Port Adelaide news ahead of Round 15 home game against Sydney Swans

Port Adelaide has turned to a young debutant to replace Robbie Gray as it heads into its crucial clash against Sydney on Saturday.

Robbie Gray was injured in his 250th game. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Port Adelaide will unveil its fourth debutant of the season on Saturday when it brings second-year forward Dylan Williams into the side to face Sydney at home.

Oakleigh Chargers product Williams has been rewarded after booting six goals in the SANFL on Sunday and comes in for injured star Robbie Gray.

Todd Marshall, who returns from concussion, and last week’s medical substitute Hamish Hartlett are the other two inclusions, at the expense of Lachie Jones (hamstring) and Peter Ladhams (omitted).

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Power coach Ken Hinkley said Williams deserved his spot after a really strong six weeks.

The 19-year-old follows Miles Bergman, Lachie Jones and Marty Frederick in debuting this season.

“An opportunity’s been created by Robbie’s injury and gives us a somewhat like-for-like - (although) no one’s replacing Robbie Gray, he’s a great,” Hinkley said.

Dylan Williams will make his AFL debut off the back of a six-goal haul in the reserves. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“Dyl’s really been working hard and it’s a great credit to his coaches, particularly (forward development mentor) Chad (Cornes), who’s taken him under his wing and helped him through some challenges in developing his career.

“Six goals, it’s hard to argue he doesn’t deserve the opportunity.”

Leadership group member Hartlett is back in the 22 for the first time since being dropped for the home game against Fremantle last month.

“Sometimes you get a little bit of luck and he got a little bit of that last week (with injuries),” Hinkley said.

“I thought he looked like he had his freedom back in his game and I thought he played a pretty attacking game for us.”

Hinkley said the side wanted a true forward for Saturday’s game and Marshall was ahead of Ladhams in that area of their games.

He said Xavier Duursma, who last played in Round 4, was a chance to return from his knee injury next week but, all going well, should be available the following round.

Hamish Hartlett is back after a stint for the Port Magpies in the SANFL. Picture: Dean Martin

Fellow young gun Zak Butters has been sidelined for the same period and although the club is yet to put a timeline on his return, he is making clear progress.

That was evidenced by him doing run-throughs with the main group and weaving between markers at training on Thursday.

“I watch him training and go ‘here’s nearly right to play, surely? But there’s still some stuff he’s dealing with that he has to battle through,” Hinkley said.

“At some stage, hopefully ... he’ll get back and be part of the side in 2021.”

Saturday’s game is now a twilight start after being moved earlier to help the Swans beat airport curfews out of Adelaide amid Sydney’s latest Covid outbreak.

The Swans have been in advanced protocols this week, while the Power will be forced to self-isolate for 48 hours post-game but are allowed to access Alberton Oval during that period.

HAVE TWO GROUNDED JETS ENDED PORT’S FLAG DREAM?

Will Port Adelaide make the top four without arguably its two best game-breakers?

Losing young gun Zak Butters in Round 4 for most of the season was a big enough blow for the Power.

Now it will need to play until the last minor round without Robbie Gray.

News Gray would miss the next eight weeks because he needed surgery to repair a torn left medial ligament was a huge blow to Port Adelaide’s chances of breaking into the top four and giving itself the best opportunity of claiming a premiership.

The Power sits fifth with a 9-4 record — the same as fourth-placed Brisbane — with nine rounds remaining.

Although he is now 33, four-time All-Australian Gray still possesses the X-factor to win games off his own boot.

Port cannot hide the fact that without Robbie Gray they lack that real X-factor to win games.

He showed that in the Power’s only victory against a top-eight side this season, when he booted a clutch goal from a tight angle to help defeat Richmond.

Gray also ranks above average among midfielder/forwards in contested possessions (7.7 per game), ground-ball gets (5.0), clearances (3.1) and goals (1.2), according to Champion Data.

He has only missed four matches across the past five years, and none this season.

“It’s going to be a challenge for us, no doubt,” Power football manager Chris Davies said of being without the triple best-and-fairest winner.

Three campaigns into his career, Butters has become one of the Power’s most important players.

He was in the All-Australian squad of 40 last year, and had looked to have taken another step in his development to start this season.

Like Gray, the 20-year-old would be the kind of matchwinner Port Adelaide would be desperate to have on the field in its tilt for the top four.

Butters sustained ankle syndesmosis against Richmond on April 9, then required surgery on his left knee in mid-May to release pressure on a nerve injury.

Right now, he is back running, but still out indefinitely.

Davies said the club would probably put a timeline on his return in the next week or two.

“Buttsy is running outside and doing the right things,” he said.

“There’s no doubt that he’s closer now than before his last round of surgery.”

Butters and Gray headline a Power injury list that now includes first-year tough nut Lachie Jones, who is set to miss a month with a torn hamstring.

Wingman Xavier Duursma (knee), small forward Orazio Fantasia (knee) and key defender Tom Clurey (jaw) could become available to play in the next fortnight.

Forward Todd Marshall is expected to return from concussion against Sydney on
Saturday night.

Veteran midfielder Tom Rockliff (DVT) is also out indefinitely.

