David King hopes the version of Aliir Aliir that we have seen so far in 2021 is the one we get across the entire season.
Traded from Sydney to Port Adelaide, Aliir has looked in career best form across the pre-season games and Round 1, playing as an intercept marking defender.
King believes off-field issues held back the talented 26-year-old in New South Wales, but believes he could be the difference if he stays fit and firing.
“In a small margin industry, all you’re trying to find is one player or one new method or to sure-up a weakness from 2020,” King told SEN’s Whateley on Monday.
“Aliir Aliir has come in and I genuinely hope he can stay the professional package that he is right now today because that’s been the problem across the journey.
“That’s why he’s out of Sydney. The Swans didn’t want to lose him, but there’s been times where they’ve had to sit him down in front of the leadership group and say ‘hey are you living the lifestyle that’s going to make you the best you can be’.
“Maybe a second club challenges the headspace of Aliir. ‘I’ve got to secure this, I’m too old to be making these mistakes and this is my chance to win a flag’.
“I hope they don’t have any issues throughout the course of the season because he is exactly what they needed.”
Up the other end of the ground, King wonders whether Port Adelaide has the best troop of small forwards in the competition, to go with the threat of Charlie Dixon.
“(Orazio Fantasia) is going to see a lot of ball in the forward 50 and Jason Dunstall said yesterday and those words ring in my ears, he said any time the ball hits grass in the forward half of the ground, Port Adelaide has the best swarming smalls in the competition,” King said.
“The more you watch the game you think you know what that’s spot on.
“It suits them not to mark the ball.”
Fantasia kicked 4.4 in Port’s big win over North Melbourne in Round 1, with Charlie Dixon, Travis Boak, Zak Butters, Todd Marshall, Karl Amon, Steven Motlop, Scott Lycett, Xavier Duursma and Riley Bonner also hitting the scoreboard.
Robbie Gray didn’t kick a goal, but had 10 score involvements from his 19 disposals, highlighting his impact on the game.
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