Power Rankings: Port Adelaide to embrace underdog status
AFTER 21 rounds of the season it’s Port Adelaide against the world again — just the way the club likes it. See why and where your team sits in this week’s Power Rankings.
- Port’s finals dream hinges on power of positivity
- Dixon’s done, Ryder on watch list
- Tight-game complex tearing Power apart
- Power’s horror day as finals hopes fade
SO AFTER 21 rounds of the season it’s Port Adelaide against the world again — just the way it likes it.
It’s not the situation the Power would choose to find itself in, facing a fight in the final two games just to play finals, but it’s the mindset that this Port Adelaide team seems to embrace.
For all the improvement Port has made under Ken Hinkley in his six years in charge it has struggled to cope with expectation or make the jump from a good to great team, despite going agonisingly close.
Whether that’s learning to consistently win when they’re expected to, taking their chances (in front of goal or capitalising on a mountain of inside 50s) or closing out tight games (last year’s elimination final, last week’s Showdown, Saturday night against West Coast), Port has struggled to make the leap.
It sounds so simple to go from good to great but the reality is the final step is the biggest one of all.
Port has looked far more comfortable with the underdog tag, beating Sydney in Round 2 and Richmond in Round 12 as outsiders this year than it has trying to put an under-strength West Coast side away on the weekend or ending a fragile Adelaide’s season the week before.
At 11-4 Port was staring a top-four finish in the face and you can almost track its downward spiral with when talk of that began.
They’ve lost four of their past five and Saturday night’s heartbreaking loss — despite leading by eight points with just over a minute to go — leaves them precariously placed at 12-8 with Collingwood and Essendon still to come.
Hinkley was amazingly upbeat immediately after Saturday night’s loss to West Coast but what alternative did he have?
As gut churning as the feeling must have been on the inside, Hinkley put on a brave and defiant face and said ‘righto boys, let’s go’.
“We charge into the MCG and have a crack — that’s what I’m looking forward to,” he said at his post-match press conference.
“They’ll sense a bit of an occasion I reckon. I would have thought most people will be trying to write us off, we’re not writing us off, we’re coming.”
You’d expect a response from the team against Collingwood this weekend.
The Magpies will start hot favourites, Port is on its last chance to play finals but with a good recent record at the MCG where it has won four of its past five.
It will be an enormous challenge without Charlie Dixon, who will miss the rest of the season with a fractured right fibula, and Paddy Ryder if he’s ruled out with his hip injury as well but Port Adelaide does have enough top-end talent to survive it.
Like it or not the Power must now do it the hard way to simply make the finals or do any damage if it gets there, but that scenario seems to galvanises this team and release the pressure valve.
Port Adelaide cannot blow an 11-4 start to the season andmiss the finals and faced with this type of scenario then you’d back them in to make sure it doesn’t happen.
GOOD WEEKEND FOR …
Hawthorn. The Hawks have somehow gone from on the brink of missing finals mid-year to staring at top-four and a double chance after beating Geelong on Saturday.
ONE TO FORGET FOR …
Port Adelaide. Not again. Not West Coast, not after the siren and compounded by the season-ending injury to Charlie Dixon and Paddy Ryder is no certainty to play against the Magpies.
BURNING QUESTION …
Will we finally see Billy Frampton make his AFL debut? If Ryder’s hip doesn’t recover in time for the clash with the Pies will Port finally turn to the 21-year-old?
ROUND 21 POWER RANKINGS
1. RICHMOND (16-4)
The Tigers have all but sealed the minor premiership and Jack Riewoldt was the story against Gold Coast with 10 goals. But it wasn’t his career-best. He booted 11 against GWS in 2014.
2. GWS GIANTS (13-6-1)
Class rose to the top when GWS was really challenged late by the Crows on Saturday night. Even with two men down, Jacob Hopper and Dylan Shiel helped the Giants to a brave win that should secure top-four.
3. WEST COAST (15-5)
Jeremy McGovern is justifying his huge contract to stay at West Coast. One of the best defenders in the competition and a valuable swing-man. Hinkley said he could see that goal unfolding when McGovern crossed the centre in the dying minutes.
4. HAWTHORN (13-7)
That’s four wins in a row for the Hawks who have responded to being 5-5 midway through the season to now looking at a top-four finish.
5. COLLINGWOOD (13-7)
Bounced back from last week’s loss to Sydney to beat the Lions at home. Jordan De Goey’s four goals was a warning sign to rivals with finals approaching.
6. SYDNEY (13-7)
Another typical Sydney performance. Written off a few weeks ago and have now won two in a row and resurrected their season. Tough finish with GWS and Hawthorn though.
7. MELBOURNE (12-8)
You can’t blow that many shots at goal against a team like Sydney and expect to win. Jesse Hogan missed three shots at crucial times. With West Coast and GWS to finish that could be curtains for the Dees.
8. GEELONG (11-9)
Gary Ablett responded to last week’s criticism with three goals but the Cats’ finals chances are hanging by a thread. Two winnable games to finish against Fremantle and Gold Coast could save them.
9. PORT ADELAIDE (12-8)
Liked Aidyn Johnson’s game but the team just can’t close out close games. Finals hopes are still alive but Collingwood on the road and Essendon at home is no sure thing.
10. ESSENDON (11-9)
Clinical win over St Kilda which means they’ll finish with a pretty respectable record this season with or without playing finals.
11. ADELAIDE (10-10)
The Crows have shown some character late in the season but lacked the class to finish the job against GWS on Saturday night. What a find Lachlan Murphy has been. Kicked 12.8 this year and hardly misses from a set shot.
12. NTH. MELB (11-9)
Blew a five-goal halftime lead against the Dogs which essentially ended their season.
13. W. BULLDOGS (7-13)
This late-season resurgence feels wasted given they won’t play finals but could be a crucial launching pad for next year.
14. FREMANTLE (8-12)
Sluggish start but came home hard sparked by kicking the first five goals of the third term to reel in a halftime deficit.
15. BRISBANE (4-16)
Bold showing against Collingwood in Melbourne on Saturday night. “We’re better than a four-win team, I think everyone knows that,” coach Chris Fagan said post-match. He’s right.
16. ST KILDA (4-15-1)
Had a sniff early but couldn’t go on with it and the Bombers blew the game open in a 10-minute burst. Finish the year with Hawthorn and North Melbourne.
17. GOLD COAST (4-16)
Playing like a team that is already thinking about next year. Too many turnovers cost them dearly albeit against the best side in the competition which shows no mercy.
18. CARLTON (2-18)
When you’ve had a season like Carlton has, you’ll take any sort of positive and a seven goal to five first half against Fremantle in Perth is something at least. Couldn’t maintain the rage however.