Kane Cornes has two major concerns for Port Adelaide heading into 2022.
The Power went down to Gold Coast last Friday by 21 points in a surprise scratch match loss, Cornes admitting they looked lacklustre in their effort.
He also lamented the injury to Sam Powell-Pepper, who the club believed had been ready to take a permanent midfield spot after a strong off-season.
“It was a flat performance,” he told SEN SA Breakfast.
“They had kicked one goal midway through the third quarter.
“I thought Powell-Pepper was really impressive until he did his hamstring, he’s had a big pre-season, so that’s a concern.”
How long Powell-Pepper’s injury will keep him out for is still unknown, however, it leads to an issue the Power failed to fix during the trade period.
The club has one of the best on-ballers in the competition in last year’s Brownlow winner Ollie Wines, while veteran Travis Boak remains a genuine A-grade midfielder.
However, outside of that duo, Port Adelaide has a lack of options to run through the middle.
Willem Drew last year showed signs he can become a consistent midfielder going forward, while Zak Butters and Connor Rozee will also rotate through as they continue to develop.
Cornes is concerned at the lack of the Power's depth at the coalface, with that identified as a strong factor behind their shock defeat in last year’s Preliminary Final.
“Once again, their midfield. Butters was good (on Friday), but you take Butters, Boak and Wines out of the midfield, who’s the next crop?” Cornes continued.
“We’ve heard a lot through the pre-season, who are the next ones that are going to go through there?
“That’s my number one concern for Port Adelaide, the depth through the midfield once those players are out.
“You look at the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne and the numbers they’ve got rolling through there, Port Adelaide don’t have that.
“They’re two midfielders short, and I couldn’t believe they didn’t address it during the trade period.
“There was some talk about (Jaeger) O’Meara from Hawthorn, I couldn’t believe they didn’t address the midfield, that’s number one (concern).”
Rozee is a top-five draft pick from 2018 and has put his huge potential on display on numerous occasions – he just hasn’t done it consistently.
David King has doubts on the 22-year-old's ability to be a pure on-baller, further complicating the club’s stocks of midfielders.
“Butters and Rozee spent a lot of time at centre bounces, Butters looks a natural in there,” King told SEN’s Whateley.
“I’m not convinced on Rozee in centre bounces just yet, I’m not sold on the fact he’s an absolute contested possession player.
“I think he’s more of a swooper that finishes. And that’s okay, if that’s what he is, he does that really well, but I’ll be interested to watch him over the next two weeks to see if he is that player because I’m not sure.”
Rozee played 21 games in 2021 and had 10 or more contested possessions on five occasions.
Cornes also holds concerns over young Power tall Todd Marshall.
Marshall, 23, played 20 games last year to return 24 goals, the highest tally of his career.
He was a first-round draft pick back in 2016 and is yet to cement his position in the team, especially considering the Power’s recruitment of former Giant Jeremy Finlayson for 2022.
“(Mitch) Georgiades is in year three, I love the way he’s going, progressing nicely, but Todd Marshall (is a concern),” Cornes said.
“Todd Marshall is concern number two, is he going to be the first-round draft pick and develop the way they thought he was going to?
“It’s a great opportunity because Dixon’s (ankle) is not there and he can really take this forward line by the scruff of the neck, but I’m not sure he’s got that ability to do that.”
Scott Lycett and Rozee also came off with injuries in the Power’s disappointing game on Friday, however they appear less serious than that of Powell-Pepper’s.