Melbourne Demons coach Simon Goodwin hopes a renewed focus on boosting his team’s attack will help goalsneak Kysaiah Pickett end his mini form slump.
Both the Demons and Pickett have hit a rut over the past three games.
Pickett has booted just one goal over that period, while Melbourne have posted lowly scores of 63, 68, and 65 for one win and two losses.
The Demons will be aiming to bounce back when they take on Port Adelaide in a top-four bout at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.
Goodwin has recalled Ben Brown for the match, with the former Kangaroos spearhead to join Bayley Fritsch, Tom McDonald, and Luke Jackson in a formidable attacking set-up.
Pickett announced himself as a future star with 20 goals in his first 12 games this season, but he has hit a roadblock since then.
The 20-year-old tallied just four possessions and booted one goal in last week’s shock nine-point loss to GWS, and Goodwin hopes an improvement in Melbourne’s ball movement will help Pickett bounce back.
“Kozzie would love to be playing some better offensive footy and hitting the scoreboard,” Goodwin said.
“He’s still working incredibly hard. It’s probably the first time his form has dropped a little bit in terms of his output.
“But he’s still putting a lot of defensive pressure on. I’m still confident he’s not too far away from getting back to his best.
“He plays a role which is really challenging. As a small forward, it is hard at the moment. We’re only kicking 55 points a game, so he’s getting limited opportunities.
“Hopefully we can get some better connection forward of centre, and you’ll see him hit the scoreboard a bit more.”
The Demons sit second on the ladder with a 12-3 record, while Port (11-4) are fourth, just one per cent ahead of Geelong.
The ruck match-up between Melbourne big man Max Gawn and Port Adelaide’s Scott Lycett is set to play a key role in the result.
“Both blokes have got their own talents but they have got great respect for each other I am sure,” Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said.
“Max will have to make sure he’s aware of where Scott is and vice-versa.”
© AAP
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