Gray is expected to miss the next eight weeks.

Zak Butters remains sidelined indefinitely.

Davies said the club had options to replace Gray and Jones, but “the cupboard is becoming increasingly bare”.

“We start to get some guys back the following week, which will be a good thing for us, because we’re struggling for numbers,” he said.

Goalsneak Boyd Woodcock, who was the medical substitute in the 21-point loss to Geelong in round 13, and second-year forward Dylan Williams — coming off six goals in the SANFL on Sunday — could come into the team to face the Swans.

Both have shown promise, but neither are Robbie Gray.

“Dyl did really well, as much as we could’ve probably asked in what was a disappointing performance,” Davies said.

“There’s no doubt Dylan put his best foot forward at the right time.”

Although Gray and Butters are difficult to replace, and names continue to be added to the Power’s injury list, the Power has a favourable draw in the run to finals, according to Champion Data.

The AFL stats provider ranked Port Adelaide’s fixture from here the seventh-easiest in the competition.

It only faces three top-eight sides: Sydney and Melbourne at home, as well as the Bulldogs away.

Champion Data also listed the Power as having lost the fifth-fewest amount of games to injury to its best 22.

Butters and Gray headline a Power injury list that continues to blow out.

That obviously does not include ruckman Scott Lycett’s four-game suspension or the games Gray will now miss. Davies said the club believed it had been “a little unlucky” with injuries and had more from collisions than usual.

“We’re probably feeling it a little bit more than we have in previous years,” he said.

“When you compound that with niggling, soft-tissue ones, it’s not ideal.

“Whether it’s longer game times, whether it’s the guys cracking in a little bit more,
or whether the game is a little bit quicker, I think there’s probably an element of all of those things.

“We think we’re going pretty well, considering our injury list.

“For all of what’s been said about beating the top three ahead of us, our challenge is not to do that now, it’s to do that when the time actually matters.

“The challenge right now is to qualify for the finals … then to put ourselves in the right spot at the end of the year, then be in the right frame of mind and be playing good enough footy to beat the top teams in the finals series.”

Port Adelaide will be hoping it can do the first part of the equation without Butters and Gray, then they can return to help with the other part.

WHERE WILL MISSED GAMES LEAVE GRAY’S FUTURE?

Robbie Gray will be at Port Adelaide next season, even if the soon-to-be out-of-contract star does not play enough games to trigger a new deal for 2022.

Power football manager Chris Davies made that clear at Alberton on Monday when he was speaking about the 33-year-old’s eight-week absence with a knee injury.

Gray was set for surgery on Monday after scans revealed he had torn his left medial ligament in the club’s 50-point away win over Gold Coast – his 250th game – on Saturday.

He was expected to be sidelined for eight weeks, putting him on track to return in Round 23.

Davies said keeping Gray at Alberton for another season was a mutual decision.

“I’ve got no doubt that Robbie Gray will be here next year, no matter whether his contract says he has to hit a certain number of games or not,” Davies said.

“I think Robbie’s start of the year has been sufficiently good to suggest he should be around for next year.”

Gray was substituted off at halftime of the Suns game after hurting his knee in a contest.

Port Adelaide star Robbie Gray strained his medial ligament. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

He was in a leg brace and in a tracksuit when he led the side off the ground.

Davies said the injury news was frustrating for the forward/midfielder and the club.

“We thought it was a medial ligament, unfortunately bits have just come away at the bottom where he needs to have surgery,” he said.

“Right now we’d say he’s back playing in eight weeks.

“Normally it’s let’s say four weeks in a brace, a couple of weeks of running after that and a couple of weeks of change of direction.”

“He’s disappointed, as you can imagine – it wasn’t a great end to his 250th game.

“His challenge now will be to get right before the finals come around.”

JONES EXPECTED TO MISS A MONTH

In another blow to the Power, first-year hard nut Lachie Jones is expected to be out for a month after scans confirmed a torn left hamstring.

Jones limped off during the third quarter on Saturday and did not return to the field.

The Woodville-West Torrens product missed the start of the season due to a hamstring problem then was sidelined from round 6 to 9 with ankle syndesmosis.

Chasing Gold Coast speedster Oleg Markov led to his hamstring tear on Saturday.

Lachie Jones is expected to be sidelined for a month with a hamstring injury. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

“He was running pretty fast — Markov’s pretty quick and not many people catch him,” Power coach Ken Hinkley said post-match.

“I wanted him to go another two metres because I reckon Lachie had him but unfortunately his hamstring didn’t like it.”

While Gray and Jones join a lengthy Port Adelaide injury list, Todd Marshall will be available to return against Sydney on Saturday night.

Marshall has had to go through AFL concussion protocols since sustaining a head knock in a marking contest in last round’s 21-point home loss to Geelong.

On Friday, Hinkley said small forward Orazio Fantasia could also be available for selection after missing the past two games with a knee issue but it was more likely the following round.

Wingman Xavier Duursma, who has not played since the Power’s home win over Richmond on April 9, is closing in on his return from a knee injury in the next few weeks.

Originally published as Port Adelaide news ahead of Round 15 home game against Sydney Swans