Analysis: Port Adelaide’s contrasting first and second halves reveal a team with a split personality

PORT Adelaide survived a scare at home against Brisbane, but the gap between the best and worst of the Power is still too grand.

Darcy Byrne-Jones under pressure from Brisbane’s Hugh McCluggage at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. Picture SARAH REED

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PORT Adelaide played with fire on Saturday. And not always with fire in the belly, as many had expected in forecasting Brisbane to be another of those flat-track bully “road kills” the Power collects at Adelaide Oval.

Sloppy. Wasteful (again). Even lazy at times in another dysfunctional first half.

Commanding. Efficient. Inspired in the third term.

A mix of all this bad and good Port Adelaide in the last when the Power could not score a goal.

How much will the Monday night panel experts attribute the five-point game to the Lions being better in the second year of the grand rebuild by Chris Fagan ... or the Power falling back to some potholes from 2017?

Stefan Martin rucks against Justin Westhoff. The Brisbane big man dominated in the absence of Paddy Ryder. Picture SARAH REED

Jared Polec, under pressure from Dayne Zorko, was red hot against his old club. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

What legend will be made of Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley’s half-time oratory ... or the Power players’ maturity to adjust when challenged — and failing?

What is the difference between the bad Port Adelaide that kicks 4.6 in the first quarter and the Power that digs a game from out of the fire with 7.1 in the third term? Surely it is attitude more than approach?

There is still a split personality in this Port Adelaide.

Different venue (from SCG), very different opponent (from the hardened Sydney unit), but exactly the same core issues at half-time as Port Adelaide this time trialled Brisbane by 11 points rather than the 12 against the Swans.

And the prospect of repeating the Houdini script by “getting dirty” at ground level had to deal with the scare just before half-time of midfielder Ollie Wines — the game changer against Sydney — hobbling to the bench with a right-ankle injury. He did return for the opening bounce of the third term when the Power needed an engine-room hero — again.

Port Adelaide player Brad Ebert thanks fans after Saturday’s five-point win. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

Sometimes the problem with being “blessed” with so many midfield options — as Port Adelaide is this season with the arrival of former Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff, former Geelong opportunist Steven Motlop and comeback kid Dom Barry — is how so much choice becomes blinding in the search for the right mix.

Brisbane’s telling early advantage at the stoppages was crafted by the dominance of ruckman Stefan Martin, not just with hit-outs but also his field disposals. No Patrick Ryder, no Power ...

The pre-game script about a Lion facing his former team-mates as a potential match winner for the Power was not Rockliff. It was wingman Jared Polec, now in his fifth year at Alberton since leaving Brisbane. And it is not just his run that counts now — so does his work when the ball is fire hot.

Polec’s save with a mark on the goal line in the last 78 seconds counted more.

And the major lessons from last year’s elimination final loss were noted as the Power survived two boundary throw-ins in the last 40 seconds in the south-west zone where West Coast midfielder Luke Shuey sunk Port Adelaide.

After repeatedly dismantling bottom-10 teams at the Oval last season, Port Adelaide was never going to earn meaningful credibility as a top-four contender by working over Brisbane. But in making hard work of setting the agenda at home yesterday, the Power threw into the furnace a few of the credit points earned in Sydney.

Power recruit Tom Rockliff tackles Harris Andrews in his first game against his old club. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED

1. PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley understands his players’ emotions — as highlighted by his decision to put former Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff at the first centre bounce in his first match against his former Lions team-mates. And Hinkley was even prepared to break the image of AFL coaches being secretive about their line-ups by declaring his starting centre-bounce rotation — with Rockliff against Ryan Lester — in the pre-game interview with FIVEaa.

Rockliff’s third game for the Power — after a limited pre-season with a knee strain — told he is on a slow build.

2. NO Patrick Ryder, no Port Adelaide? Brisbane ruckman Stefan Martin certainly put this theory on the agenda again. His dominance — not just in ruck, but to lead the disposal count with 20 at half-time — threaten to create an upset.

Charlie Cameron was impressive in his first visit back to Adelaide Oval as a Brisbane Lion. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images)

3. IT is not just the year of the power forward repeatedly turning the tumblers on the scoreboards. Even the little guy, such as the 181cm Charlie Cameron, is proving a tough match-up with his sharp leading from the goalsquare. The Crows grand finalist returned to Adelaide Oval for the first time since his defection to Brisbane to appear still very much “at home” as he opened up the Power defence for the first two goals of the game in the first five minutes. Cameron closed the match with three goals.

4. WINGMAN Jared Polec upstaged Rockliff in the measure of former Lions now at Port Adelaide with his impressive mix of hard run — and contested football that is redefining his game.

5. IN the grandest era of the Power-Lions rivalry (2001-2004), the great duel within the game was between Port Adelaide key defender Chad Cornes and Brisbane triple-premiership hero Jonathan Brown. The sequel is building with 21-year-old Power backman Dougal Howard and 20-year-old Lions beanpole Eric Hipwood. It was not quite the Dougie-Buddy Show from the SCG on Easter Sunday, but give it time to build to one of the AFL’s super rivalries.