I’ve got to do better, says out of form Port Adelaide star Chad Wingard

PORT Adelaide star Chad Wingard is making no excuses for his form slump, declaring “I’m not going to chuck any out there’’.

POWER OUTAGE: Port Adelaide star Chad Wingard has taken ownership of his poor form. Picture: AAP.

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PORT Adelaide star Chad Wingard is making no excuses for his form slump, declaring “I’m not going to chuck any out there’’.

The dual All-Australian said he is fit but admitted he is “struggling’’ to recapture the elite form that earned him a spot in the best 22 players in Australia in 2013 and 2015 and that he is as frustrated as anyone that he hasn’t been able to have his usual gamebreaking influence on games.

While there has been a tweak in his on-field role, the 24-year-old said he doesn’t have any concrete answers as to why he is averaging six fewer disposals (16) than a year ago and is kicking just a goal a game.

“I’ve been struggling and am trying to find my feet at the moment,’’ he said after recording just 13 disposals and failing to score in Saturday’s tough three-point loss to Hawthorn in Tasmania.

“You can have a lot of excuses but I’m not going to chuck any out there. It’s really on myself to play at a better level.

“I expect a lot more of myself and obviously the coach (Ken Hinkley) does as well.

“Sometimes in your career you go through this sort of thing and I’m going to take it as a challenge and try to learn from it.

“I had a good couple of games (against Adelaide and Gold Coast) coming into last week and then it was a very down week as a whole.

“I’ve just got to keep chipping away, play my role and really bring that effort each week and hopefully my form will come.’’

Wingard conceded a pre-season hamstring injury and a further setback with the same muscle that cost him the round seven match against West Coast had not helped his form, along with playing more as a forward this year following the arrival of big-name midfield recruits Tom Rockliff from Brisbane and Steven Motlop from Geelong.

But, manfully, he refuses to blame them for his modest output, which also has included a drop in kicking efficiency.

“I’m playing a lot more forward this year whereas I was more midfield last year because we brought in guys like Rockliff and Motlop — we’ve got some absolute guns in the midfield — so I’ve just got to keep doing what I can to play my role in the team.’’ said Wingard, who yesterday helped launch the club’s flagship Aboriginal community program, the Aboriginal Power Cup.

Port Adelaide's Chad Wingard kicks a goal. Picture: Michael Klein

“I do what’s best for the betterment of the team and as long as I am playing my role and doing the right things defensively the offence will eventually come.

“If you give your best you can live with that.’’

Wingard downplayed an animated discussion he had with runner Chad Cornes during the loss to the Hawks in Launceston.

“The runner comes out and tells you what to do 100 times a game,’’ he said.

“It just happened that this one had to be on camera. There was nothing to it, just a bit of positional stuff, and it looked a lot worse than what it was.’’

Port (6-4) plays premier Richmond at Adelaide Oval on Friday night and Wingard said his team would need to be at its best to pull of an upset.