most notable is the retirement of long-time spearhead Dixon and the arrival of Gold Coast swingman Jack Lukosius, which leaves the attack more athletic but without its best contested mark.

Dixon averaged the eighth-most contested marks in the league last season for players with at least 10 games.

He was second in the AFL in 2023, eighth in 2022, third in 2021 and first in 2020, as teammates up the field had a 200cm, 100-plus-kilogram focal point to kick long to for nine years.

Port Adelaide’s Jackson Mead at training at Alberton Oval. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

But the Power was criticised for too often bombing it to its forwards during its finals losses to Geelong and Sydney.

Next year, Port will look to get the ball quicker into its attack, which includes a mobile mix of talls – Lukosius, Mitch Georgiades, Todd Marshall, Jeremy Finlayson and Ollie Lord.

“The main focus so far this pre-season has been a little bit of a change in our offence, which is exciting for everyone,” Hartlett said.

“We’ve got some new personnel among the playing group and have lost some guys, and have needed to adapt to that.

“We’re looking to use our hands a lot more and the speed, explosiveness and agility of a lot of our players, and we hope that’s going to benefit some of the new forwards we’ve got.

“That’s the biggest change so far.”

The Power hitting the track at Alberton Oval on Monday. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Recruit Rory Atkins played with Lukosius at Gold Coast for four years and said his dynamism would suit the Power’s game style. 

“With the forward line that we’ve got now with Charlie gone, we’re not going to be as long kicking and going to play an exciting brand of footy, and play really quick,” the former Crow and Sun said.

“Jack’s going to slot in there nicely with his ball use and going to surprise a lot of people, I think.”

Handballing was a key feature of a six-on-six drill in a small area on the wing.

Attacking players tried to get the footy from one side of the zone to the other, which required moving the ball quickly through congestion.

While others ran along the sidelines, as they continued recoveries from off-season surgeries or because they were being managed, second-year small forward Tom Anastasopoulos was inside in a knee brace.

Anastasopoulos recently sustained a medial sprain and was not expected to be back running until after Christmas.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

JOE BERRY

The 15th pick in this year’s draft seems to have time in possession and is certainly not afraid to take the game on, as evidenced by some nice ball movement in the Power’s six-on-six drill. Atkins was liking what he was seeing. “He’s lightning quick and it seems like his repeat efforts can go all day,” he said.

JACK WATKINS

Jack Watkins: Rory Atkins was reported to have won the 2km time trial but the former Sun clarified that it was actually North Melbourne VFL captain Watkins. Watkins is trialling for a supplemental selection period spot and has impressed the player with whom he almost shares a surname. “He’s training well with us – he’s flying,” Atkins said. “He’s putting his best foot forward to get a list spot. I must have been the first listed player (to finish the time trial).”