Port Adelaide superstar Robbie Gray highlights the positive strength of player power at Alberton
Port Adelaide’s players set about writing their new playbook in the off-season — and superstar Robbie Gray says the merit of the change was evident in the season-opener against Melbourne.
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Port Adelaide superstar Robbie Gray is highlighting player power is no longer to be feared within an AFL club, as emphasised by the Power’s season-opening win against Melbourne.
“We sat down at the start of the pre-season for a big discussion as a group — players and coaches — and as players we had an input on how we wanted to play,” Gray told The Advertiser.
“We’ve worked all summer at refining that — and there is still plenty of room for improvement.
“This was a big win for us. Over the summer a lot was said about our club — and no-one gave us a chance. We have been confident all the way.”
There is no doubt in how the Power players feel they are working to a playbook that best reflects their intent as AFL footballers. And they are confident the new attacking gameplan will prevent Port Adelaide being shut down, as it was late last season when the Power collapsed from a top-four contender to pretender by winning just one of the last six home-and-away matches.
“We’re loving our footy at the moment; it is a lot of fun,” said Gray. “There is still a long way to go. But most importantly, we’ve shown we are on the right track.
“We’re playing quicker with the ball. That is the main thing.
“We still want to defend really strongly. But we are a bit more aggressive with the ball.”
Gray, a three-time club champion at Alberton, drew the best out of his team-mates for his 200th AFL milestone game. But he took greater pride in how the Power squad delivered a response for his club as its 2019 fortunes were clouded in external doubt.
“It was a big day for our club — a fresh start; and it was enjoyable,” said Gray, who was among the Power’s best as he turned the Melbourne defence inside-out to have four shots on goal and assist in two other scores.
The strength of Port Adelaide’s new game is underwritten by coach Ken Hinkley accepting — and admitting — the need for change.
“We had to fix our scoring,” Hinkley said. “We decided as a group how we were going to play — and they (the players) backed it.
“To their credit, they wanted to play that way. We (the coaches) jumped on with them. It is fantastic for them to get some confidence out of that, some reinforcement about that.”
The other fresh element of the Power game was presented by four debutants at the MCG on Saturday — midfielder Willem Drew and first-round draftees Connor Rozee, Xavier Duursma and Zac Butters.
“They are awesome,” Gray said. “In a huge game against a quality opponent (that played in last year’s preliminary finals) they continued to deliver what we saw in the JLT (pre-season).
“They brought it again today. We’ve got some good ones — and the best bit about them is they are humble, good kids. They want to learn, do their bit for the team, so we love having them in the team.”
Port Adelaide scored 12.15 (87) — a goal more than the Power’s scoring average last season — while piercing the Melbourne defence for 59 inside-50 entries.
Hinkley judged the 87 points as good as 100.
“For the opportunities we created, that was a 100-point scoring game,” Hinkley said. “We didn’t finish the work. But that was a team capable of 100-plus points.
“Kick 100 you will more often than not. That’s where we are trying to get to.”
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
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