AS PORT ADELAIDE prepares its second game of the Marsh Community Series, the club’s players, coaches and staff have also been enjoying the Power’s annual Community Camp.
Those in Whyalla for Saturday’s game at the refurbished Bennett Oval have been helping deliver healthy living programs around the local community, while the rest of the playing group has been split between Port Lincoln and the Adelaide Hills.
Senior coach Ken Hinkley says taking his troops out to the club’s regional heartland on the Eyre Peninsula has been an excellent way to connect with an area with strong links to the football club.
“It’s fantastic for us to come here,” Hinkley told media on Friday morning.
“When we consider it’s our 150th year, Port Adelaide has great roots out here in Whyalla, and now with the GFG alliance as well, it is certainly stronger.
“The ground is in magnificent condition. We are just happy to be out here and part of the community.
“That’s Port Adelaide, that’s who we are. We tend to spend a lot of time in the community and we are going to enjoy our time here.
“Hopefully we put on a good performance.”
Saturday’s game marks the end of Port Adelaide’s pre-season and Hinkley said he has been extremely impressed with his side’s preparation, and the optimism heading into the club’s 150th anniversary year is high.
“I believe the group is in a really good position,” he said.
“We have had another pre-season together. We are somewhat a younger side but we also have some experienced players who are back this year and in really shape.
“That gives you great optimism. Everyone who is supporting at the moment would be looking at that.
“Overall, we have nearly had a perfect pre-season.”
Attention now turns to the Power’s opponent in Whyalla, the Western Bulldogs, and Hinkley has called upon Scott Lycett to be his main man in the middle after the ruckman missed the club’s first Marsh Series game to play for the All Stars.
“Scotty (Lycett) is the type of ruckman who needs to ruck about 80 pre cent of the game. That’s when we get our best results out of Scott,” he said.
“It’s the last game of the pre-season and we need someone to get used to rucking. Scott played in the All-Stars game a week ago and didn’t get a lot of minutes.
“He needs a lot of minutes tomorrow.”
Hinkley said it was a luxury to bring Lycett back into the side and still have a talented young ruckman like Peter Ladhams waiting in the wings, but the pair will need to prove they can co-exist in the same side.
“We are not going to be a team who can carry two ruckman 50/50 and have only three on the bench,” he said.
“We know Pete (Ladhams) is an up and coming ruck young ruck, but we need both boys to demonstrate they can impact the game in the front half because that’s where they have to spend some minutes.
“We are figuring out if we can get one of them to play a little bit more forward, that would be a great option for us.”
The senior coach confirmed star forward Robbie Gray would also return to the Port Adelaide side for the final Marsh Community Series hit-out, after recovering from a foot injury that saw him miss the Bushfire Relief game last weekend.
“Rob will play. He’s fine. He’s just getting through the end of pre-season,” Hinkley said.
“Basically, he got a little kick in his foot. That’s as open as I can be. There isn’t much wrong with him other than he just wants to make sure it’s absolutely pristine for the start.
“It’s been a long pre-season for him. He’s in really good shape. If there was any risk with any of our players for this week, we wouldn’t take that chance.”
The Power host the Bulldogs on Saturday 7 March at Bennett Oval with the game commencing at 3.40pm ACDT.
