Season 2023 - Port Adelaide

Port Adelaide

Coach – Ken Hinkley

2022 –

Points For – 11th
Points Against – 5th

Top 5 Best and Fairest

  1. Connor Rozee
  2. Travis Boak
  3. Dan Houston
  4. Ollie Wines
  5. Sam Powell-Pepper

2022 Rising Star Noms

Lachie Jones(Round 15)

Ins – Jason Horne-Francis, Junior Rioli, Francis Evans, Tom McCallum, Tom Scully, Kyle Marshall, Nathan Barkla

Outs – Steven Motlop, Robbie Gray, Sam Skinner, Sam Mayes, Taj Schofield, Karl Amon, Martin Frederick

My Prediction

Port looked primed last year but started slowly and things just never got going. They kept their coach I think more out of stubbornness because others were sniffing around him but the pressure will come quickly this year if they fail again with Josh Carr brought in to ensure the knife is never far from Hinkley’s back.

The backline performed well last year. They have solid stoppers in Clurey and Jonas. Aliir is very important for his intercepting and attack off half back. Byrne-Jones, Burton and Houston give plenty of run from the backline and in general are very good users of the ball.

If you could pick an area they needed to bolster this year it would probably be the midfield with their current midfield being serviceable and last year they underperformed when compared to the year before. Adding in JHF certainly makes a difference. Wines was down last year on the year before and they will want more from him. Rozee was outstanding and along with Butters and JHF give them a pretty good core to move forward with.

The forward line has been ok in previous years but last year got found out. Dixon is capable but inconsistent. They need more consistency from Marshall. They lose Gray and Motlop this year but add in Junior Rioli. I think they will be expecting Georgiadis to bounce back and hoping that some sort of miracle happens with Fantasia.

The rucks are an issue. Lycett is an average ruck but when he was out last year they found it testing as their depth ruckmen were generally pretty useless. They will be hoping for an injury free run. The coach is probably under as much pressure as any AFL coach this year. They will not tolerate a year outside the eight and think probably even more, they need to challenge.

The list is shallow, they need a good run with injuries if they are to climb up the ladder. They are still young and would expect natural improvement should push them up towards where they were the year before when they were seen as a challenger. I think that would take a very good run with injuries, they should however play finals. I think they finish 6-8

6 Likes

Bottom 4, dont rate them.

b: Gavin Wanganeen
Hb: Jay Nash Damien Hardwick
c: Adam Kinglsey
hf: Che Cockatoo-Collins
f: Angus Monfries Scott Cummings Oraziooo Fantasia
R: Paddy Ryder
int: Johnathon Giles

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Fox Footy Best 22

B: Tom Jonas, Tom Clurey, Darcy Byrne-Jones
HB: Dan Houston, Aliir Aliir, Ryan Burton
C: Xavier Duursma, Ollie Wines, Kane Farrell
HF: Travis Boak, Todd Marshall, Jason Horne-Francis
F: Junior Rioli, Charlie Dixon, Mitch Georgiades
Foll: Scott Lycett, Connor Rozee, Zak Butters
I/C: Jeremy Finlayson, Sam Powell-Pepper, Miles Bergman, Lachie Jones

Emerg: Willem Drew, Josh Sinn, Trent McKenzie, Orazio Fantasia

With addition of Horne-Francis and Rioli should be a more competitive lineup.
Robbie Gray gone is a loss though.

Crazy to think Fox have Fantasia outside the lineup, I would make room for Him, and if Sinn plays lots of reserves maybe we could get him cheap, we probably need a half back flanker with good ball use.

Port to improve, Be in battle for 8 my guess 6-12th

2 Likes

Home ground advantage will see them win enough games to play finals. Anything less than finals will be seen as a failure, but l don’t believe they are a serious flag threat.

They have a solid core of players, their young midfielders are as good a group as any going around. I agree with most of Allblack’s assessment. Lycett is average and a year older. Their forward line looks a bit thin on the ground. Dixon prowls with great intent and is a menacing presence but doesn’t kick enough goals. The defence is solid enough, but doesn’t inspire great confidence. JHF has to deliver after walking out on the Roos. He is a precocious talent, and everything l have seen of him spells class, but the pressure will be on him to produce the spectacular, even at this early stage. He will be given decent support by Ollie Wines who is a warrior bull, while SPS has finally started to deliver on his ability, l await the inevitable Nino post to say we should pick him up. The coach has reached the fractious stage of his career, actually l take that back, he has been at that stage for a few years now.

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For mine its the combination of a totally uninspiring coach and a middling forwardline which relies on a geriatric and an average midfield with a few potential starts scattered amongst it. Their defence is workmanlike, but theres a lot of holes imo.

I agree with Fox. Fanta is done. Even if he manages to get back, he is so fragile he will just break again, he is made of glass, very thin glass.

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Adam Kingsley played for our VFL didn’t he?

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I was thinking there was a link not AFL level though, think he played Reserves

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I’ve got them just outside finals, but I wouldn’t be that surprised if they finished 5th either. Port strike me as that team that should have a good year after a good trade period but fails to meet expectations. Besides, they need an excuse to get rid of Hinkley sooner or later, right?

I have never understood why people rate Rioli. He doesn’t kick enough goals, doesn’t tackle enough, plenty of joe the goose goals, is unfit/overweight and imo deadset downhill skier.

I don’t see him adding much to the team at all outside of a proud family name.

I too think he is done but he reckons he feels the best he has since his junior days. Been doing a heap of Pilates and reckons it has been a breathe of fresh air (why he hasn’t tried this in the past I don’t know)
Despite his positivity you just know another injury is just around the corner.

3 Likes

Hope Port under-perform again as I hate 'em,
but I still love Raz and hope he has a blinder of a season.

I think Port will be good and they might beat the very best teams in SA.

Wines
Boak
Rozee
Butters
JHF
Duursma
SPP

That’s actually a good midfield on paper.

I also rate Bergman and Jones. Their best 22 is good enough to win a final, they just need a good run with injuries and a better ball movement/attack, imo. They got a Rioli which is almost always an ingredient in winning a flag.

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I would much rather Josh Goater from North

He said with good ball use.

Note: Sample size for both players is n=1.

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Hinkley needs a top 4 position to retain his job - I doubt this is achievable.

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That would be pretty rash.

Can tarps give you rash?