Ken Hinkley says Port Adelaide must improve first-term efforts in China after another false start against Hawthorn on Saturday

Ken Hinkley knows what his side needs to do as it prepares to take on St Kilda in China. And with Port sitting 5-5, the Round 11 clash is shaping up as season defining.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley cuts a frustrated figure in Launceston. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

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Ken Hinkley is rightly concerned about Port Adelaide’s slow first quarters this season.

In Saturday’s 31-point loss to Hawthorn in Launceston — built almost entirely on a four-goal-to-zero opening stanza — it was another demonstration of the Power’s failure to fire early in games.

Hinkley is rightly concerned about Port Adelaide’s slow first quarters this season.

In Saturday’s 31-point loss to Hawthorn in Launceston — built almost entirely on a four-goal-to-zero opening stanza — it was another demonstration of the Power’s failure to fire early in games.

It follows their effort in Showdown 46 against Adelaide, when their first quarter yielded just two behinds to the Crows 2.1 in their 20-point loss.

Port Adelaide’s coach Ken Hinkley walks off the UTAS Stadium in Launceston after his side’s 31-point loss at the hands of Hawthorn. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

Collingwood also put the Power to the sword with a seven-goal opening quarter avalanche in Round 7.

The Magpies’ 45-point quarter time margin turned into a 39-point defeat under the bright Friday night lights.

Hinkley said his side was working on turning around those slow starts, and that how well they have done in that endeavour will be evident when they take on St Kilda at Adelaide Arena at Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai on Sunday.

“(What we’ll want to do is) fly safely and getting there, and clearly for us we just talk about the start of the game, the contest stuff,” Hinkley said.

“We’re no different to any other side in the comp.

“We know where we start and stop, and if we don’t start with good energy and good hunt, we put ourselves in danger. So we won’t be any different than we were last week leading into this game.

“We’ll be the same, we’ll prepare really well and we’ll come over there and challenge and go for it against the Saints, who I’m sure will also be trying to do the same thing.”

With the Power now sitting just outside the top eight on percentage with a 5-5 record, a win in Shanghai will be important to the club as it tries to claw back its promising start to the 2019 season, particularly considering the evenness of the competition.

“Most teams have similar stats other than two or three right at the top,” Hinkley said.

“The rest of us are really even, we’re all challenged with different parts of the game, week in, week out.”

Port coach Ken Hinkley tries to rally his troops against Hawthorn in Launceston. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

So, the Power coach will take the positives from the Launceston loss, particularly the huge impact that Robbie Gray had returning from surgery to his broken hand, where he picked up 27 disposals (11 kicks, 16 handballs and 12 of those contested possessions), seven marks, two clearances and one goal.

Hinkley said both Gray and co-captain Tom Jonas would be better for their run.

“There’s some of the small bonuses we take out of (the loss), we’ve still seen some good patches of play from some good players for us as well,” he said.

“I thought (Peter) Ladhams, even in his first game, was OK.

“(Xavier) Duursma again showed some good stuff. There’s still some players out there who are getting better.”

Questions remain over the fitness of Tom Rockliff, who came off in the third quarter with a hamstring complaint.

He will be assessed on Monday afternoon before the club flies to Shanghai on Tuesday.