Port Adelaide news: Chad Cornes labels internal trial as ‘sloppy’ and calls on established players to lift

Assistant coach Chad Cornes didn’t mince his words when reviewing the club’s internal trial — and the same goes for his assessment of Jason Horne-Francis.

Charlie Dixon. Picture Dean Martin

Port Adelaide defensive coach Chad Cornes says the Power’s established players “need to be better going forward as a team” after what he said was a “scrappy” internal trial at Alberton.

And while Charlie Dixon will have scans on a rib injury that limited him to less than two quarters of action on Friday evening, Cornes said it was expected to be nothing major for the Power spearhead.

While the black guernsey team made up of the probables won the internal trial over the possibles in white guernseys, they only triumphed by 27-points in a low scoring affair.

Cornes didn’t mince his words post trial with the Power great saying it wasn’t at the level the team had been training at.

“There wasn’t a lot to love about it, a typical internal I guess,” he said.

“The boys have been having those kind of hit-outs pretty much since we got back from Christmas break so whether there is a bit of internal trial fatigue.

Chad Cornes said there wasn’t a lot to like about their trial. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

“There were some good signs from some players but all in all it was a bit scrappy, it wasn’t the way we have trained over the last month or so.

“It might be a good one to move on from and good thing no real injury apart from Charlie’s little niggle but apart from that no injuries and we move onto next week.”

Cornes said the disappointment was summed up by a black midfield – boasting Brownlow Medallist Ollie Wines, reigning best and fairest Connor Rozee and Jason Horne-Francis among others – not showing the same desire as the possibles.

“Jase was quiet, he was forward a lot I’m not sure if that was the intent with the rotations but he found himself forward a lot,” he said.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 17:Jason Horne-Francis of Port Adelaide during the Port Adelaide Power AFL Intra Club at Alberton Oval on February 17, 2023 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

“He had some nice moments but to Jase’s credit he has had a really good month since he came back from the injury, he stood out on the track.

“He wasn’t the only one, I thought the white mids dominated the black mids and their hunt and desperation was better than the black mids and Jase was part of that group.

“We need to be better going forward as a team.

“That sometimes happens in internals the guys who are fighting for a spot come up against those who think their spot might be guaranteed.

“There was a desperation that the whites showed that the black didn’t … but it wasn’t just the mids, it was the team in general across the board.”

Cornes said that some of the probably players now potentially having to sweat on a place would be good for the Power, and said the coaches were still pleased with the way the team was tracking ahead of Round 1.

“I think it is great for competition, we are deeper than we have been in the past which is great for competition,” he said.

“You would like to think that competition gets the best out of the guys who think they are a bit more established but I’ve played in a lot of internals and they get harder as you get older so we will use that as a reason why it might have not been as pretty today but the coaches are really confident of what we’ve seen over the past month.”

The only injury concern that came out of the internal trial was when Dixon hurt his ribs, which meant he played less than a half of footy.

Cornes said he was confident the Power spearhead hadn’t suffered any major injury.

“He just landed awkwardly and his elbow went into his rib, I think it is just one of those annoying rib cartilage injuries but he will get scans and we will know more but I don’t think there is anything too major,” he said.

Wines also played a half of footy through management while Zak Butters was the runner after a minor AC joint sprain.

Port sticks with proven formula to reclaim lost ground

Tom Jonas will again captain Port Adelaide after the Power decided to not make any changes to their leadership group.

The tough as nails defender will skipper the Power for a fifth season.

Jonas, 32, will again be supported by vice-captain Ollie Wines and fellow defender Darcy Byrne-Jones as part of the unchanged leadership group.

Jonas said he was looking forward to again captaining the Power.

“It has been an absolute honour to captain this amazing club over the past four seasons, especially with two guys by my side who are great mates and great teammates,” Jonas said.

“It is something I have never taken for granted, particularly because of the incredible people that have come before me and the strong group of leaders we currently have at the club.

“It means a lot to again be trusted to lead this group.”

Tom Jonas at Port Adelaide training on June 16th, 2022, in Alberton. Picture: Tom Huntley

Port Adelaide senior coach Ken Hinkley said it was a strong leadership group.

“In Tom, Ollie and Darcy, we have strong, well-respected leaders and we didn’t see any reason to make a change given their quality as individuals and as a collective,” Hinkley said.

“They are fantastic role models on and off the field and continue to set the standard for the great group of emerging leaders we have at our club.”

Jonas and Wines were co-captains in 2019 but the Power went back to a single-captain model in 2020 after fan backlash.

The Norwood and Rostrevor College product has worn Port’s iconic No. 1 guernsey in 64 games so far.

He has a 66 per cent winning rate with 42 wins.

Coach Ken Hinkley has backed the retention of the current leadership group at Port.

He was drafted by the Power with the 16th pick of the 2011 rookie draft.

