Former Blue Bryce Gibbs and SEN’s Andrew Hayes are expecting the returning Scott Lycett to make a massive difference to Port Adelaide next season.
The ruckman played only four games in 2022, dislocating his shoulder in a Round 4 clash against the Demons, then spending the remainder of the season recovering from surgery.
Now looking set for a big return, expectations are high for the impact Lycett can have on the Power’s talented midfield.
“Scotty Lycett is back, he’ll be back to take the position as number one ruckman, which is huge, we got used to him being out as you do when a player is out for an entire year of footy,” Hayes said on SEN SA's Saturdays in SA.
“Does this shake things up at all or does he just purely resume where he was two years ago, because if he does, I like that.”
Gibbs agreed with Hayes, expecting Port Adelaide to come back strong from a somewhat underwhelming 2022.
“To have Scotty back in, his ruck craft is unbelievable, he’ll give this new, young, exciting midfield a lot of first looks at the ball around the stoppages, he’s going to help this team jump significantly in 2023,” he said.
“He’ll be a massive inclusion, Scotty Lycett, there’s no doubt about that.”
During Lycett’s absence, the Power uncovered Jeremy Finlayson’s ability to hold his own in the ruck, a talent that Gibbs expects will complement Lycett perfectly.
“They unearthed Finlayson in the ruck, they wouldn’t have planned that at all, even in their preseason thinking that he could go and do what he did,” he said.
“They were forced to think on their feet Port Adelaide, they didn’t have many other options either but what he did, not only competing against his ruck opponent, the follow-up, he was like an extra on-baller.
“He reminded me of Matthew Kreuzer when he used to ruck for Carlton and he was just as good on the ground that he was in the actual ruck contests…he’ll be backup again, there’s no doubt about that.
“I can’t see them playing two genuine ruckmen in that side, they just don’t need to, even Powell-Pepper was taking forward-50 ruck contests at some stages as well.
“I think we’ve seen that evolve over the last couple of years, and it probably started with Shaun Grigg, four or five years ago, to where you actually don’t need two genuine ruckmen to compete and win games of footy.”
Port Adelaide’s list for the 2023 season is essentially set at this point, entering the AFL draft possessing only selections 33 and 60.