AFL 2023: All the Port Adelaide news leading into round 13 clash against Western Bulldogs

Port Adelaide will have at least two big inclusions for its clash against the Bulldogs on Friday night. Assistant coach Nathan Bassett revealed what the coaches are thinking.

It‘s unclear whether Power captain Tom Jonas will return to take on the Western Bulldogs on Friday night, but Charlie Dixon and Travis Boak could both play.

All eyes will be on whether the Power recall skipper Jonas this week after he played in the SANFL on Sunday.

Jonas missed the previous week – a win over Richmond – through suspension, and Port said he needed some match fitness at the lower level.

The Power captain had 17 disposals and five marks for the Magpies against Woodville-West Torrens but still faces a battle to return to the AFL side given Port’s winning run.

Defensive coach Nathan Bassett said he hadn’t watched the SANFL match but Jonas was “fine and ready to go” and had responded well to being in the reserves.

“He has been outstanding,” he said.

“We have had good conversations over the last six or seven weeks about what this season looks like and how he can get better.”

Dixon hasn’t played since round 8, when he suffered a minor quad strain in addition to a knee injury he had been carrying.

Meanwhile, a hit to the ribs against Melbourne in round 10 has resulted in Boak sitting out the last two games for the Power.

Bassett was confident the pair would be available to face the seventh-placed Bulldogs.

“Charlie, we expect him to play this week. More than we did last week,” Bassett said.

“Boaky is the same, we think he is a much more realistic chance of playing this week than last week.

“But we won’t know until we see them at main training on Wednesday.”

Dixon ran at Alberton on Monday alongside Xavier Duursma, who is now out of a knee brace after he suffered an injury in round 7.

Bassett said Dixon was close to taking on Hawthorn last week, but he just didn’t feel right.

He added the Power’s nine-game winning run did give them the ability to not risk players.

“He was close, he trained Thursday, got through and didn’t feel quite at the level to compete properly,” he said.

“You can take a little bit less of a risk, particularly if there are guys in the team doing well,

so there isn’t that desperation to rush them back in.”

On top of the Power’s winning form, Lachie Jones also performed well in Jonas’s absence against Hawthorn on Saturday, meaning it isn’t a straightforward decision at the selection table.

“Lachie is defending quite well, had a couple of real nice burst moments in offence where he used his leg speed, and he is defending well at this stage,” Bassett said.

“There is still room to grow his game, but he has put in a nice five-week block of footy.”

Originally published as AFL 2023: All the Port Adelaide news leading into round 13 clash against Western Bulldogs