Port Adelaide beats up on weaker teams, so are the Eagles a genuinely strong side?

IF THERE is one thing we know about Port Adelaide, it’s that they beat up on weaker teams, writes DERMOTT BRERETON. So this final comes down to one question: How good is West Coast?

Josh Kennedy of the Eagles.

AT THE end of every final series we look back at the results and uncover patterns.

We ask ourselves, “Why couldn’t we see that happening?”

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The two easiest patterns to detect since the midyear bye rounds this year have been:

NO MATTER how close the game, no one besides Hawthorn can beat Sydney.

PORT Adelaide just cannot beat a true top-eight team — but they beat up on anyone that is not worthy of being labelled a genuine finals outfit.

So the question must be asked: how genuine is West Coast?

The Eagles are an excellent team at home, an ordinary team on the road. And yet the one place outside West Australia that they play well is Adelaide Oval.

At season’s start I was convinced that the Eagles would rise again and regain their Grand Final form from 2015 when they won 16 games.

The inclusion of Sam Mitchell and his ability to put the ball to great advantage would release Andrew Gaff into space more often.

Sam Mitchell was a major off-season addition for West Coast. Picture: Michael Klein

And if Lewis Jetta was willing to work like he did at Sydney, the Eagles would be a good offensive running team once again.

But Priddis and Mitchell together has not been the combination that we might have thought.

Jetta has played on his terms and Gaff, although good, has not wounded the opposition in the manner in which we know he is capable.

They still have a brilliant intercepting backline and the best true key-position forward in Josh Kennedy (Lance Franklin might be the best, but he is not a true key forward).

Elliot Yeo and Jeremy McGovern started the year brilliantly with intercept marking.

And that was the Eagles’ long suit.

Tom Barass emerged as a third intercept defender of very high quality.

In a game at the MCG against Richmond, the Tigers showed a blueprint against the Eagles. And that was: do not kick the ball forward with any hang time.

Make the Eagles defenders chase on the lead. And that took away the Eagles’ one wood — their intercept marking.

Josh Kennedy is the best genuine key forward in the game.

Thereafter they decided that one intercept defender was about the right balance and if the opposition allowed for an appropriate match-up, maybe two.

Barass’s ability meant they wanted to keep playing him, so to make room McGovern went forward for a while, especially while Kennedy went down. And Yeo pushed into the midfield and even had some minutes forward.

By their own hand, the Eagles contributed in a small way to their own downturn. They took Yeo and McGovern away from where they serve the team best.

But they have returned to their best set-up in the past couple of months. Kennedy has returned to the team and McGovern and Yeo have gone back behind the footy.

And although he is good enough to get a game in 17 other teams, Barass must bide his time.

This match will be a territory battle.

Port will hold the ball in its forward half and try to strangle the Eagles’ forward movement.

They will aim for repeat entries and even a game of “occupation” where the ball lives within their forward 50m arc.

Teams that are not worthy of being a bona fide finalist eventually wither and succumb to Port’s forward pressure.

Teams that are legitimate contenders can exit through Port’s press due to superior skill and method.

So it comes to this: Are the Eagles a genuine and legitimate contender? My answer is no.

Originally published as Port Adelaide beats up on weaker teams, so are the Eagles a genuinely strong side?