Jonas has played 203 games for the Power after his debut in the 2011 season.

After playing 13 games in his first two seasons, Jonas found a consistent spot in the Power side in 2013 and has remained as a defensive mainstay.

He has been nominated for three All-Australian teams, while he finished second in the Power’s John Cahill Medal for their best and fairest in 2018.

Wines, the 2021 Brownlow medallist, was first included in the Power’s leadership group as a 20-year-old in 2015.

Byrne-Jones was elevated into the leadership group in 2020, the same year he won the John Cahill Medal.

‘Never seen before’: Horne-Francis’ subtle dig at North

– Jay Clark

Pot Adelaide recruit Jason Horne-Francis says the pre-season training intensity at the Power trumped everything he experienced at North Melbourne.

The No. 1 draft pick, who left the Kangaroos after one season at Arden St, has relished the move despite post-season calf surgery.

It emerged Horne-Francis dealt with chronic pain in his calves last year which contributed to his modest season.

But the talented forward-midfielder has returned to main training at the Power following surgery and said he is thriving in a more “competitive environment” back home in South Australia.

“It was a pretty heavy surgery that needed to be done,” Horne-Francis said on the club’s website.

“There’s no issues with them (calves) now other than some pretty heavy scars. Everything’s going really well.

Jason Horne-Francis says he is thriving in a more competitive environment. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Naomi Jellicoe

“I’m back in full training and just the level that we’re training at here is something I’ve never seen before.

“It’s a competitive environment and that’s something I love. The training standard that we’re at is awesome and I’m loving being on the track with the boys.”

Port recruited strongly for 2023, adding Horne-Francis and West Coast premiership forward Willie Rioli as part of a bold bid to return to finals.

But North will hope Port Adelaide finish low down on the ladder as the Kangaroos hold Port’s first pick in this year’s draft as well as their own top selection.

The Roos gave up Horne-Francis and pick one in a deal for picks two (George Wardlaw) and three (Harry Sheezel) and Port’s future first-rounder.

Horne-Francis will meet his old Kangaroos teammates for the first time in Round 9 when the Roos host Port in Hobart on Saturday, May 13.

The SA product played 17 games in his first AFL season at North Melbourne and got in trouble for his on-field body language at times and missing an ice bath.

Horne-Francis was dropped to the VFL for the ice bath incident although the Kangaroos said they made the decision to trade him at season’s end based on the full information.

Power spearhead opens up on future at Alberton

Port Adelaide spearhead Charlie Dixon says there has been early discussions about extending his contract at Alberton beyond this season, with the Power key forward believing he can play for up to three more years.

Dixon is out of contract at the end of the season and after training on Wednesday said there had been some early talks with the Power about a new one.

“There have been a few, they have said they are keen to keep me on but like it always goes we will just see how I go throughout the year,” he said.

“That’s how it is really.”

But while he and the Power will have to wait to see how Dixon goes this season, the 32-year-old is confident he has at least a couple of years left at AFL level with his 189 games since the 2011 season too low in his mind.

Charlie Dixon has had preliminary discussions about a deal. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“I think while I still have the competitive spirit that I’ve got I’ll continue to play if I still think I can play and I have a role to play I want to keep playing,” he said.

“Because if I go out (retire) and I still have that itch I’ll probably regret it. So I want to go out and know that I’m done.

“But I still think after this year I still have a couple of years, if not three, if the body holds up

I have only played 180 games over the years so I still feel like I have a lot of footy left in me.”

Dixon has had an uninterrupted pre-season after an injury hit one last year.

The Power spearhead required ankle surgery when he suffered an injury during a marking contest when he landed awkwardly on a teammates’ foot.

When he was nearing a return he then had to go under the knife again to clean out some troublesome scar tissue.

It meant that he didn’t make his season debut until Round 11.

The Power in action. Picture Dean Martin

The 2020 All-Australian and three-time Power leading goalkicker said his body was feeling good this pre-season.

“It is feeling good, I only played half the year last year so I gave the body another spell,” he said.

“I’m feeling good, the body is feeling good and the ankle is feeling good.

“The fitness is just about there, it’s harder every year.”

In Dixon’s absence the Power, who have been described as “too Charlie focused” at times, had Todd Marshall step up – while Jeremy Finlayson impressed as a makeshift ruckman.

Dixon said the Power’s forward line would be more unpredictable this season.

“I think we trialled a few more things,” he said.

“We have a number of talls who can roll through there, as well as rucks, and I think the way we are moving the ball this year is a bit better and we can try and find a few more marks rather than a contes.

“The ball does come through me a fair bit but I think you’ll find that Toddy (Marshall), Jez (Finlayson) and Mitch (Georgiades) will see a fair bit of footy.”

Originally published as Port Adelaide news: Chad Cornes labels internal trial as ‘sloppy’ and calls on established players to lift