Reports out of Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport suggest Port Adelaide key forward Charlie Dixon has missed the flight back to Adelaide, with suggestions that the big man ‘thought he had more time‘ to board the flight.

Dixon’s tardiness follows a potentially match defining moment from last night’s game against Geelong at Simonds Stadium.

With the Power leading by three points late in the final quarter, Dixon claimed a mark inside his attacking 50m, only to be timed out by the field umpire after controversially unwarily allowing the 30-second ‘shot clock’ to expire.

Geelong repelled the ball from defence and their champion on-baller Patrick Dangerfield would eventually kick a late goal to claim victory for the home side.

But it seems that the pain of having victory stolen from his side’s clinches wasn’t enough to teach Big Charlie a lesson, as he was reportedly left stranded in Melbourne Airport’s domestic terminal.

“We all arrived the obligatory hour before the flight and gathered in the Virgin Lounge,” a Power insider revealed.

“But when we were given the announcement that it was time to board, Charlie couldn’t be found.

“We rang him and he said he was just finishing off a glass of red at PJ O’Brien’s, but not to worry because he still had plenty of time.

“We rang him again five minutes later and he said he was just in one of those weird convenience stores flicking through all the books on display without any real desire to purchase one, but not to worry because he still had plenty of time.

“We rang him one final time, as the Virgin staff at the gate were announcing his name over the PA system for the final boarding call, and he said he was just at Krispy Kreme buying 23 boxes of original glaze donuts like every other South Australian does before flying home, but not to worry because he still had plenty of time.

“But he didn’t have plenty of time, because for the second time within 12 hours; Charlie was left stranded.”

Dixon wasn’t the only player who had issues boarding the flight back to Adelaide, with Port’s gun midfielder Robbie Gray reportedly having to fight off a strong clamp by Geelong player Jed Bews.