Port Adelaide promised so much this season. Now the Power has just endless questions to answer on why it did not deliver
PORT Adelaide does not need a miracle at Kardinia Park on Saturday afternoon to stay in the AFL finals race. This was shot by defeat to Essendon at Adelaide Oval on Friday night. Now the Power needs a miracle of a different type.
ON the AFL live ladder created by the father of football’s statistical analysis, Ted Hopkins, the “what next” question for Port Adelaide is perfectly summed up with this cutting barb: “Endless questions, just endless”.
Off camera, the master of AFL television commentary, Bruce McAvaney, said (more than asked): “How did to come to this (with the Power, once 11-4 and destined for a top-two finish this season)?”
And on the terraces they are not searching for answers to those endless questions on the demise of a team that promised to fight for an AFL berth — even if there was little chance of a miracle unfolding for the Power by courtesy of Gold Coast at Kardinia Park on Saturday afternoon.
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They are DEMANDING answers. They will turn on coach Ken Hinkley, who is contracted to the end of 2021.
Those “In Ken We Trust” T-shirts will start appearing in Salvo recycling bins soon. And this is even after he played two ruckmen (All-Australian Patrick Ryder and debutant Billy Frampton), as the restless fans have wanted for so long.
These uncompromising Power supporters will fall out of love with players who were pin-up heroes just six weeks ago. Kane Cornes’ pre-game theme of starting a “fire sale” at Alberton in the lead-up to October’s trade period will gain more and more endorsement.
Bruce, it is not only how did it come to this, but also how quickly it came to this point of unease and repetitive despair for Port Adelaide.
This is a Port Adelaide team that lives on confidence. That invaluable part of the Power players’ collective psyche was rattled by that telling nine-point loss to Fremantle in Perth in Round 17 that ended a five-game winning run and started the 1-6 crash in the home stretch.
Perhaps it was all for show the thought of playing out this Friday Night Football game against also-ran Essendon as if the season was still alive for Port Adelaide.
But that meek start — with the Bombers having the first 10 inside-50s and 3.1 on the scoreboard from the first five shots at goal — was not true to all this Power team has promised since March, let alone this week.
A bad start, a 33-point deficit at quarter time, a fightback to cut this to 10, more trouble against Essendon’s speed and a season ends with Port Adelaide likely to rank 10th.
There are indeed many questions about Port Adelaide, more so about the team that the club this time. Endless questions … and a little longer than planned to contemplate the answers at Alberton.
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED
1. If that was Jared Polec’s last game for the Power then list management better find a replacement asap. There isn’t much run in that team apart from him, Motlop and Farrell. Polec again got them going with a string of handballs, hard-running and his piercing left foot. He had 29 disposals last night and every time he got the ball something happened.
2. Ruck debutant Billy Frampton had some moments but he’s still got a way to go before he’s in their best 22 next year. Took a few strong marks and kicked a nice goal in the third term. But if Port lands Scott Lycett in the trade period then he and Ryder will form a dangerous double act rather than pensioning off Ryder into retirement.
3. Chad Wingard is contracted for next year but he’ll want to have a big season to warrant a pay rise. In his three previous games he had 16, 18 and 18 disposals but last night playing predominantly midfield he had 32. There are calls to settle him down in one position but whatever happens, at 25 Wingard is about to hit his prime and Port needs him playing his prime football.
4. Foot skills were a major difference last night. Port couldn’t hit simple targets with 15-20m kicks where as Essendon pierced through the defence and constantly linked up by foot. At half-time the Power was kicking at 64 per cent compared to Essendon’s 74 per cent and Ollie Wines was going at 17 per cent in the last quarter. Boak and Pittard also guilty of missing straightforward kicks.
5. Justin Westhoff continues to defy age. Port Adelaide’s oldest (31 years) and most experienced (248 games) player was arguably its best last night with five goals and gave off his sixth to Paddy Ryder in the last quarter. A worthy B & F contender.
— REECE HOMFRAY