Port Adelaide coach Matthew Lokan has his side well poised for SANFL glory
Does Port Adelaide Magpies coach Matthew Lokan have an advantage over his Adelaide counterpart in the battle for SANFL glory?
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Port Adelaide state league coach Matthew Lokan and his Adelaide counterpart Heath Younie have a lengthy SANFL history and a flag would be a prized possession for both men.
Despite being in control of AFL reserves teams with an emphasis on development, their passion for the state league is evident and they crave success.
On Saturday night, they will be in opposing coaching boxes at Adelaide Oval for the qualifying final continuing to work on strategies they hope will end in historic glory as the first AFL reserves team to claim the premiership.
However, does Lokan have the advantage in the battle for the title?
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Port wants the flag. That was no more evident than the words of CEO Keith Thomas, who said: “We have got an SANFL grand final to play off I reckon in the next few weeks and we are pumped about that program. We want to finish the year off strongly and get into the new year with some real energy”.
The finals have not even started and the club is talking grand finals. Arrogant? Maybe. Cocky? Maybe. But what those words do clearly advertise is Port’s intent, and focused target. It is also a message to the club’s fans it is serious.
Port is not hiding from the fact it wants to rule the SANFL roost and there is a unified club behind the enthusiastic bid.
Compare that to the environment in which Younie has had to work his magic. The Crows are being portrayed as a club trekking through deep mud with talk of players wanting out, disgruntled fans and anger-filled questions being fired at the management.
Such are the dark clouds hanging over West Lakes, there is to be an external investigation. From the outside, it just does not seem to be fun anymore.
While many of the players have been able to escape the spotlight and get away on a much-needed holiday now the club’s AFL commitments have ended for the season, there is a bunch of players, many of them in the infancy of their careers at the Crows, who are still at work while the club is being grilled.
The Crows admit development is the prime motivating factor for their state league side. That does not mean Younie does not want the premiership, he would love to get his hands on the trophy.
From the outside, it just does not seem he has the same conditions to operate as Lokan.