FOOTBALL espionage is adding heat to Port Adelaide's round one clash against Fremantle, with Power coach Ken Hinkley ordering a Dockers scout off the premises at Alberton Oval on Friday.
The man was seen in the forward pocket with a camera at the Power's open training session and was approached by Hinkley and director of coaching Shaun Hart towards the end of the session.
Angry and annoyed, the pair then told him to leave.
It's not unusual for clubs to send scouts to opposition training, however it's not the first encounter Port has had with a Fremantle spy at Alberton this year.
At the club's AGM on February 13 Hinkley said he was again forced to tell a scout – understood to be the same man – to leave and joked that SANFL coach Garry Hocking had even noted his number plate.
"I know that Freo are taking a really keen interest in our program because we kicked one of their club people out the other day," Hinkley said at the AGM.
"He wasn't from here and our investigator over here (Garry Hocking) got his number plate and checked him out and finds out where he's from."
The latest incident came as the club prepares to fly an inexperienced side to Albury to take on Richmond on Saturday in its second NAB Challenge match.
Captain Travis Boak, vice captain Brad Ebert, Robbie Gray, Kane Cornees, Jay Schulz Alipate Carlile, Justin Westhoff and Hamish Hartlett have all been rested from the side that took on West Coast last weekend.
Draftees Jesse Palmer, Dougal Howard and Johann Wagner have all been included in the squad, as has ruckman Jarrad Redden.
It will be Redden's first game of senior football in 651 days when a dislocated shoulder against the Western Bulldogs in round 10, 2013 sparked a cruel run of injuries.
At the time Redden and Matthew Lobbe were locked in a battle for the side's No.1 ruck mantle.
Assistant coach Josh Carr said Redden still had a lot of work ahead of him before he was ready to play with premiership points on the line but praised the 24-year-old's determination.
"It's been a great story for 'Reddo'…he's had to go through a lot in the last two years to get himself back to this position now," he said.
"He's still got a lot of hard work ahead of him to play regular senior football but it's a good story so far.
"Everyone's excited and happy to see 'Reddo' get this game.
"He'll probably start in the centre square at the first bounce but we'll manage him through the game – Mitch Harvey will probably give him a chop out through the game."
