PORT ADELAIDE
LINGERING PRELIM BLUES?
It was a horror night for Port Adelaide in the preliminary final, the lasting memory for many of another solid season and a second-straight appearance at that stage. Plenty of other clubs have had such a devastating loss haunt them the next year, and Port captain Tom Jonas did concede that whether it left scars was a big unknown.
WHO STEPS UP?
A key point made after the preliminary final was that Port Adelaide lacked the midfield depth of its Western Bulldogs conqueror. The Power is confident some of its gun youngsters can step up.
Injury curtailed Zak Butters and Connor Rozee’s 2021, but expect them to go through the middle to add more strings to Port’s bow. Xavier Duursma, Miles Bergman and potentially Lachie Jones could also step up.
LAST DANCE FOR ROBBIE
All good things must come to an end and unfortunately for Port Adelaide, and footy fans more broadly, Robbie Gray’s retirement is edging closer. Though he didn’t hit the games trigger for a new deal in 2021, the club still gave its long-time star a contract for 2022. Stranger things have happened in footy – and Gray has had an outstanding pre-season – but right now it appears unlikely the same happens again. So if it is to be Gray’s final season, can Port give him the premiership send-off
he richly deserves?
BIGGEST JOBS
Charlie Dixon should not miss much of the season after surgery on his ankle. But after two largely injuryfree years for Dixon it reinforces that now is the time for Mitch Georgiades and Todd Marshall to step up and help out the club’s most important player. Jeremy Finlayson, fresh off being considered “elite” by Champion Data, has joined from Greater Western Sydney to bolster the tall stocks.
CHAMPION DATA SAYS
1. Port Adelaide’s defence has been strong for two seasons, ranked fourth for conceding scores from opposition inside-50s.
2. Power ranked eighth for clearance differential last season. In 2020, it was the No.1-ranked side.
3. Port Adelaide won the most forward intercepts of any side last season but scored from just 30 per cent of them, ranked 16th.
4. Power won the contested possession count by five per game last season – ranked fourth.