PORT ADELAIDE senior coach Ken Hinkley has explained the difficulty behind the decision to omit key forward Charlie Dixon for this weekend’s clash with Greater Western Sydney.
Hinkley knows the importance of Dixon to the Power side, but wants the 28-year-old to regain the confidence that makes him such a weapon at Alberton.
“Charlie is really important to our team,” Hinkley said during a press conference on Friday.
“We inside (the club) understand how important he is to us, and when he’s at his absolute best, what he does for the rest of the team.
“We understand his importance to us, so we haven’t made this decision lightly.”
Hinkley admitted the key forward hadn’t quite been at his best since returning to the senior side, after missing a significant amount of football with a long-term leg injury.
“His form just isn’t quite where we want it to be,” he said.
“In five games he’s kicked six goals and he’s had his eight to 10 possessions a game, which we would like to be more. He knows that.
“He’s trained incredibly hard to catch up on some lost ground - let’s not be confused that he has had a long 10 months out of the game.
“He’s got back and it was an incredible effort to get back. He’s had some other battles himself.”
Dixon made his long-awaited return from a nasty leg injury suffered late last season, against Geelong in Round 14 after two strong performances in the SANFL for the Magpies.
Hinkley hopes a little stint back in the twos is the best thing for the man from Cairns.
“The only way he is physically limited is he hasn’t had the greatest preparation,” he said.
“When you have 10 months away, it’s a long time to catch up. AFL football is really hard, but that doesn’t mean he can’t come back and play again for us next week or the week after.
“Sometimes just a bit of confidence is a good thing too. Feel good about marking the ball and having shots at goal.”
Dixon will line-up for the Magpies when they travel to Noarlunga to face South Adelaide at Flinders University Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
