AFL 2024: All the Port Adelaide news ahead of the Saturday night clash with Fremantle

Brownlow Medallist Gavin Wanganeen sees similarities between himself and Connor Rozee’s playing styles, and also compares aspects of this year’s Power side to his 2004 premiership team.

Connor Rozee reminds Gavin Wanganeen of himself.

And the former Port Adelaide captain believes the new one has hallmarks of a future Brownlow Medallist.

Wanganeen, who skippered the Power from its inaugural campaign in 1997 to 2000 and won a Brownlow with Essendon in 1993, said he had been very impressed with Rozee’s start to his first season leading the club.

The 2004 Port Adelaide premiership star was in the Adelaide Oval crowd during last Friday night as the 24-year-old dazzled the Bombers with a “pretty special” display that netted him all 10 coaches’ votes.

Wanganeen described Rozee as a gem whom he loved to watch.

“If there’s any player that sort of reminds me a little of myself … the way he moves and cuts and turns, and has that explosive speed off the mark,” Wanganeen told this masthead.

“Just his penetration, he’ll go forward a lot and can shake the tackle with his strong hips.

“He hits the targets, he’s damaging, he’s not a big man [Rozee is 185cm, 4cm taller than Wanganeen], but he’s got those strong hips and that power.

“He’s obviously going to be a great player, if he isn’t already.”

Connor Rozee celebrates kicking a goal against Essendon last week. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Wanganeen is the sixth-youngest Brownlow winner.

The Australian Football Hall of Famer snared the medal – and a first premiership – during his third AFL season at the age of 20.

Rozee placed 11th in last year’s count at the end of his fifth campaign.

He sits third in the AFL Coaches’ Association Player of the Year award – behind Sydney’s Isaac Heeney and Melbourne’s Christian Petracca – after four rounds.

Wanganeen said Rozee had the eye-catching style and ability to become the Power’s second Brownlow winner after Ollie Wines (2021).

“I don’t want to put any pressure on the lad,” said Wanganeen, who retired in 2006 after 300 games.

“He’s obviously a level-headed guy who doesn’t get too fussed about what is said in the media and just does his thing.

“If he’s playing eight to 12 games like that (against Essendon) and a few games half as good as that, then he’s got a Brownlow in his back pocket.”

Gavin Wanganeen after his 1993 Brownlow Medal win with Essendon.

Drafted by the Power at pick 5 in 2018, Rozee is 110 games into his career.

He became the youngest permanent Port Adelaide AFL captain since Wanganeen led the Power at the age of 23 and nine months.

Wanganeen, now 50, rang the North Adelaide product when he received the nod to congratulate him and say “a couple of little things”, but would not reveal what.

“He’ll find his own style, which he needs to do,” he said.

“Most importantly, he’s going to let his footy do the talking.”

As a member of both clubs’ Halls of Fame, Wanganeen “hoped for a draw” on Friday night.

He was happy for the Power, which he said “absolutely” shared similarities with his 2004 side that fell short in finals in three seasons before claiming the flag.

“I know it’s only early days – and to win the premiership is a marathon – but there’s good signs,” he said.

“The list is strong, the average age of the squad is solid in terms of games played, and they’ve experienced disappointment on quite a few occasions.

Gavin Wanganeen during Gather Round. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“They haven’t been far off winning a grand final.

“In 2004, the situation was we had that last crack at it and got something out of it.

“That group had that belief to get some reward for the five, six, seven years of work we’d put in.

“If we didn’t – and I’ve said this a few times before – we’d probably be bitter and twisted older men.”

Wanganeen said Ken Hinkley’s team looked like it had a lot of belief.

“You want to be playing your best footy in that latter part of August and get your timing right in terms of freshness, physically and mentally – that’s the key to winning a premiership,” he said.

DISTRACTION OR OPPORTUNITY? HINKLEY RESPONDS TO FINLAYSON BAN

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley says Jeremy Finlayson’s three-match ban for using a homophobic slur has not been a distraction for the Power ahead of its clash against Fremantle on Saturday.

Finlayson was hit with the suspension for making a homophobic comment during the third quarter of the Power’s win over Essendon last week.

He informed the club that he had made the slur at three-quarter-time and apologised to the Essendon player, with this being taken into account by the AFL in handing down the penalty.

Hinkley said Finlayson was “moving on with what he needs to move on with”.

“He understands what has exactly gone on this week and understands the mistake that went with that and he has handled that I think in the best possible way he could after making the mistake,” he said.

After the ban was handed down, Power footy boss Chris Davies said “there is a natural element of disappointment” among the playing group.

Ken Hinkley hugs Jeremy Finlayson last year. Picture: Michael Klein

When asked if there was any disappointment among the playing and coaching group towards Finlayson, Hinkley said;

“I think that would be a little touch unfair because of his ownership of the whole situation right from the start,” he said.

“He knew he made a mistake immediately and he handled it very well, in some ways proud of the way that he was able to handle and deal with the situation as difficult as it was for everyone.

“Not so much a distraction, unfortunately it is an opportunity for us to all understand and learn more in those areas of our game that we don’t need to go to those places.”

Hinkley said he believed the language Finlayson used was not common in today’s AFL.

“I think our people and everyone who plays the game today are much better educated in all places, not just in that spot, but in all places to know what is acceptable and what is not,” he said.

Finlayson’s suspension means the Power needs to come up with a plan to ease the load on ruckman Ivan Soldo.

This has been aided by the Dockers not yet recalling Sean Darcy to go with Luke Jackson, despite the ruckman travelling to Adelaide as Fremantle stayed on from Gather Round.

Hinkley said if Fremantle did have Darcy and Jackson, the Power would have likely gone with just Soldo in the ruck.

But he did say two rucks, with either Jordon Sweet or Dante Visentini joining Soldo, could be on the cards in the future.

Ivan Soldo and Sam Draper go head-to-head during Gather Round. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

“I think we would have been pretty happy with where we are at and what we have been doing with our ruck situation,” he said.

“Jeremy going out does unbalance that a bit.

“Yep absolutely, I’m sure there will be and Visentini. I think we forget about Dante who played AFL games last year and is playing as well as any of the boys underneath as well

“So I think he is a genuine option for us as well.

“The challenge for us is to make sure they have some genuine forward craft so they can play forward as well.”

Sam Powell-Pepper comes in for his first game of the season, after serving a four-match ban for his bump in the pre-season.

“No doubt he is ready to go, we have to make sure he is calm and play with some good composure. But he is certainly ready to go,” Hinkley said, excited to have the leadership group member back.

“We have chatted about the way he plays the game, we think the way he plays the game is really fair so he needs to make sure he comes back and plays his style of game.

“He plays footy the right way, he has learnt from his mistake from four weeks ago and I’m sure he will play his role.”

Brownlow Medallist Ollie Wines also returns after missing a week with a hamstring injury.

Star veteran Travis Boak will sit out with a back issue.

Hinkley said Boak was trying to push for Saturday but “you have to protect them from themselves sometimes”.

Originally published as AFL 2024: All the Port Adelaide news ahead of the Saturday night clash with Fremantle