Port Adelaide Power backs face a tall test against potent West Coast Eagles forward line
HOW Port Adelaide premiership captain Warren Tredrea would coach the Power against West Coast on Saturday.
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WARREN Tredrea captained Port Adelaide to its first and only AFL premiership in 2004.
Here the former star forward explains how he expects the elimination final between the Power and West Coast Eagles will play out at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
DEFENCE
WITH Port’s best two defenders unavailable against the Eagles — Tom Jonas suspended and Jack Hombsch’s season over with hip surgery — defence is clearly Port’s weakest line on Saturday night.
The key assignments of dual-Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling will most likely to be handed to the inexperienced Tom Clurey and Dougal Howard.
Kennedy has tormented Port in the past, kicking 27 goals is 10 matches and, with no ideal matchup, the reigns must be handed to nine-gamer Dougal Howard to topple the three-time All Australian.
While Kennedy’s aerobic ability worries me, Howard is the quickest key defender I have seen in a long time. He possesses elite closing speed, he’s super competitive and very assured with the ball in his hands.
Unfortunately for Jackson Trengove, I can’t see a place for him in Port’s back six. Howard is better one-on-one with tricky forwards, quicker and is a better kick and decision maker under pressure.
Mark LeCras has kicked eight goals in his two outings against Port in 2017. Darcy Byrne Jones must play on him. He’s Port’s best small defender with a defence-first attitude.
He’s also less inclined to be drawn into the contest to win the ball like running defenders Hamish Hartlett and Jasper Pittard can do when opposed to smart forwards like LeCras.
Port appears to have too many ball-possessing half-backs who can’t defend strongly enough. Hartlett, Pittard and Dan Houston must limit the damage and neutralise as many defensive one-on-one contests as possible. One of these half-back flankers may also have to man up on Jack Darling if Eagles coach Adam Simpson tries to stretch the small Port defence by pushing a resting ruckman forward forcing Clurey to move onto him.
The other challenge that awaits is if it wins the midfield battle — as it has on both occasions this year — Ken Hinkley will find his defenders outnumbering the West Coast forwardline when Simpson stacks his backline to clog up Port’s scoring.
Port must hold its defensive structure and not get pulled too far up the ground. This is the tactic West Coast will go to if it can’t get hold of the ball in the midfield — relying on counter attacking sling shot football from deep in Port’s defence to generate scores and get the ball over the back.
MIDFIELD
PADDY Ryder is the best ruckman in the game. He’s terrorised West Coast in 2017 — amassing 37 disposals, 81 hit outs and kicking three goals.
West Coast doesn’t have an answer for him with Nic Natanui out injured.
Ryder’s dominance gives Port’s midfield the edge at stoppages and that’s why Simpson will send extra numbers to the contest.
Port must be aware of this and stretch the stoppage to create space between the ruckman and the midfielders to allow them room to work in.
If Ollie Wines, Sam Powell-Pepper, Chad Wingard, Brad Ebert and Co. can get on top in the inside-clearances game it will open up the Eagles on the outside.
West Coast must be respected. When the game is on the Eagles’ terms they are super-efficient going forward. With inside midfielders like Matt Priddis, Sam Mitchell and Luke Shuey, they will win their fair share of ball. And when they do the ball usually ends up in Andrew Gaff and Lewis Jetta’s hands that can cut you up if given time and space on the ball.
Port’s wingmen Jared Polec and Justin Westhoff mustn’t be sucked into the contest.
Unlike other teams, West Coast plays with two genuine wingman and not midfielders who rotate through the wing. Both possess elite speed and line-breaking ability and hold their position outside the contest. If Port gets sucked into the contest, Gaff and Jetta will have too much space to work with and it doesn’t end well for opposing clubs.
But the Eagles’ Achilles’ heel is their midfield’s inability to consistently win contested possessions — ranked 13th. They are also terrible at applying defensive pressure ranked 16th for tackles when the opposition has the ball.
Port must work them over and expose their lack of midfield speed and accountability by forcing Priddis and Mitchell to defend. I’d use Ebert in a one-on-one role against Priddis with the aim to nullify him at stoppages and run off him and win the ball at every opportunity.
If they can win the inside contest Port has the superior outside run with Polec, Wingard, Travis Boak and Ebert.
Port must also come with the mindset of playing on at every opportunity.
Players would have practised lowering their eyes when kicking the ball inside 50 to an outnumbered forward line all week, doing this effectively will be a key — forget about bombing the ball inside 50.
ATTACK
CHARLIE Dixon has been the thorn in West Coast’s side this year wining 36 disposals, 17 marks and eight goals in the two matches in 2017.
But Port mustn’t become too Dixon-focused. If they do they’ll play into West Coast’s hands.
