Why Ken Hinkley’s Power must stick to new, attacking game plan in Showdown

Ken Hinkley’s Power have returned to attacking football this season and it is a move worth sticking with despite the blip of Friday night’s first quarter against the Magpies, says Mark Bickley.

• Power won’t take any risk on co-captains
• Tex sore and tired but good for Showdown
• Port to respond in Showdown 46

After the scoring dried up for Port Adelaide in the second half of last season Ken Hinkley knew he had to make changes to the way his side his attacked.

The conservative slow ball movement just wasn’t getting it done.

Not surprisingly Hinkley has moved back towards his more natural coaching style, high speed, high risk, attacking football. A style that saw him take the Power from ineffectual in 2012 to playing finals in his first season in 2013.

I applaud Ken Hinkley and his boldness in trying to play footy the way most of us like to watch it. Playing on, moving the ball quickly, trying to score as often as possible.

Jordan De Goey of the Magpies (left) and Xavier Duursma of the Power contest a mark during the clash at Marvel Stadium on Friday. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

The Power’s first half against West Coast in round five, the shining example of exactly how Port Adelaide wants to play. Denying the reigning premier time and space, then attacking relentlessly the other way. The scoreline in Perth at halftime was 9.9 to 2.2 — game over.

As with all teams, replicating your best footy consistently is always the biggest challenge. And, while there has been plenty to like about Port Adelaide in the first seven rounds, there has also been some moments they would like again.

The first quarter against Collingwood on night was one of those times.

Seven goals six to three points is about as one sided as footy gets. There were many reasons why the Pies smashed Port Adelaide in the first quarter, most notably the fact that the Power just couldn’t get there hands on the ball.

Contested possession -17 in a quarter is unheard of.

Someone had to stand up in that situation and stop the rot, that is the expectation upon leaders.

Secondly, the inability of Port to stem the bleeding: The goals just kept coming. I know there are rules in place at centre bounce to restrict spare numbers behind the ball but Collingwood didn’t score at all from centre bounces in the first term. Most of the damage came from around the ground stoppages, when it is possible to get at least one number behind the ball.

Brodie Grundy of the Magpies (left) and Patrick Ryder of the Power battle in the ruck. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

The Power’s young defence, minus co-captain Tom Jonas, was badly exposed by lack of pressure placed on the Collingwood midfielders and the space the likes of Jayden Stephenson, Jordan De Goey and Jamie Elliot had to lead into.

At the very least the Power had to try and take the speed off the game. Possess the ball, defend by keeping the footy off of its opponent for a period of time. It didn’t appear to try anything. The same look for the whole quarter, which got the same result for the whole quarter.

Hinkley addressed the issues at the first change and, to his players credit, there was a response. Their work around the contest improved and the ball movement was much more controlled, but the damage was done.

The ability to stop a team from scoring heavily when they have momentum has been, and will always be, a very important component to our game. Port need to find the balance between playing it’s attacking style but at the same time be able to limit the damage if the game turns against it.

Port in the first seven rounds of 2019 has conceded four or more consecutive goals in a quarter six times.

While on some occasions it happened in a win, like the Carlton and Kangaroos games, it has been present in all three of its losses. The most significant was on Friday night against the Pies. In comparison, the competition leaders Geelong are yet to concede four consecutive goals in a quarter this year.

Collingwood have done it just once, and in relative terms, the Crows who have the same win loss ratio as Port have also done it just once for the season.

Often lapses like this within a game can be concentration, particularly when the make up of the side has numerous young players in it, who can tend to drift in and out of games. It’s also recognising that you can’t always play flat-out attack, and as was witnessed by Port in the second quarter, the more controlled ball movement proved the most effective.

Trying to recognise, then make the adjustment to your game style mid quarter is always a challenge. Even more so with the absence of experienced players like Jonas, Gray and Hartlett.

The increased speed of ball movement and intent from the Power in 2019 is still a vast improvement over the second half of last year, but remains a work in progress.