Opinion
The Port Adelaide Power had 17 wins and five losses in the home-and-away season in 2021.
They won the qualifying final in Week 1 of the finals series by 43 points. They managed to double the Cats’ score, 86 points to just 43 points.
The Power were one of two teams knocked out of the preliminary finals and didn’t make the grand final, so for the purpose of this exercise, they are third, despite finishing second on the home-and-away ladder in season 2021.
The Power had eight players that played all 24 games: Ollie Wines, Karl Amon, Darcy Byrne-Jones, Ryan Burton, Williem Drew, Aliir Aliir, Tom Jonas and Charlie Dixon.
(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
There are players that can consider themselves unlucky not to have been selected. The Power had plenty of options of players that could create run out of the back half. They also had plenty of small forwards and players capable of playing on the wing. The obvious one is Robbie Gray, at the other end of the spectrum is Zak Butters.
To be eligible for selection, it’s essential that each player selected featured in at least five games in season 2021. Here are the five players and an honourable mention selected, which the Power could least afford to lose based on their performances in season 2021.
Honourable mention: Scott Lycett
Lycett was suspended for four weeks. They lost two of the four games that he didn’t feature in during season 2021. In one of the two games they won without Lycett, it was by a narrow one-point margin, against the Magpies. There’s no doubt that the Power were a more formidable line-up with Lycett in it.
5. Charlie Dixon
Dixon averaged exactly two goals per game in season 2021. Along with that he averaged the third most score involvements of any Power player with an average of 6.29 score involvements per game. He also had the capability to give Scott Lycett a break in the ruck, when Peter Ladhams wasn’t in the team as the back-up ruckman. There’s no doubt that the Power need more out of their other key forwards, as they are heavily reliant on Dixon.
4. Travis Boak
Boak featured in 23 of 24 of the games that the Power played is season 2021. He averaged the second most contested possessions of any Power player. Along with that, he averaged the second most score involvements of any Power player. He can consider himself unlucky to have missed out on the AFL All Australian squad of 40.
(Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)
3. Karl Amon
Amon was one of three Power players that were selected in the AFL All Australian squad of 40 for season 2021. He averaged the most metres gained of any Power player. Along with that he averaged the second most inside 50s of any Power players. He also averaged a respectable 5.46 score involvements per game. He averaged the 11th most uncontested possessions of any player in the competition with an average of 18.42 uncontested possessions per game. He has even been rated as the Power’s best player.
2. Aliir Aliir
Aliir was selected in the AFL All Australian starting 18 for season 2021. He was selected at centre half back. He averaged the third most intercepts of any player in the competition with an average of 8.58 intercepts per game. He used the ball well as he averaged the fourth highest disposal efficiency percentage of any Power player with 83.69 disposal efficiency per cent on average.
1. Ollie Wines
Wines won the Brownlow Medal and was selected in the AFL All Australian team for season 2021 in the midfield. He averaged the third highest disposals per game of anyone in the competition with an average of 32.38 disposals per game. His consistent performance speaks for itself this season, as he also won the best and fairest for the Power.
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