Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley admits it is the lacking piece of his on-field jigsaw: a giant backman to counter towering forwards.
“We’ve got tried to repair most of our areas of concern,” Hinkley instructed AAP.
“And aside from the tall again that we did go after and did not get, many of the issues we had been in a position to obtain had been fairly thrilling.”
Hinkley recruited to bolster his midfield (Jason Horne-Francis) and small forwards (Junior Rioli).
However efforts to lure a tall backman – notably Esava Ratugolea from Geelong – had been unsuccessful.
However Hinkley’s lacking piece could possibly be discovered from inside, in keeping with Aliir Aliir.
Aliir, at 195cm, is the tallest of Port’s key defensive batch that includes Tom Jonas (188cm) and Tom Clurey (193cm).
Aliir, regardless of being famend as an intercept defender, is volunteering for the duty of quelling large opposition forwards equivalent to Geelong’s Tom Hawkins and Carlton’s Harry McKay.
“We had been ready to do this in the direction of the back-end of final yr the place I used to be in a position to go on the No.1 ahead and try to shut them down,” Aliir stated in Perth on Tuesday.
“After I did come again from harm, I instructed them (teaching employees) I’m not simply an intercept participant as a result of that’s what everybody thought, I’d simply fly throughout.
“However I can play that one-on-one. I can play tall and small.
“So I’ve at all times instructed Ken, no matter you want me to do, I am blissful to do it.
“It is as much as the match committee whether or not they discover me enjoying on their No.1 or (as) that intercept participant, however so long as we’re getting wins I do not actually care the place I play.”
Aliir was an All Australian in 2021, his first season at Port after spending 5 seasons with Sydney.
However final yr he had surgical procedure on an ankle harm suffered in spherical one and, whereas enjoying 19 video games, struggled to hit peak type.
“My type, I used to be actually up-and-down,” he stated.
“Simply the inconsistency, normally you try to preserve it to a minimal however mine was most likely simply an excessive amount of of a wave and a niche.
“I’m feeling good now, I used to be in a position to full the total preseason with no dramas.”
Port’s preseason continues in Perth with a follow recreation towards Fremantle on Thursday, after the Energy misplaced a trial match to West Coast by eight factors final Friday.
