Port Adelaide end of season review: How I’d fix the Power
SEASON REVIEW: The pre-season expectation was a return to finals. Port Adelaide accomplished that, but after a dramatic elimination final exit, was it enough?
PORT ADELAIDE returned to the finals after a two-year absence completing the non-negotiable expectation put on coach Ken Hinkley’s shoulders in the pre-season.
The dramatic exit in extra time of a home elimination final at the hands of West Coast brought an abrupt end to a promising season but not to the long-game plan Hinkley has in developing a new player group at the Power.
MICHELANGELO RUCCI looks at where Port Adelaide goes next after a season that seems to have fallen short on the field.
BONE’S BEEF: PORT ADELAIDE SHOULD BE KICKING ITSELF
FINAL LOSS: POWER BLEW IT AT SELECTION: BRERETON
TRADE BAIT: TRENGOVE WAITS ON REVIEW BEFORE FUTURE
SEASON ROUND-UP
KEN Hinkley says the Power made “significant improvement” in 2017. Playing AFL finals, after finishing ninth and 10th in 2015 and 2016, certainly points to progress after a challenging review pointed to the need for change at Alberton.
Hinkley changed his playbook. He achieved significant success in establishing “team defence” as Port Adelaide cut two goals (88 to 76 points) from the scores conceded to the opposition.
Hinkley bravely took up the long game in backing youth, particularly after being exposed by a record 84-point belting from AFL pacesetter Adelaide in Showdown 43 with a month to play in the home-and-away series.
To start a knock-out final with 11 players in their maiden appearance — while leaving veteran utility Jackson Trengove in the grandstands — underlines how the Power is committed to youth and its long-term promise.
Hinkley’s conversion of ruckman-forward Dougal Howard to defence in the last month of the season, his year-long faith in first-year midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper and his gain in rookie-listed defender Dan Houston highlights how — as senior assistant Matthew Nicks puts it — “the sky’s the limit” to what could emerge at Alberton in the next few years.
The Power’s 14 wins in 22 games — along with the historic adventure to Shanghai, China — was a touch more than any pundit expected at the start of the season when Port Adelaide was considered a challenger to rank between seventh and 10th. It finished the home-and-away season in fifth spot.
The cruel ending, with the after-the-siren goal from West Coast midfielder Luke Shuey in extra-time in the home elimination final, leaves the impression Port Adelaide fell short. Expectation is clearly on shifting sands in assessing the Power.
THE PROBLEM
IN team structure, Port Adelaide needs that second go-to forward to support Charlie Dixon. Hinkley is now investing in the Power’s first pick in the 2016 draft, Todd Marshall. He also has Jesse Palmer and Billy Frampton to work into a new-look attack.
Port Adelaide started the year moving to a new defensive structure away from the experienced hands of Alipate Carlile and Jackson Trengove — and has gained by backing Tom Clurey and Howard and still has Logan Austin to add to the pack.
In results, Port Adelaide has to accept the reality of the 2-7 count against top-eight rivals (with wins only against Sydney and West Coast, both on the road) says the Power is still falling short of the AFL’s pacesetters, but is now ahead of the also-rans.
Despite having a lauded midfield — with impressive names in Robbie Gray, All-Australian ruckman Patrick Ryder, Chad Wingard, Ollie Wines and Brad Ebert — there is the need for more in this zone.
THE SOLUTION
PORT Adelaide is part of the way through the solution which demanded the Power find new methods to protect its raw defence by keeping the ball at its forward half for more and more of the game.
But — as was highlighted in the two home loses to West Coast — the Power cannot afford to dominate with a heavy count of inside 50s and not have this translated to the scoreboard.
If Port Adelaide could solve the age-old challenge in Australian football of improving goalkicking accuracy, the scoreboard would read better for the Power and its premiership ranking would rise.
Hinkley and his coaching staff have put forward a new foundation at Alberton. The challenge now is to work even harder at building “premiership performances” by improving on the little things that make the big difference, particularly in tight finishes.
THE TARGET
FREE agency offers the temptation of Brisbane midfielder Tom Rockliff and Geelong forward Steven Motlop.
Port Adelaide is expected to become an “extra party” in the complicated deal Geelong and Gold Coast work to get Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett back to Kardinia Park. This may also include out-of-contract midfielder Brendon Ah Chee who was part of the Suns’ plans in last year’s trade period until Gold Coast became too caught up in bigger deals, such as Jaeger O’Meara’s move to Hawthorn.
THE DREAM
PROGRESS in the young guns would be ideal at Alberton.
Turning the pain of an elimination final defeat could become a major motivator in the summer when Billy Frampton, Todd Marshall, Dougal Howard, Sam Powell-Pepper, Dan Houston, Riley Bonner, Karl Amon, Jesse Palmer, Logan Austin, Darcy Bryne-Jones, Willem Drew, Joe Atley and William Snelling need to take up the challenge — and opportunity — of becoming the players who become the strength of Port Adelaide’s progress to be contenders for the next decade.
BUCKY SAYS
(Port Adelaide can’t afford to lose) Jackson Trengove, he’s a really important part of their structure down back and can and has been used in a variety of different roles. If they did lose him, then they would need to find a replacement straight away.
2018 PREDICTION
PORT Adelaide’s slip from fifth at the end of the home-and-away season to seventh puts the Power in that “second tier” for the AFL fixture when it is formulated by the league’s process for a 22-game series with 18 teams. This puts the Power in that mix for a draw that avoids too many “double-up” games against the top-four pacesetters.
Port Adelaide should again be in the 5-8 mix with 13 to 14 wins. If there is major progress with the commitment to youth, the Power may follow Richmond’s 2017 path to a top-four finish.
The elephant Port must still get out of the room
Port Adelaide planning to confirm its succession plan from Ken Hinkley to Josh Carr before round 1 is odd timing. This could and should have been done by now, as MATT TURNER writes.
Track watch: Port bull passes big test, JHF sizzles
Rory Atkins on kick-in duty, the SSP midfield audition and Sam Powell-Pepper ticking off a major milestone in his comeback – there was plenty happening at Alberton on Friday.