Western Australia was the backdrop for plenty of pre-season action on Friday, with both South Australian teams heading interstate to take on Fremantle and West Coast in match simulations.
Adelaide were able to get the upper hand over Fremantle, defeating the Dockers 12.5 (77) to 10.6 (66) in what was an entertaining show of grit from the Crows.
Meanwhile, West Coast were able to keep the home fans happy in the first showing of the year, edging out Port Adelaide by eight points, 13.6 (84) to 11.10 (76).
With plenty of new recruits making their first inter-club appearances across the two games, all eyes were on the four clubs.
See all the key takeaways from the two games below:
Adelaide v Fremantle
Izak Rankine worth every penny
It may just be the opening game of pre-season, however if the Crows’ newest recruit can consistently dish out the performance he had on Friday, he's in for a stellar season.
Rankine started slow, making little impact throughout the first quarter as the Dockers were able to pull ahead for an early lead.
Yet once he found his footing in the second period, the forward was hard to stop.
How's this for a finish from Izak 👌⭐️#weflyasone pic.twitter.com/fC1oimxpL5
— Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) February 24, 2023
Rankine kicked three goals for the contest and threatened for more, leading the charge as the Crows overran the Dockers with some high energy football.
Nat Fyfe getting comfortable in new forward role
The dual Brownlow medallist made his first appearance as a permanent forward for the Dockers, showing promise as he adjusts his game to fit the new role.
While he wasn’t quite able to take over the contest, Fyfe had a huge impact on the scoreboard, setting up multiple goals while also kicking three of his own.
Nat out the back 🫡 #AFLFreoCrows #foreverfreo pic.twitter.com/PBpLrZnZV0
— Fremantle Dockers (@freodockers) February 24, 2023
While he did occasionally push further up the ground to give glimpses of the Fyfe we've seen in previous years, he mostly kept within striking distance of the goalposts.
There are certainly some kinks to iron out in Fyfe’s game for this new role, particularly the trouble he had with his set shot form, however having the star in the forward line is exactly what the Dockers need to improve their attack, which has struggled in recent years.
Dockers’ new recruits looking strong
In what was perhaps one of the most anticipated debuts for a new recruit so far, Luke Jackson was impressive in his first appearance in purple and white.
Playing his normal ruck/forward role, Jackson was everywhere early in the contest, slotting in perfectly to Fremantle’s game plan.
The combination of Jackson, Fyfe and Matt Taberner as inside 50 threats looked particularly potent throughout the first half of the contest, a look that is set to become a staple of the Dockers’ attack.
Fremantle’s other key off-season recruit Jaeger O’Meara also looked strong throughout the match, with the former Hawk and Sun making his mark through the middle early as the Dockers claimed the lead.
Crows’ pressure is key
Adelaide didn’t get out to the strongest start, yet after the first quarter the Crows were able to flick the switch.
The game was defined by pressure for the remainder of the contest, with Adelaide’s midfield not giving Fremantle an inch of breathing room, all led by Rory Laird.
This pressure allowed the Crows to trap the ball in their forward half, firing it inside 50 repeatedly and giving their potent forward line every chance to hit the scoreboard.
With much of the discussion around Adelaide focusing on their star-studded forward unit potentially being neutralised by an inability to get inside 50, this fast-paced, pressure-based approach will be the key for a successful season for the Crows.
West Coast v Port Adelaide
Returning Eagles make huge difference to West Coast
One of the key factors that played into West Coast’s horror 2022 was the absence of the pivotal trio of Elliot Yeo, Dom Sheed and Oscar Allen.
All three were in action in yesterday’s contest, and all three played instrumental roles in the Eagles scraping past the Power.
Yeo and Sheed slotted straight back into West Coast’s engine room, having a busy night through the midfield as they returned to the dominant tandem the AFL has become used to.
Meanwhile Oscar Allen had a big night of his own, becoming particularly dominant in marking contests throughout the second half as he finished with three goals, clearly established as the main target up forward.
More of this in 2023 🤩 pic.twitter.com/vWyS7ObnDW
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) February 24, 2023
While these performances are nothing that hasn’t been seen before from the trio, West Coast fans should be delighted to have them back and firing at their best.
Port’s new recruits looking comfortable
The Power made the biggest trade of the off-season in acquiring both Jason Horne-Francis and Junior Rioli in a monster four-team deal, and based on last night, the move looks set to pay off.
Horne-Francis was strong through the midfield in his Power debut, demonstrating his blend of athleticism and composure with plenty of clearance work and a gorgeous assist to Orazio Fantasia.
A glimpse of what's to come from new Port Adelaide recruit Jason Horne-Francis. pic.twitter.com/VgSMgJdvfO
— AFL (@AFL) February 24, 2023
He spent most of his time starting at centre bounces, however did move up forward for a bit of a breather on multiple occasions.
Rioli also put together a good performance in his first game in new colours, looking lively up forward as he kicked two goals against his old club.
His first major was accompanied by a shower of boos from the West Coast faithful, yet a pre-game embrace from former skipper Luke Shuey dispelled any thoughts of bad blood between Rioli and the Eagles.
Travis Boak injury concern
Travis Boak could be in trouble after being on the receiving end of a big hit from Jeremy McGovern early in the second quarter.
The Port mid was crunched by McGovern after the defender attempted to spoil in a marking contest at centre half-back, with Boak going down immediately.
The veteran took several minutes to leave the field with the assistance of medical staff, heading straight down to the rooms to be assessed and taking no further part in the contest.
With Boak playing such a massive role for Port Adelaide, coach Ken Hinkley will be hoping that the star will have made a full recovery by Round 1.