Round 6 Power Rankings: Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley praises pressure kings
PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley was proud of his defenders for stopping potent Kangaroos forward Ben Brown, but equally as proud of his midfielders and forwards for responding to his demand to put pressure on the ball.
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KEN Hinkley identified one non-negotiable for Port Adelaide to stop North Melbourne’s potent forward line led by Ben Brown on the weekend.
“We’ve got to stop him getting the ball ... pressure on the ball is going to be the most significant thing in stopping Ben,” Hinkley said on Friday.
On Saturday night having done the job, Hinkley was proud of his defenders but equally as proud of his midfielders and forwards for responding to his demand.
“Really strong (defensive effort) but again that’s pressure we apply up the field,” he said.
And it started in the forwardline where Port’s fleet of smalls were manic. Crazy even, as Hinkley described Aidyn Johnson.
“He’s crazy,” Hinkley said.
“He’s kamikaze crazy and he knows what he’s in the team to do and he does that.
“He loves it and Jake Neade the same, they know they’ve got to put on a lot of pressure for us and they were really good together today.
“I thought it was a positive thing to have some real speed out there.”
There are players in Port Adelaide’s team who are walk-up starts and then there are guys like Johnson and Neade who drift in and out but when they get their chance know exactly what they need to do to keep their spot.
Neade is in his sixth season on the list and has played 59 games while Johnson has played six games and is in his third.
They don’t have to kick bags of goals or have 25 disposals but they have to bring pressure.
Both were involved early when the game was up for grabs, Johnson’s pressure had a hand in two goals and Neade was everywhere and there was total buy-in from the team.
Port Adelaide had 57 more disposals than North Melbourne on Saturday and still laid 19 more tackles. They laid 80 in total which was an equal season high to go with their round two win over the Swans and it was almost double their season low of 45 against Brisbane in round three.
Pressure led to turnovers and at long last this season the Power capitalised on their inside 50 entries with their best return since the round one thumping of Fremantle.
And they’ve had to find different avenues to goal in 2018.
Charlie Dixon and Robbie Gray were Port’s two leading goal-kickers in 2017 and neither are in the top six in 2018.
On Saturday Port kicked 15 goals and had 10 players hit the scoreboard.
“We needed that because again we had to mix and match the way we set up,” Hinkley said with Dixon in the ruck and Gray on the ball.
“I was really pleased the way they played as a forwards group.”
GOOD WEEKEND FOR ...
The Tigers. Everyone is throwing everything at them and apart from an off night in Adelaide and they’ve been up to every test.
ONE TO FORGET FOR ...
Geelong. How can a side with Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood be the worst clearance team in the competition? Smashed inside by the Swans in the final term.
BURNING QUESTION
Would Jared Polec be in Port’s top three in the best-and-fairest? He’s had 29, 21, 29, 28, 25 and 34 disposals in the first six games this year and is tackling and kicking goals.
POWER RANKINGS
1. WEST COAST (5-1)
Five on the trot and on the biggest stage in WA footy yesterday. That’s the Bulldogs, Geelong, Gold Coast, Carlton and Fremantle in a row. Form team of the competition.
2. RICHMOND (5-1)
Narrowly pipped by the Eagles for top spot after winning their past four against Hawthorn, Brisbane, Melbourne and Collingwood.
3. SYDNEY (4-2)
So typical of the Swans and their leader Josh Kennedy to respond when being questioned. Beating Geelong in Geelong is a big scalp in anyone’s book.
4. ADELAIDE (4-2)
Never in doubt against the Suns. Jordan Gallucci might not play permanent midfield for a while but he doesn’t look out of place at this level. Deserves a regular game now.
5. PORT ADELAIDE (4-2)
It was only Round 6 but that win meant something to the Power. Now they welcome back Paddy but after weeks of trial and error, Charlie Dixon’s brave performance has ensured he gets the ruck gig in the event Ryder misses again.
6. HAWTHORN (4-2)
Just had to take care of business against St Kilda in Tasmania and they did. And 45 touches to Tom Mitchell was a fair way to respond to last week’s performance.
7. GWS (4-1-1)
Workmanlike win but they aren’t flying which is what the Giants have become this season and who better illustrates that at the moment than Matt De Boer. What a great story.
8. GEELONG (3-3)
That could prove a costly loss for the Cats at home. With GWS and Collingwood in the next fortnight there are no easy games on the horizon and those early season questions have resurfaced.
9. N.MELBOURNE (3-3)
Poor showing from the Kangaroos but is anyone overly surprised? Were they really a top-eight contender? Dearly missed Shaun Higgins on the weekend and Ben Brown was beaten by Tom Jonas and the Power defence.
10. COLLINGWOOD (3-3)
Lynden Dunn’s brain fade in the first quarter didn’t help and neither did injuries as the game wore on. The Pies were far from disgraced but it shows the gap they have to close to be a contender.
11. FREMANTLE (3-3)
A very brave effort from the Dockers who lost the Derby but confirmed they have two genuine stars in Andrew Brayshaw and Adam Cerra who were high draft picks and are backing it up.
12. MELBOURNE (3-3)
Good win for the Dees but if they lost that then it was basically lights out. They’ve also found a couple of players in the first six weeks in Bayley Fritsch and Charlie Spargo who are long-term small forwards.
13. GOLD COAST (3-3)
Were never going to beat Adelaide at home but that was probably their worst performance of the year. Lost contested ball by 30 and Rory Sloane wasn’t playing.
14. ESSENDON (2-4)
The Bombers would have felt the four-day break in their legs against the Dees and it showed in the second half. They slip to 2-4 which is suddenly looking grim with Hawthorn this week.
15. W. BULLDOGS (2-4)
It’s a bit of a worry when you’ve got to beat Carlton to keep your season alive but nonetheless the Dogs did and so keep their head above water - for now at least.
16. ST. KILDA (1-4-1)
The frustrating thing for Alan Richardson is his team was good enough to beat Hawthorn and had its chances but didn’t. Won contested ball but kicking 7.12 doesn’t help.
17. BRISBANE (0-6)
Considering they kicked 5.13, you’d almost take a five-goal loss to GWS at Spotless Stadium if you were the Lions and they jump above Carlton this week.
18. CARLTON (0-6)
Not sure Brendon Bolton’s ‘first rebuild’ line will sit overly well with Blues supporters given they’ve had three No.1 draft picks in the past decade.
Originally published as Round 6 Power Rankings: Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley praises pressure kings
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