Deep dive: Has Port Adelaide established itself as Collingwood’s biggest challenger in 2023?

They didn’t get the four points but no one can argue Port Adelaide isn’t the read deal after pushing Collingwood to the brink. Are they the clear no.2 seeds in the AFL?

Charlie Dixon and Jeremy Finlayson look on after the tough loss to Collingwood. Picture: Getty Images

Collingwood confirmed its status as the team to beat in the AFL this season.

But Port Adelaide itself got some confirmation about its place in the league right now, after going down by two-points in a game-of-the-year contender at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

How could you not look at it glass half full,” Power coach Ken Hinkley said.

“That was an outstanding game of football.

“Yeah we lost and we lost at home and they will take a bit out of that. But we are pretty young, we have a fair bit of growth and if you didn’t look at some of the stuff we did out there tonight with great optimism you are not wanting to I would say.

“You couldn’t not look at the performance of both teams and say that is not a great advertisement for our game of footy.

“Yes I’m bitterly disappointed and the team is bitterly disappointed of the small margins lost.

“But I think we will learn a fair bit from that I reckon, we get as much confirmation as probably Collingwood did I would imagine.”

You got a sense that for Collingwood coach Craig McRae, the thriller and the performance of the Power confirmed Hinkley’s side as a genuine rival to the Magpies’ premiership ambition.

“That was the best game we have been involved in this year,” McRae said.

Zak Butters looks on as Collingwood players celebrate on the final siren. Picture: Getty Images

The Power probably played Collingwood as well as a team could.

In the first three quarters, especially the second, the Power were able to get plenty of territory and the forward half game it is known for.

The only thing that was missing was more of a score on the scoreboard.

And while a 17-point lead going into the fourth wasn’t enough, the Power weren’t overwhelmed by the Magpies – which they usually do in their last term comebacks.

The Power stood up, and re-took leads, only going down by some incredibly clutch kicks by the Pies – none more so than Jamie Elliott’s goals from the boundary.

Captain on the night Ollie Wines said the Power thought it was capable of beating the Pies.

And while they were two-points down on the scoreboard come the final siren, Wines said the belief was stronger among the Power players.

“Yeah certainly (the belief is stronger) you get a lot of confidence from playing the best teams and you want to win them but it is a competitive league and you aren’t going to be able to win every game,” he said.

“So as much as we are hurting we will build from that.

“We just want to keep earning respect from the AFL industry, we have a lot of belief in what we are capable of. We want to keep putting in the best performances and we want to do that against quality sides.

“We didn’t get the win but we will take a lot out of tonight.”

A lot of this will be around how the Pies attacked that fourth quarter.

Almost immediately the Power’s lead it took into the final term was gone when Steele Sidebottom and Josh Daicos quickly kicked goals.

But Wines said the damage was done around the stoppage with the Pies winning clearances in the fourth 16-10.

“They probably got a little bit of dominance around stoppage and took territory from stoppage,” he said.

“Generally we like to play front half footy from our stoppages and we were unable to do that.

“And they kicked some super goals from the boundary, some really clutch kicks.

“We were certainly happy, especially in that second quarter we were able to force a lot of front half turnovers and own the ball.

Port Adelaide players leave Adelaide Oval after the heartbreaking loss to Collingwood. Picture: Getty Images

“But they were able to turn the tide, and that is what is going to happen against quality teams

We understand how attacking and damaging they are through the corridor so we were trying to keep them to the boundary as much as we could and we thought we were able to do that.

“They got a few passages away in that last quarter from back 50 stoppages and then kicked some really clutch goals.

“But you have to take every opportunity against those sides.”

While it is July, the atmosphere and style of footy at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night was finals like.

For players such as Jason Horne-Francis, Lachie Jones, Jed McEntee, Kane Farrell, Francis Evans and Dylan Williams who haven’t played in a finals game before it could be an invaluable experience.

“The style of the footy we played, the pressure and contested ball is what finals are built on. It was similar styles in that regard and also the atmosphere was unreal,” Wines said.

“I think so, they are the games you want to be playing in them and the more you play in them the better.”

After what they served up on Saturday night, there would be no disappointed footy fans if the Power and Pies clashed again in September.

Collingwood is the benchmark, but Port Adelaide might have confirmed itself as the Magpies’ biggest challenger.