Sweet relief for Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley

KEN Hinkley says Port Adelaide negotiating “scary” déjà vu to hold on against Brisbane showed growth in his unbeaten 2018 unit.

Relief written all over Travis Boak's face as he leads the team off Adelaide Oval on Saturday. Picture SARAH REED

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KEN Hinkley says Port Adelaide negotiating “scary” déjà vu to hold on against Brisbane showed growth in his unbeaten 2018 unit.

Port overcame an 11-point half-time deficit and the demons of their elimination final loss to West Coast at Adelaide Oval with a last-gasp defensive play.

Port had to lock down in a defensive 50 contest with a minute on the clock and prevailed by five points. Jared Polec marked on the last line to prevent a match-winning Allen Christensen goal.

It was a Polec high tackle on Eagle Luke Shuey that saw the midfielder goal after the siren and end Port’s 2017 campaign.

“I like the resilience out there at the end. If I look back six months ago at a back 50 stoppage and what happened in a final,” said Hinkley,

“I thought we set up well with a back 50 stoppage. The group showed some growth and Polec marks the ball on the line. We played scrappy, dirty, tough footy to hang on.”

Port players sing the team song after defeating Brisbane by five points at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

Port had been expected to overwhelm the Lions but Hinkley said a 3-0 start to the season — the side’s best since 2013 — was priceless in a cutthroat competition.

“We are really happy to win still because we say week in week out how close the competition is,” noted Hinkley.

“You would take that at the start of the year, every club would be happy to be 3-0.”

Lions coach Chris Fagan said his men could “walk away proud” and Hinkley agreed.

“To their credit Brisbane kept at us all day. We always knew they would be a challenge,” said Hinkley of the Lions without captain Dayne Beams due to illness.

Brisbane ruckman Stefan Martin (48 hit-outs) was unstoppable with 30 possessions and nine inside 50s against a Port side dearly missing Paddy Ryder. Former Adelaide star Charlie Cameron and Eric Hipwood booted three goals each.

Relieved Port coach Ken Hinkley with Brisbane counterpart Chris Fagan after the match. Picture SARAH REED

Hinkley signalled the Power would rely on Justin Westhoff, Charlie Dixon and Dougal Howard against Essendon’s Tom Bellchambers next Sunday at Etihad.

“He is a pretty good player full stop and the most dynamic player on the ground in the first half, had 20 possessions, 300 metres gained and involved in seven scoring assists. We were trying our best with Hoff, Charlie, Doug but credit to Stefan.

“We look through it but pretty comfortable that the people out there that are capable of getting it done. It was a day when the opposition ruckman got on top and that can happen with Paddy out there.”

Former Lions skipper Tom Rockliff slotted one of Port’s seven goals in a decisive third term but is yet to hit full stride.

“He is slowly building, we saw parts of the game that were positive for Rock,” said Hinkley of Rockliff. .