Dixon primed to power Port push
Port Adelaide had holes to fill when it came to its ruck and key defensive stocks.
But the Power’s off-season recruits might also give Charlie Dixon his best chance of making a real impact for Ken Hinkley’s side in 2024.
The 33-year-old showed just what he can do for the Power when he is up and about in Port’s season-opening win over West Coast on Sunday.
Bullying the Eagles’ best defender Tom Barrass with ease, Dixon finished with 3.3 along with 13 disposals and four marks. The only real negative from Dixon’s performance was when he played on after taking a mark in directly in front, only to miss out on an easy shot at goal.
After the game laughed it off.
“When you are above 200cm sometimes it gets a little bit thin up there,” he said.
“You get through it and there is a goal in front of you, you want a shot.”
It looked like Todd Marshall was set to assume the spearhead status of the Power’s forward line after his new five-year deal, but Dixon showed that despite battling injury in recent years he can
Dixon still be significant weapon for Hinkley. So how do the Power keep Dixon firing and out of the treatment room?
Hinkley said the Power had a different focus with Dixon over the off-season, where he might not be 100 per cent fully firing come the start of the new campaign.
“Charlie is at a stage of his career, hopefully not right at the end but he is at a point of his career where we have to look after him,” he said. “We looked after him in the offseason, we were very mindful about how much training he needed to do.
“Is he absolutely 100 per cent flying right now? I would say no but that was a deliberate effort from us and the conditioning team to make sure we get as many games from Charlie.” Dixon said getting that balance was key.
“I have sort of built and in the last couple of months of my pre-season I have built quite slowly but I have been able to get some miles under my legs and I felt all right out there so it is good,” he said.