PORT ADELAIDE ball-magnet Tom Rockliff is excited to have key forward Charlie Dixon in form leading into an important 150th season for the club in 2020.
Dixon booted four goals against All-Australian defender Harris Andrews in the Power’s 21-point Marsh Community Series victory over Brisbane on Sunday afternoon.
Rockliff says Dixon is in a really happy place - after having a difficult 18 months since badly breaking his leg and ankle in 2018 - which is helping his on-field performance.
“It’s just great to see him back,” Rockliff told reporters after returning home from Brisbane.
“He’s in a really good place at the moment. Really happy off the field as well which no doubt helps him on field.
“He’s up there jumping at the footy. Clunking them. Getting to contest after contest, and that’s all we can ask from him.
“He had seven shots on goal on a pretty good defender. An All-Australian defender. He’s had an outstanding pre-season and I can’t wait to see what he can do this season.”
The 30-year-old said Dixon’s importance to the side is measured by his ability to impact contests and bringing others around him into the game.
“Any time you have a key forward that’s in good form, you feel like you’re a good chance,” Rockliff said.
“Charlie gives us the option for the bail out kick if we don’t like what we see coming down the field. He gets to the contest and brings the ball to ground nine times out of 10.
“We had games last year where we had enough entries but we were getting out-marked too often, and that didn’t happen too many occasions yesterday.”
Rockliff said he was happy with how his side played for the most part in its first competitive hit-out against opposition in 2020, with Port able to implement things they had been working on throughout the pre-season.
“We felt like we started a little bit slow, but the conditions were a little bit tricky up there as well. The weather wasn’t ideal,” he said.
“After quarter time we felt like we sort of played it on our terms and implemented things that we have trained through the pre-season.
“Once we started to get on top around the stoppage, we felt like we controlled the game a lot better.”
Port Adelaide will now turn its attention to the under-23 trial game against Adelaide at Thebarton Oval on Saturday, before travelling to Whyalla to host the Western Bulldogs in the final fixture of the Marsh Community Series the following weekend.
