PORT Adelaide will be hoping to secure its third win of the SANFL season as it takes on North Adelaide at Alberton Oval on Saturday.
The Magpies secured their second victory of the year by beating West Adelaide in Loxton on Sunday, which coach Matthew Lokan said was a vital victory.
“It's always nice to get away as a group and spend some time together and the connection time between the contracted guys and the listed guys is sometimes hard,” he said. “So, to be able to spend some time away together last week, it was really important for us and more importantly, to get a really good win and play some good footy was important in the context of our season.
The Magpies will lose Charlie Dixon to the AFL side, but gain Mitch Georgiades against the Roosters, who sit second on the ladder.
North has lost just once this season and sits second on the ladder but Port has a strong recent record against the Roosters winning three of the last four meetings between the sides and five of the last six at Alberton Oval.
“They're (North) one of the best stoppage teams in the competition and they've been in in really good form over recent weeks,” he said.
“It's going to be a really big challenge for us coming off a good win against Westies.
“Mitch Georgiades will play, Trent Burgoyne and Anthony Wilson will come back in, Campbell Wildman comes back.
“We've lost Sam Skinner to concussion and Jackson Lee to his knee injury.
“There's a few changes and obviously Charlie goes up to the AFL side.
“We still have enough experience in the side to be able to be really competitive, we'll keep a couple out because of the AFL game on Sunday, but it's a pretty strong side.”
With the weather looking likely to be wet at Alberton, Burgoyne and Wilson will prove vital, in addition to the returning Orazio Fantasia for what will be his first game of competitive football this year.
“Trent Burgoyne is going to play down back,” Lokan said.
“Having Wilson up front and Orazio Fantasia will be really important, if the conditions are wet, to be able to have some steam in the front half because the ball is obviously going to be on the ground a fair bit.
“Those two guys should certainly add something to our scoring power in the front half.”
The Magpies’ numbers in defence have taken a hit in recent weeks with Lee and Skinner both ruled out due to injury, along with the long-term knee injury to Jake Pasini.
“We're just going to have to use whoever we can to play a little bit taller in the backline,” Lokan said.
“Tom Corcoran can play a little bit taller, we used Jake Weidemann a little bit down there last week and obviously Cam Sutcliffe played in the backline.
“We feel like we've got enough guys to be able to cover that role, but they will be stretched a little bit.”
The first bounce on Saturday is at 1.10pm at Alberton Oval.
