Coleman Medallist Scott Cummings has singled out Charlie Dixon as the player that can take Port Adelaide to the next level.
The Power forward played just 12 games last year after a gruesome ankle injury saw him sidelined for the first half of the season, however played an important role as Port tried to climb their way back into the eight towards the end of 2022.
Yet after quiet showings in both of the Power’s pre-season matches, Dixon has been on the receiving end of some early criticism.
“There’s a lot of texts on our text line this morning about Charlie Dixon and how he was struggling but I say just take it easy on the big man,” Cummings told SEN’s Sportsday SA.
“I’m a fan of Charlie Dixon, I just want to see him rip a game apart, which he doesn’t do enough.”
While Dixon is a 32-year-old veteran with 189 games under his belt, Cummings has tipped him as a player that is need of a breakout season. . “It sounds funny because he’s been in the system for so long, he needs to have a breakout year,” he said.
“Otherwise he’s probably going to be one of those guys who finishes his career unfulfilled or maybe we’re overrating the potential of talent that I’ve seen in him.
“I think he can be so much better than he is. I know it’s very hard to say we’re going to base our whole gameplan around one person, but I think they need to play him deeper and smarter and he can have a huge impact.”
Cummings suggested that Port Adelaide takes an old-school approach with the big key forward this season, believing he could be the x-factor for a Power side determined to climb up the ladder.
“A bloke that big, I’d be leaving deep, I would border on old-school deep in the forward line,” he said.
“One-on-one he shouldn’t be beaten, under the rules, push in the back, chop of the arms, he shouldn’t ever be beaten.
“If he can stay down there and start clunking a couple, kicking straight, then I think that’s the last piece of Port Adelaide’s puzzle.”
While the Power were handed a 31-point loss by Fremantle in their second practice match, Cummings is still confident in the strength of the squad, having them in the same tier as the Dockers.
“Port Adelaide, well they had enough of the footy, they had more inside 50s than Freo quite comfortably, but just couldn’t get the score on the board,” he said.
“Port’s list, I think it’s exceptional and I think Port and Freo are both really big chances of top four finishes this year.
“Both sides are going to have really good years that I think both supporter bases are going to be really happy with.”
With the Power’s practice matches now concluded, their focus will be on a tough season opener against an intimidating Brisbane outfit.