PORT Adelaide finally got to join the AFLW party in Season 7, but it was not always a party for those from Alberton in their debut season. Although the Power showed glimpses of the team they can become, wins were ultimately not always forthcoming and they ultimately finished second to last on the ladder.

But with some clearly targeted recruiting in the offseason, can things head north for Port Adelaide in 2023?

TEAM LIST

Under special rules, Port Adelaide is allowed to have 32 players on their list in 2023.

#1 Erin Phillips

#2 Ebony O’Dea

#3 Angela Foley

#4 Jade Halfpenny

#5 Abbey Dowrick

#6 Jacqui Yorston *

#7 Yasmin Duursma

#8 Ashleigh Saint

#9 Maria Moloney

#10 Indy Tahau

#11 Jade De Melo

#12 Hannah Ewings

#13 Jasmin Stewart

#14 Justine Mules

#15 Julia Teakle

#16 Maggie MacLachlan

#17 Ella Boag

#18 Olivia Levicki

#19 Alex Ballard

#20 Sachi Syme

#21 Amelie Borg

#23 Lily Johnson

#24 Hannah Dunn

#25 Janelle Cuthbertson

#26 Madeline Keryk

#27 Gemma Houghton

#28 Cheyenne Hammond

#29 Matilda Scholz

#30 Litonya Cockatoo-Motlap

#31 Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap

#32 Jasmine Simmons

#43 Georgie Jacques

#44 Katelyn Pope

* inactive

CHANGES

In: Georgie Jacques, Katelyn Pope, Jasmine Simmons, Madeline Keryk, Janelle Cuthbertson, Matilda Scholz, Jasmin Stewart, Ashleigh Saint
Out: Jacqui Yorston (inactive), Kate Surman, Britt Perry, Sarah Goodwin, Tessa Doumanis, Liz McGrath

FIXTURE

Round 1: vs. Adelaide @ Norwood Oval
Round 2: vs. Brisbane @ Alberton Oval
Round 3: vs. St Kilda @ RSEA Park
Round 4: vs. Geelong @ Alberton Oval
Round 5: vs. West Coast @ Mineral Resources Park
Round 6: vs. Sydney @ Alberton Oval
Round 7: vs. North Melbourne @ Arden St Oval
Round 8: vs. Gold Coast @ Alberton Oval
Round 9: vs. Hawthorn @ Kinetic Stadium
Round 10: vs. GWS @ Alberton Oval

STRENGTHS

• Clear off-season recruiting strategy

• Favourable fixture

• Talented youth that can only get better

• Depth across all three lines

With who Port Adelaide have targeted this offseason, it is clear they knew what areas they needed to fix after last season and have targeted quality players to do so. This includes bringing in Ash Saint to help strengthen their forward line height, the likes of Matilda Scholz to increase ruck depth and Janelle Cuthbertson to improve their defence.

While not 100 per cent ideal, Port Adelaide’s fixture this season is certainly on the favourable end of the spectrum. The Power get arguably two of their hardest games out of the way first, and get half the season at home at Alberton.

It is also hard to go past the talented youth they have on their list. Hannah Ewings, Sachi Syme, Amelie Borg and others are all still teenagers but bursting with talent and still have a long time in the system to grow and develop together.

QUESTION MARKS

• Have the Power got the right mix they need?

• How will the large list turnover affect them?

It is hard to know if an offseason recruiting strategy has worked until the season plays out, but even though Port obviously knew what it wanted to target, did they get the right people in the process?

In addition to that, the club turned over almost a third of its list in he offseason, so how will such a big list turnover affect the playing group?

BEST & FAIREST CONTENDER

She may only be young, but Hannah Ewings has already shown what she is capable of within the first 10 games of her AFLW career. Now it is rare that Best and Fairests go to second year players, but with a few extra bodies in the midfield, the target will be less on Ewings which will allow her to shine even further.

BREAKOUT PLAYER

Although she may only be about to embark on her first season at AFLW level, Matilda Scholz is poised to show why she was such a highly sought after pick up. After dominating at SANFLW and Under 18 level and with a valuable part to play in the ruck set up of the Power, be prepared to see what this teenager is truly capable of.

PREDICTION

Port Adelaide has certainly used the extra time it had this offseason to properly target players and fill the gaps it had on its list after Season 7. The question will be how well do all those pieces gel come gameday. A rise up the ladder is likely for those from Alberton, but whether finals is on the cards just yet remains to be seen.