Port Adelaide vows to learn after failing Tassie pressure test

Port Adelaide’s Karl Amon has singled out the one ingredient that was sadly lacking in its scoreless first quarter against Hawthorn and is determined not to let it happen again.

Port Adelaide indigenous players for the game against Hawthorn: Steven Motlop, Paddy Ryder, Sam Powell- Pepper, Jarrod Lienert, Karl Amon and Joel Garner at UTAS Stadium. PICTURE: CHRIS KIDD

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THE key word for Port Adelaide from here is pressure — of the high-octane variety.

In Launceston on Saturday, Hawthorn brought it from the first bounce; the Power didn’t.

It was a match that was effectively lost in the first quarter, with Port Adelaide unable to score as the Hawks had helped themselves to four goals and a behind.

Karl Amon puts some heat on Hawthorn star Jaeger O'Meara. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

Karl Amon, who was influential for the Power with 20 disposals, nine tackles, four marks and a nice goal, said the main thing for Port Adelaide as it prepares for next week is to dissect how they were so dominated from the start only to get itself back into the game but never in front.

“Our start wasn’t there and they brought the pressure and hunt early and we just couldn’t cope with it,” Amon said. “After that, from quarter time, we probably held our own but we have to look at the start and address that.

“We’ve got to equal their pressure.

“They beat us in the tackling and came at us but after that I think we had some nice moments with the ball when we were able to change the angles and get it forward.

“We’ve got to look at that and try to use that going into next week.”

There were a couple of other concerns.

The Power had tried to switch the ball only for Hawthorn to have it covered on the open side of the ground as well.

Port Adelaide’s indigenous players for the game against Hawthorn, from left, Steven Motlop, Paddy Ryder, Sam Powell- Pepper, Jarrod Lienert, Karl Amon and Joel Garner at UTAS Stadium. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

It had forced Port Adelaide to go long up the sideline, which never led to any real flow in the club’s ball movement.

“We were probably a little bit too late to switch the ball,” Amon said. “And then started to go down the line, which is not what we want.

“We want to take the game on and switch and come out on the open side.”

But Amon also said it had been an important lesson, in particularly to the club’s younger players.

Port Adelaide now sits on 5-5, the same record as Hawthorn, but it had been behind in several important areas in Tasmania.

“It was a pretty disappointing performance but as young players, which we have a fair few in at the moment, you can learn from that and go forward,” Amon said. “We’ve got to try to use some of that in the coming weeks.”