Played: 22
Won: 7
Lost: 15
Finished: 13th
Best and fairest: Kane Cornes
2009 IN BRIEF
Coach: Mark Williams
Captain: Dom Cassisi
Coaching staff: Jason Cripps, Adam Kingsley, Matthew Primus, Tony McGuinness (assistants).
ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES
Arrivals
Rookie elevation: Nick Salter
NAB AFL Draft: Mitchell Banner (Western Jets), Matthew Broadbent (Woodville West Torrens), Jason Davenport (Geelong), Glenn Dawson (Woodville West Torrens), Hamish Hartlett (West Adelaide), Jarrad Redden (Woodville West Torrens), Jackson Trengove (Calder Cannons)
NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft: Josh Carr (Fremantle)
NAB AFL Rookie Draft: Jesse Laurie (Claremont), Matthew Martin (West Adelaide), Danny Meyer (Richmond), Daniel Stewart (North Adelaide), Wade Thompson (North Adelaide)
Departures
Retired: Hugh Minson, Nathan Lonie, Michael Wilson (veteran – outside list)
Exchange period – traded: Adam Thomson (Richmond)
Delisted: Greg Bentley, Adam Cockshell, Fabian Deluca, Damon White, Ryan Williams, Daniel Boyle (rookie), Gavin Grose (rookie), Ryan Willits (rookie)
FIXTURE
The Power, having slipped to 0-4 after a tough start last season, should be more optimistic about their opening few weeks in the 2009 fixture, taking on Essendon, West Coast and Melbourne in their first three games.
Port Adelaide fans should enjoy the fact their side will tackle just three of last year's top-eight sides – Hawthorn, Adelaide and North Melbourne – twice, while also playing two matches against cellar dwellers Melbourne, Fremantle and West Coast.
Of last season’s top four, only the Hawks will be run into twice, while North Melbourne and the Crows are the other 2008 finalists Port Adelaide will play twice.
INJURY LIST
Hamish Hartlett (A/C joint – 1/2 weeks)
Jackson Trengove (hamstring) – indefinite
MATT BURGAN’S PLAYER RATINGS
5 – Shaun Burgoyne, Domenic Cassisi, Chad Cornes, Kane Cornes, Daniel Motlop (5 players - 25 points)
Chad Cornes will bounce back from injury and brother Kane remains one of the most consistent – and best – around. Motlop fulfilled his status as an elite mid-sized forward in 2008. Shaun Burgoyne is all class in the midfield. New captain Cassisi may surprise, but his game went to another level last year. Expect him to continue.
4 – Travis Boak, Dean Brogan, Peter Burgoyne, Alipate Carlile, Josh Carr, Troy Chaplin, Brett Ebert, Brendon Lade, Nathan Krakouer, Danyle Pearce, David Rodan, Steven Salopek (12 players – 48 points)
Ebert, Pearce and Rodan are important members; Carlile and Chaplin keys down back. Krakouer may surprise here, but his pre-season suggests he ready to flourish. Lade and Brogan remain one of the best ruck combos in the business. Salopek and Boak have the ability to rise up; Carr should give fine service upon his return. Peter Burgoyne could push up again.
3 – Jason Davenport, Robbie Gray, Hamish Hartlett, Tom Logan, Nick Lower, Marlon Motlop, Michael Pettigrew, Paul Stewart, Jacob Surjan, Matt Thomas, Toby Thurstans, Warren Tredrea, Justin Westhoff, Danny Meyer (rookie), Wade Thompson (rookie) (15 players – 45 points)
Injuries have hit the once great Tredrea hard in recent seasons. Westhoff needs further development and Gray an injury-free run. Logan, Pettigrew and Thurstans are all capable. Hartlett and Motlop are fine young talents; Davenport could be a Rodan-like recruit. Meyer and Thompson look ready to be elevated and play.
2 – Mitchell Banner, Matthew Broadbent, Mitch Farmer, Jonathan Giles, Matthew Lobbe, Nick Salter, Matthew Westhoff (7 players – 14 points)
Banner and Broadbent are two first-year recruits likely to play. Farmer, Salter and Matthew Westhoff all had a taste in 2008 and should feature again. Young talls Giles and Lobbe could have a chance to blossom in 2009.
1 – Glenn Dawson, Jarrad Redden, Jackson Trengove, Jesse Laurie (rookie), Matthew Martin (rookie), Daniel Stewart (rookie) (6 players – 6 points)
Trengove slipped through to the Power at No.22 in last year's NAB AFL Draft, but injury has curtailed his pre-season and he is now on the long-term injury list. Dawson has been compared to Adelaide's Brett Burton, but time will be given. Stewart, Martin and Laurie loom as development players in the SANFL this year.
Total team rating: 138 (8 of 16, league-wide)
THE YEAR AHEAD
Port Adelaide wasn’t that far off the mark in 2008. But after dropping a bunch of close ones early in the year their finals chances were a write-off.
Mark Williams’ team has a terrific opportunity this season. In the first three weeks of the year they face Essendon (AAMI), West Coast (Subiaco) and Melbourne (AAMI) – all sides that missed the top eight last year.
If Port Adelaide can cash in and get off to a flyer – something well within its reach given the talent its list possesses – then Alberton should be a far happier place in 2009.
Its list is healthy and with former skipper Warren Tredrea back on the park, as well as exciting youngster Hamish Hartlett set to make his presence at some stage, the Power should again be pushing the competition’s best.
WHAT THE CLUB SAYS
“Our preparation’s been as good as it has been for quite some time. Coming into round one it looks as if we’re going to have our top 30 players all available to pick from, so we’re pretty confident and we’ve got a fair bit to prove after the disappointing year we had last year.
“We think we’ve got too good a list to not be in the finals. We’re looking to redeem ourselves [from last year] and make sure that AAMI Stadium becomes a pretty hard place for opposition clubs to come and play us. Those first four or five weeks of the season are pretty crucial for us to get off to a good start and get our year humming along on a good note.”
- Port Adelaide assistant coach Matthew Primus
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
