Port Adelaide assistant Michael Voss copping it from coaching colleagues who played in 2004 Grand Final

Michael Voss can’t hide from it. There are reminders of Port Adelaide’s stunning 2004 Grand Final triumph over Brisbane everywhere at Alberton. But he has the perfect comeback.

FIERY CLASH: Lion Jonathan Brown lines up Port’s Josh Carr as the teams come to blows in the 2004 AFL grand final.

Michael Voss can’t hide from it. There are reminders everywhere.

Pictures of Port Adelaide’s historic first AFL premiership in 2004 adorn the walls of the club’s Alberton Oval headquarters and Power Grand Final heroes are out on the track and in coaches meetings with him.

“I’ve learnt to ignore it,’’ said former Brisbane captain and 1996 Brownlow Medallist Voss, who was on the wrong end of Port’s drought-breaking, 40-point Grand Final triumph.

“That’s the best way to survive. There’s a little bit of ribbing there.

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“But I keep reminding them that I’m the one who’s got three (premierships) and they’ve only got one.

“So I get them back, but it’s all in good fun.’’

Voss is one of six men who played in the 2004 Grand Final who currently work in the Port coaching or medical department.

Port Adelaide’s coaching panel members and 2004 Grand Finalists Jarrad Schofield, Chad Cornes, Michael Wilson and Brett Montgomery with Michael Voss. Picture: Sarah Reed

But he is the only one from the Lions, who held a one-point halftime lead before crashing to defeat in the decider.

The result famously led to Power premiership coach Mark Williams pulling his tie up high around his neck in a swipe at the club’s detractors after his side had been labelled “chokers’’ after three years of finals failure.

Voss, who captained Brisbane to three consecutive premierships from 2001-03 before the Lions failed in their quest to join Collingwood (1927-30) as the only club to win four in a row, has been at Port for four years but has this year been promoted from midfield coach to senior coach Ken Hinkley's right-hand man.

Five Power premiership players also have significant roles at the club, including three newcomers to the coaching panel — assistants Jarrad Schofield (midfield), Brett Montgomery (defence) and Dean Brogan (ruck), whose role is part-time.

Chad Cornes remains development coach while Michael Wilson is a club physiotherapist.

The five have been reunited for the first time at club land since the 2004 Grand Final, when Western Australian Schofield left Port to join Fremantle.

“I’m the new kid on the block back at Port so I’ve got to be very careful what I say to Vossy,’’ said Schofield, who played 131 games for the Power from 1999-2004 after joining Williams’ side from West Coast.

Brisbane’s Michael Voss after the Lions lost the 2004 AFL grand final against Port Adelaide.

“He’s senior assistant so there might be a bit of payback if I say too much but I must admit it’s nice to look at those (premiership) photos on the wall.

“He was a fantastic leader at Brisbane and there was a great rivalry between the two clubs for a few years and it was nice to get one back on them after they enjoyed so much finals success, some at our expense.

“Looking back at the Grand Final, we had a strong inner belief that our best was good enough and felt it was our time after some missed opportunities.’’

The Grand Final was a bruising encounter which Schofield described as a “brutal contest’’.

Lions forwards Alastair Lynch (10), Jonathan Brown (five) and midfielder Simon Black (three) were suspended for a total of 18 matches between them.

“It started at the first centre bounce,’’ Voss recalled.

“It looked like they (the Power) were coming after a couple of people but that’s just the physical nature of the game and we didn’t respond the way we wanted to.

“But they played the better brand of footy and were able to run over the top of us at the end.’’

Remarkably, 15 players from the 2004 Grand Final currently coach in the AFL — eight from Port and seven from Brisbane.

Apart from the Alberton-based Schofield, Montgomery, Brogan and Cornes, other Port premiership players are at Richmond, where Damien Hardwick is senior coach and Adam Kingsley is an assistant, Gold Coast (senior coach Stuart Dew) and St Kilda (assistant coach Brendon Lade).

Former Lions with AFL coaching roles include Voss, Geelong senior coach Chris Scott, North Melbourne senior coach Brad Scott, Geelong assistant Nigel Lappin, Richmond assistants Justin Leppitsch and Blake Caracella and Tigers development coach Craig McRae.

Adding to the class of 2004 is Port premiership player Josh Mahoney, who is head of football at Melbourne, and triple flag-winning Lion Luke Power as head coach of the AFL Academy.

“It’s confirmation for me that good teams generally go on and have a lot (of players) who have other things, good roles, pop up for them,’’ Voss said.

“As coaches we always try to sell the message to our players about being in a good team and the benefits and flow-on effects you get from it because it's so true.’’