Why Johnson foresees Port missing finals in 2025 and Cornes’ concerns with the list

Brad Johnson can’t see Port Adelaide playing finals in 2025.

The Western Bulldogs great made the big call despite the Power finishing third and second on the ladder in seasons 2023 and 2024 respectively.

He spoke about the club’s future with Power great Kane Cornes, who also foresees Port Adelaide struggling next season after analysing the list.

While the duo can see some improvement from the club’s young players, he thinks that the loss of a couple of veterans could see their premiership window close for 2025.

Cornes in particular is worried about the club’s depth, as he feels that the Power are in real danger of missing the top eight despite the club’s best 23 a finals side if they’re fit enough.

Johnson: “For Port Adelaide, can you actually see them playing finals next year?”

Cornes: “No, can you?”

Johnson: “No, I can't either.

“You sort of go ok, the improved players this year were Jason Horne-Francis, Willem Drew, Miles Bergman I thought was good, and so was Jordon Sweet.

“But you just sort of go through and you go they’ve gone 11th, 3rdand 2nd. It's like the last two years have been their opportunity to actually get themselves into a Grand Final and potentially win it.

“Now you’ve got Travis Boak at the end, Charlie Dixon has retired, and you go, where are they going to be?

“I just can't see them playing finals next year, which is a challenge for them as a football club.

“We know what their history has been like, and they don't think like this traditionally at Port Adelaide.”

Cornes: “Well they've really put themselves in a position where they said, ‘We're never going to rebuild’, at least while David Koch, Ken Hinkley and this footy department with Chris Davies is there.

“They've essentially said, ‘Rebuilding is essentially the easy way out’, which I kind of agree with and I kind of respect it because it is the easy way out. Adelaide went to rebuild five years ago … five years down the track you’re still bottom for.”

Johnson: “Why is it that we that we that we're doubting them in our footy minds that we're going, ‘They’re not going to play finals’ … even though this list has gone third and second?”

Cornes: “So I think their best 22 is really strong, their best 22 is a finals team.

“But once it drops off and you need to go to players 26 and 27, then their depth just isn't there and they don't have the draft picks to replenish their squad at the moment.”

While the Power have finished in the top four in the last two seasons, their finals record in 2023 and 2024 combined has been one win and four losses.