Geelong vs Port Adelaide: Where the Power are going wrong ahead of huge Cats clash

Port Adelaide have been brought back to reality following three straight losses as their premiership credentials come into question. Here’s what the Power need to fix to regain their form.

Port Adelaide's woes are concerning.

The issues for Port Adelaide have appeared at the wrong time of the year.

And they aren’t just confined to one area, as Power coach Ken Hinkley says his side needs to work on “getting back to our best”.

After a club record 13-match winning run the Power have dropped its last three matches.

One of them the Power could take some heart out of, the thrilling loss to Collingwood at Adelaide Oval, but its heavy losses at the hands of Carlton and the Crows that sting.

“We need to play well,” Hinkley said.

“It is about us getting back to our best.

“The last game in the Showdown we were beaten really badly and we were really disappointed with that performance.

“The week before that we played a super game of football, we aren’t that far away from that type of form I don’t think but the reality is that we need to produce it.”

Ken Hinkley needs to find a way to turn his side’s fortunes around. Picture: Getty Images

To produce it, as Hinkley says, the Power needs to address two areas in particular.

“If you look at our game there is not just one part of our game that has been a little bit off, there has been two or three parts of our game that have been a little bit off,” he said.

After starting the season leaking like a sieve, the Power’s winning run was built on it putting the clamps on opponents.

From rounds 4 to 15 the Power were ranked second by Champion Data for opposition chain to score percentage (17 per cent), third for opposition score per inside 50 percentage (40 per cent), fourth for pressure rating (185) and fifth for opposition defensive 50 to inside 50 percentage (18 per cent).

From rounds 16 to 20, taking in the Power’s wins over Essendon and Gold Coast, Hinkley’s side is ranked 13th for opposition chain to score percentage (20 per cent), opposition defensive 50 to inside 50 percentage (21 per cent) and pressure rating (181).

Port Adelaide is ranked 17th for opposition score per inside 50 percentage (49 per cent) in this period.

“We haven’t been able to defend the ground as well as we have in the first 15 or 16 weeks of the season and that is certainly letting us down,” Hinkley said.

The Port defenders haven’t been in great form. Picture: Getty Images

The drop off isn’t just confined to the backline.

The Power’s returns from its midfield have also trended the wrong way in recent weeks.

Across rounds 4 to 15 the Power were ranked second for opposition points from clearances (27.1), fourth for clearance differential (+2.6) and seventh for contested possession differential (+3.2).

In rounds 16 to 20 the Power have been ranked 15th for opposition points from clearances (36), 14th for contested possession differential (-8.6) and 12th for clearance differential (-3.8).

“It is a connection of the team that is not at its best,” Hinkley said.

But despite the considerable drop off in key areas, which prompted Champion Data analyst Daniel Hoyne to say the Power needs massive form reversal to avoid a straight-sets final exit, while North Melbourne champion David King said Port can’t win the flag, Hinkley was optimistic his side could find its form again.

“We are really confident about our whole game, lets not get too down about the last couple of weeks,” he said.

“We are sitting second on the ladder, we have worked really hard to get to that position.

“You are never going to be at your absolute best every week.

“There’s a pretty good footy team that we have here and we are pretty optimistic about what the end of the season can look like.”