Port Adelaide Power vs Fremantle Dockers, Community Series, live scores, how to watch, stats, highlights, results

Port Adelaide will be hoping superstar Zak Butters has suffered just minor damage after he was ruled out midway through the first quarter of Friday night’s Community Series clash against Fremantle.

Butters was bursting through a stoppage before landing awkwardly, forcing him to come from the field.

The Power then ruled Butters out for the rest of the game with a sprained ankle as a precaution.

The only place to watch every game of the AFL Pre-Season live is Fox Footy, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >

“He rolled his ankle, so we took him out,” Power coach Ken Hinkley told Fox Footy at quarter-time.

“We didn’t want to take a risk, he’s not the sort of player you want to mess around with. I don’t care how many minutes you’ve got to play, he’s just not going to be here.”

Butters missed 13 weeks in 2021 with a syndesmosis issue on his opposite ankle.

The injury scare didn’t halt the momentum of the Power, who slammed on five of the first six goals of the second quarter to “seize control”, according to FOx Footy’s Dermott Brereton.

Ivan Soldo, one of the Power’s four recruits during last year’s AFL exchange period, made an impressive early statement, drifting forward after the first center bounce to mark and kick the first goal of the game.

But the Dockers hit back, with defender-turned-midfielder Hayden Young kicking 2.1 across the first half as his pre-season positional shift continued to pay dividends.

“The ball movement of the Power is being challenged here. The defensive work of Fremantle has been terrific,” King said.

Port Adelaide is getting its first look at its side without suspended star Sam Powell-Pepper after he opted not to seek clearance for Powell-Pepper to play in the pre-season hitout after he was suspended for four matches due to rough conduct.

Fremantle were impressive in their win over West Coast in last week’s scratch match, with Nat Fyfe looking ominous ahead of the season proper.

This match gets underway at 8pm from Alberton Oval.

It can be viewed on Fox Footy or Kayo.

POWER

B: R Burton 3, B Zerk-Thatcher 25, E Ratugolea 27

HB: L Jones 34, A Aliir 21, D Houston 5

C: M Bergman 14, W Drew 28, K Farrell 6

HF: J McEntee 41, T Marshall 4, C Rozee 1-C

F: Z Butters 9, C Dixon 22, W Rioli 15

Foll: I Soldo 13, O Wines 16, J Horne-Francis 18

I/C: J Burgoyne 7, T Boak, D Williams 23, J Sweet 24, O Lord 30, F Evans 31, D Byrne-Jones 33, J Mead 44

Emergencies: J Finlayson 11, T McKenzie 12, T Clurey 17, M Georgiades 19