WITH just 12 days until the Power’s season opener against the Swans, competition for spots is fierce.
portadelaidefc.com.au reviews each player from Sunday’s clash with the Hawks.
#1 Travis Boak
11 disposals, 4 clearances, 7 contested, 4 tackles
Boak was forced from the ground after copping friendly fire from Ollie Wines early in the third quarter. Before that, the Port skipper was hard around the packs and four clearances in a half of football is a good sign.
#2 Sam Powell-Pepper
23 disposals (7 kicks, 16 handballs), 313 metres gained, 70% efficiency, 12 contested, 3 tackles, 1.0
Sam Powell-Pepper did exactly what Sam Powell-Pepper was brought in to do – hit the contest hard. He showed his pace in a piece of play where he was involved coast-to-coast, he showed his brute strength with a fend-off on one of the champions of the game in Shaun Burgoyne and he showed his composure in close on more than one occasion. It’s worth remembering – he’s 19. He’ll have his ups and downs, but it’s reasonable to like what we’ve seen so far.
#3 Jake Neade
7 disposals, 2 marks, 1 tackle, 1.0
With Impey and Krakouer suspended for Round 1, Neade will find himself well and truly in the mix for selection. It was his first hit-out in the JLT Series and while he didn’t set the world on fire, he did a number of things that were expected of him. He chased and pressured and finished his opportunity with a nice goal.
#4 Paddy Ryder
35 hitouts, 10 hitouts to advantage, 12 disposals, 7 marks, 3 tackles, 1.0
Paddy has built his form very nicely throughout the JLT Series. He’s not had a heap of the ball the past two weeks, but his tap work in the ruck has been excellent. 10 hitouts to advantage and 35 in total show how he can dominate the ruck and he showed his aerial ability this week – taking seven grabs. Snapped a nice goal after evading a tackle. Ryder will only get better with more game time.
#7 Brad Ebert
26 dispoals (team high), 81% efficiency, 482 metres gained, 6 clearances, 13 handball receives, 11 contested, 10 tackles, 8 inside 50s
Went about his business in true Brad style. Racked up the contested ball, found space, pushed the ball forward and used the ball well going inside 50. An all-round game from one of the Power’s leaders.
#8 Hamish Hartlett
19 disposals, 79% efficiency, 353 metres gained, 8 handball receives
Hartlett has built well over the JLT Series and will be looking to add consistency to his game in 2017. Showed his considerable talent by foot yesterday. The likes of Hartlett, Broadbent and Pittard setting the play up from the back half has real potential to be damaging for the Power.
#11 Aaron Young
19 disposals, 95% efficiency, 7 hard ball gets, 318 metres gained, 9 tackles, 3 score assists, 2.1
This has become Young’s standard – 20-odd disposals, two goals and a couple of score assists. Not bad for a bloke who wasn’t a first 22 regular until last year. He’s consistent, versatile and plays his role, and if he can continue to produce these numbers it’ll free the likes of Wingard and Gray up to spend more time in the midfield.
#12 Jackson Trengove
18 disposals, 333 metres gained, 14 contested, 11 hitouts, 5 clearances, 0.2
The defender turned ruckman turned ruck/forward just continued on from 2016, impacting in the ruck and at ground level. Still developing his game as a forward but adds another element going forward and provided great support to Ryder in the ruck.
#15 Karl Amon
21 disposals, 81% efficiency, 376 metres gained, 11 handball receives, 4 tackles, 1.0
Worked hard to get the ball and used it well with his 21 disposals in just 66% game time. Did his chances for Round 1 no harm with this outing.
#16 Ollie Wines
24 disposals, 9 clearances, 12 contested, 75% efficiency, 4 tackles, 1.0
Ollie did what Ollie does. Only better. Since the mid-way point of 2016, Wines has taken his game to another level. And he’s produced it consistently. Has been the Power’s best player throughout the JLT Series and his combination with the young bull, Sam Powell-Pepper, will bring plenty of excitement (and sore opponents) in 2017.
#17 Tom Clurey
12 disposals, 83% efficiency, 7 marks, 3 rebound 50s
A third consecutive game where Clurey has impressed. Was good defensively and composed with ball by hand and foot. Looks to have cemented his place as one of three talls alongside Jonas and Hombsch in the Power’s defence.
#19 Matt White
3 disposals, 4 tackles, 47% time on ground
White’s first run for 2017 was all about getting some game time under his belt. He tackled well, showed some of his trademark speed and got through unscathed. That’s a tick.
