Port Adelaide forward Jed McEntee has emerged as the brutal finals hard-luck story out at Alberton this morning, with the 23-year-old to be dropped for his side’s semi-final against Hawthorn.
It comes amid a second match-eve twist for the Power, with rebounding defender Ryan Burton now under an injury cloud to face his former side night at Adelaide Oval.
Burton, 27, underwent a 15-minute fitness test early on Thursday morning under the watchful eyes of senior coach Ken Hinkley. He could be seen testing out what looked to be a soft tissue concern, with teammate Todd Marshall watching on from the sidelines before his own main training at one point.
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Burton’s fitness test began on grass away from the main oval, before running around the Alberton Oval boundary side. He then headed back into the changerooms alongside a club staff member.
Ten minutes later, Burton reappeared on the Alberton Oval track, completing running drills on the far side of the ground.
Coach Hinkley will address the media later on Thursday morning.
Off the back of the Power’s 84-point thumping at the hands of Geelong last Thursday night, Hinkley looks set to play a taller forward line against the Hawks, at the expense of McEntee.
As club training commenced early on Thursday morning, McEntee was notably alongside other teammates not in the frame to play on Friday night — including Dylan Williams — instead training separately to those in the captain’s run to be held later in morning. First-round draftee Josh Sinn, who hasn’t played since Round 16 against St Kilda, wasn’t part of the first training group.
McEntee’s omission now leaves last week’s emergency Todd Marshall as a near certainty to return to Hinkley’s starting line-up — and now not necessarily at the expense of under-fire veteran Charlie Dixon.
McEntee, a small forward with an appetite for contested ball and tackling pressure, has been vital to Port Adelaide’s defensive structure in the forward half over the past two seasons.
He’s held some of the league’s best defenders – including five-time All-Australian Tom Stewart – to minimal impact.
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In Port Adelaide’s previous meeting with Hawthorn in Round 10, McEntee spent a large portion of the game opposed to dashing defender Josh Weddle, who registered just eight disposals off half-back – his second-lowest count of 2024.
Sturt product McEntee is one of the better AFL mid-season draft stories, playing 46 games for Port Adelaide since being selected midway through the 2021 season.
The Power have already declared star midfielder Zak Butters free to play against Hawthorn, despite being subbed out with bruised ribs against Geelong last week.
MORE TO COME …
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