Port Adelaide will be hoping superstar Zak Butters has suffered just minor damage after he was ruled out midway through the first quarter of Friday night’s Community Series clash against Fremantle.
Butters was bursting through a stoppage before landing awkwardly, forcing him to come from the field.
The Power then ruled Butters out for the rest of the game with a sprained ankle as a precaution.
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Port Adelaide is getting its first look at its side without suspended star Sam Powell-Pepper after it opted not to seek clearance for Powell-Pepper to play in the pre-season hitout after he was suspended for four matches due to rough conduct.
Fremantle was impressive in its win over West Coast in last week’s scratch match, with Nat Fyfe looking ominous ahead of the season proper.
Ivan Soldo, one of the Power’s four recruits during last year’s AFL exchange period, made an impressive early statement, drifting forward after the first centre bounce to mark and kick the first goal of the game.
It came as Connor Rozee and Butters threatened to tear the game apart early.
“This is why these guys are top-liners in our competition. The movement of Rozee and Butters at stoppages is just spectacular,” dual premiership Kangaroo David King told Fox Footy.
Adelaide legend Mark Ricciuto added: “Gee they’re a deadly duo.”
But the Dockers hit back with the next two goals.
“The ball movement of the Power is being challenged here. The defensive work of Fremantle has been terrific,” King said.
This match gets underway at 8pm from Alberton Oval.
It can be viewed on Fox Footy or Kayo.
POWER
B: R Burton 3, B Zerk-Thatcher 25, E Ratugolea 27
HB: L Jones 34, A Aliir 21, D Houston 5
C: M Bergman 14, W Drew 28, K Farrell 6
HF: J McEntee 41, T Marshall 4, C Rozee 1-C
F: Z Butters 9, C Dixon 22, W Rioli 15
Foll: I Soldo 13, O Wines 16, J Horne-Francis 18
I/C: J Burgoyne 7, T Boak, D Williams 23, J Sweet 24, O Lord 30, F Evans 31, D Byrne-Jones 33, J Mead 44
Emergencies: J Finlayson 11, T McKenzie 12, T Clurey 17, M Georgiades 19
DOCKERS
B: Oscar McDonald, Alex Pearce, Jordan Clark
HB: James Aish, Luke Ryan, Ethan Hughes
C: Matthew Johnson, Andrew Brayshaw, Jeremy Sharp
HF: Michael Walters, Sam Sturt, Pat Voss
F: Sam Switkowski, Matt Taberner, Josh Treacy
R/Fol: Sean Darcy, Nat Fyfe, Caleb Serong
I: Cooper Simpson, Hayden Young, Jaeger O’Meara, Karl Worner, Liam Reidy, Bailey Banfield, Joshua Draper, Neil Erasmus
E: Will Brodie, Brandon Walker, Corey Wagner, Jye Amiss
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