The Eagles has been playing with three key defenders — Jeremy McGovern, Eric McKenzie and Tom Barrass — over the past couple of weeks. They also possess one of the best rebounding defenders in All-Australian Elliott Yeo — they must be made accountable.
Port must separate the West Coast defenders, isolating them and limiting their ability to drop off and take intercept marks.
Port must pick youngster Todd Marshall — while he’s only played two games he has a great set of hands and plays like a genuine forward. He demands the ball and leads in the midfielder’s vision and works hard.
Port’s midfield must be instructed to kick the ball to Marshall and force his opponent to man up. Whoever gets picked up by Jeremy McGovern must be totally switched on.
They need to imagine that they are wearing a bright yellow vest and the midfield is looking to kick the ball to him all night long.
He must demand the ball and lead up hard but only after he engages McGovern and forces him to defend.
However, if the ball is kicked long and high inside 50, McGovern’s opponent must never be out-marked and bring the ball to ground nullifying the contest.
This will allow Dixon to play one on one.
West Coast’s key defenders must be separated so they can be conquered.
KEY MATCH-UPS
MCGOVERN V PORT FORWARD
There are two ways of thinking when playing on intercept defenders like McGovern and Richmond’s Alex Rance — you can tag them or you can make him defend. Port is better off planning to dominate the midfield and playing though McGovern’s man and making him defend.
McGovern is at his best dropping off his opponent and intercept marking long high balls kicked inside 50 — Port can’t give him this.
PRIDDIS V EBERT
Priddis is a star. In potentially his last match he will be willing himself for one more huge performance.
He is as good as anyone winning the ball at the coal face, but like all one paced midfielders if you can stop him getting his hands on the ball he can be exposed for his lack of defensive pressure.
Ebert must run off him at every opportunity and port must give Ebert the ball.
COACHING STYLE
HINKLEY wants port to play fast, attacking football with brave ball movement. Port must keep the ball in motion at every opportunity and attack when there is space up the ground. If they are held up they must use their extra defenders behind the ball to switch play quickly and go around the Eagles’ defensive press at speed and then kick ball low into space inside 50.
If they’re held up outside 50, Port must kick the ball inside 50, never be out-marked and out-crumb the Eagles to hold the ball in the area for a repeat stoppage — creating more opportunities to use Ryder’s ruck dominance.
Simpson has showed his hand this year when his midfield has been unable to get on top. In round seven Port had 68 inside 50s to West Coast’s 39, yet the Eagles won by 10 points. In the return bout the Power had another 60 to the Eagles’ 42. Simpson knows his team can’t match Port’s speed of ball movement and outside run and that’s why he tried to play counter-attacking football by pushing massive numbers into his defence, winning possession and slingshotting the ball forward to an outnumbered forward line.
While it’s tough to score, the Eagles will back themselves to penetrate Port’s defensive line with precision kicking with the aim to turn them around and run into an open paddock.
CAPTAIN’S RUN
SHANNON Hurn is West Coast’s general in defence with a lethal leg. Port must limit the amount of times he kicks the ball and man him up every time they lose possession. They also must guard the mark with energy when he kicks in from a behind as he likes to kick the ball to himself and play on to gain extra metreage. He must also be forced to defend as spoiling the ball has never been a strength of his game.
Boak is back to his best although in a different role playing as a sixth man who pushes up as an extra midfielder, coming in off the square.
Since round 16, Port’s skipper has accumulated 209 disposals at 23 per game and kicked eight goals.
Boak has been hugely influential as a conduit between Port’s defence and high scoring lethal attack.
X-FACTORS
LEWIS JETTA (Eagles)
Jetta was sensational for the Eagles last week. He’s lightening quick and if you give him too much space on the wing he will cut you to shreds with his immaculate skills.
JAKE NEADE (Power)
Port’s forward line will be flooded with extra Eagles on Saturday night, Neade’s ability to create turnovers and stick big tackles will go a long way towards swinging the final is Port’s favour — like he did last match with a brilliant 15-disposal, nine-tackle, two-goal performance.
TREDREA’S FINAL WORD
I expect Port’s midfield to gain a huge advantage from Paddy Ryder’s clinical hit-outs to advantage. Over the past two occasions West Coast’s ruckmen haven’t been able to curb his influence and Port’s midfield has been too tough in the clinches.
This must happen again to protect Port’s inexperienced backline by pressuring the Eagles’ midfield and restricting the silver service to some of the best forwards in the game. Ken Hinkley’s team has been practising for the moment when West Coast tries to kill its scoring momentum by sending massive numbers behind the ball. The Power’s players must remain composed and lower their eyes and play smart football. The Power’s ability to execute will hold the key to entering the second week of the finals. They will get their chances they must take them.
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