#21 Jared Polec
21 disposals, 499 metres gained, 71% efficiency, 4 clearances, 8 handball receives, 3 tackles, 4 inside 50s
Moved very well and produced the run and carry he showed in 2014. Almost 500 metres gained is exactly what is expected from him. A good sign in a pre-season game, now Polec needs to show this consistently in the home-and-away season.
#22 Charlie Dixon
13 disposals, 4 marks, 5 tackles, 0.1
Crashed a few packs, got himself in good positions for contested grabs, but it just didn’t quite click on Sunday for big Charlie in terms of clunking those marks and finishing off his hard work. While he wasn’t able to hit the scoreboard, he worked hard to have an impact with his defensive pressure including five tackles.
#24 Jarman Impey
9 disposals, 2 inside 50s, 1.1
Ineligible for Round 1 because of a club-imposed suspension, Impey will be working hard over the coming month to ensure he’s selected for Round 2 against Fremantle at Adelaide Oval. Showed his pace and kicked a goal, but didn’t have the impact he’s capable of. His form across pre-season has been good, just needs to translate that into the home-and-away season.
#26 Riley Bonner
18 disposals, 501 metres gained, 5 tackles, 5 inside 50s
Showed his ability to take the game on and break lines. His ball use in windy conditions wasn’t up to his usual standard, but he’s showed plenty this pre-season that he’s capable of AFL standard football in 2017. With Jasper Pittard likely to miss Round 1, Bonner has a golden opportunity to take his chance.
#27 Brett Eddy
5.4, 15 disposals, 525 metres gained, 3 marks, 6 inside 50s
When you’re playing for a spot in the Round 1 team, five goals and nine scoring shots is going to do your chances no harm. Showed his versatility as a forward, taking strong grabs, leading well and finishing at ground level too. Ken Hinkley said post-game good form will be rewarded and added “I wouldn’t be surprised if we have a 27-year-old debutant (in Round 1)”.
#30 Joe Atley
14 disposals, 53% time on ground, 8 contested, 2 clearances, 2 tackles
While the focus may have been on fellow first year players Brett Eddy and Sam Powell-Pepper, Joe Atley could not have done more across pre-season to give himself a chance for selection in Round 1. Atley played just over half the game, but had 14 disposals and again looked extremely composed in tight situations. Atley may struggle to squeeze into the Power’s 22 given Wingard, Gray and Broadbent are all set to return, but do not be surprised if he lines up in the black, white and teal in 2017.
#33 Darcy Byrne-Jones
16 disposals, 384 metres gained, 75% efficiency, 8 marks, 4 rebound 50s
The find of 2016 for Port Adelaide. And if his first one and a half games in 2017 is anything to go by, last year was no fluke. Composed, solid defensively and makes good decisions when using the ball. Let’s hope for more of the same from DBJ in 2017.
#36 Jack Hombsch
12 disposals, 286 metres gained, 3 marks
This JLT Series has shown how important Jack Hombsch is not just to the Power’s defence, but to the Power’s overall structure. Has been excellent after missing the second half of 2016 and was again solid against the Hawks. Will be a big bonus for 2017 to have Hombsch fit and firing.
#39 Justin Westhoff
16 disposals, 311 metres gained, 7 contested, 4 clearances, 88% efficiency, 3 tackles, 3 rebound 50s
Ken Hinkley’s Mr Fix-it. Ryder’s return and Trengove’s shift forward will free Westhoff up to play just about every position on the ground. One week he’ll kick three goals, the next he’ll take important marks in defence while mixing his time on the wing.
#42 Tom Jonas
17 disposals, 82% efficiency, 8 marks, 8 contested, 4 tackles
A solid game both ways for one of the Power’s three key defensive backs. Jonas will be a major boost for the Power in 2017 having missed two-thirds of 2016 due to suspension and injury.
#43 Dan Houston
15 disposals, 67% efficiency, 191 metres gained, 7 handball receives, 4 inside 50s
One month ago, Houston wasn’t in contention to play AFL footy in 2017 in most Power fans’ eyes. Fast forward to now. A solid showing in the internal trial, and three good performances in the JLT Series. His game against Hawthorn was probably his quietest. But this says more about the quality of his two other games than it does his performance on Sunday. Still needs to be upgraded to the senior list before he can play, but is going to be one of the selection headaches Ken Hinkley faces ahead of Round 1.
#46 Sam Gray
21 disposals, 390 metres gained, 7 contested, 4 inside 50s, 5 marks, 3 score assists, 1.2
The quiet achiever against the Hawks. Did it all across midfield and half forward, kicking a goal, setting up a couple of others and racking up plenty of the ball. Will make it hard for him not to be selected in Round 1 based on Sunday’s performance.
Port Adelaide plays Sydney at the SCG in the AFL's Opening Round on Saturday 25 March.
