AFL Round 14 GWS v Port Adelaide: Ken Hinkley’s new-look forward line misfires as Giants rediscover mojo
Charlie Dixon and Jeremy Finlayson were dropped and Port Adelaide kicked 6.15 in its loss to GWS on Sunday – the club’s second-worst return for the year. So, where does Ken Hinkley turn next?
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Ken Hinkley has called for more firepower from his forward line to help ignite their top-four charge.
Port Adelaide scored just 51 points in its loss to GWS, kicking an inaccurate 6.15 in the process, with their Showdown shocker in round nine the only performance worse so far.
A bright spot was the form of Mitch Georgiades, who kicked three goals for the night and two crucial majors in the first term to help open up a 15-point lead.
It wasn’t enough however, with fellow forwards Todd Marshall and Darcy Byrne-Jones combining for 2.5 on the night.
“We put it on the collective to kick a score that’s capable of winning games of football,” Hinkley said, after he sent Charlie Dixon and Jeremy Finlayson back to the SANFL during the week.
“Tonight’s score wasn’t capable. Mitch is only one part of that and he’s been really solid for us since he’s come back this year.
“We’re really excited about what he’s been able to do off a bad knee. The future for Mitch is looking bright but we need the future for the collective to look bright, not just for Mitch.”
Hinkley hinted at changes following their below-par output, as his side looks to regain the form that has helped them pick up eight wins this season.
“We need to look at the team that’s capable of kicking the score that we need to kick,” he said.
“Clearly tonight we didn’t have that exactly the way we wanted.
“We’ve got a couple of pieces out of there we know are far more damaging when they’re in good form, but we haven’t got good form from some of them and we’ve got injury and unavailability from others.
“That’s just the challenge of an AFL season. There’s a long way to go still and we’re in that pack of teams that are not quite playing at their absolute best right now.
“We have to keep in search of what our absolute best is and what it looks like. Tonight we didn’t look as sharp as we needed to look.”
Port Adelaide returns home to face off with a Brisbane Lions side on the improve after back-to-back wins over the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda.
Hinkley’s new-look forward line misfires as Giants rediscover mojo
– Lachlan McKirdy
It wasn’t pretty, but Adam Kingsley won’t care after his Giants got the job done in a scrappy affair against Port Adelaide to help get their season back on track.
Ken Hinkley’s side travelled to Sydney eager to prove their premiership credentials with a big scalp, but in the end, GWS had too much class and experience to get a win that elevated them back inside the top eight.
Throughout the week, Giants players and coaches bemoaned the fundamentals in their game that had gone missing in recent weeks.
Sloppy handballs, a lack of intensity in defence and poor accuracy in front of goals. Simple errors had cost them multiple matches, and more importantly, a spot in the top eight ahead of the opening bounce.
And it was more of the same early in the first quarter against Port Adelaide as the hosts failed to capitalise on their momentum.
They dominated the midfield and were +8 for contested possessions, but it ended with six behinds and just the second goalless opening term under Kingsley.
Mitch Georgiades was the difference early, kicking two superb goals for the Power, including one that put the returning Jack Buckley in a spin, to open up a 16-point lead.
But the signs were there that this match was going to be a tactical arm wrestle. An early tag on Zak Butters from Toby Bedford went the Giants’ way and they had a strong ascendancy around the stoppages.
Throughout the second quarter, GWS tried everything to get their orange tsunami going. They were over-reliant on their handball game and often tried too hard to find space through the corridor.
Yet their constant pressure was rewarded with Callum Brown kicking their first of the game through a forward-50 intercept. Full of confidence, the Irishman found his second with some fleet footwork before Aaron Cadman waltzed into an open goal-square to give the Giants their first lead of the day.
A big tackle and set shot from Harvey Thomas extended the lead out to seven points at the main break but it was clear this game would be won by the team who could transition better.
Josh Kelly and Dan Houston were both best on ground for their respective sides, essentially playing with their own Sherrins, however, the Giants were able to limit Port Adelaide to just 20 inside-50s in the first half.
GWS continued to win the territory battle but inaccuracy threatened to see another vital four competition points slip away.
Five behinds in the third quarter slowly drew out the margin, but some crafty work from their small forwards finally got them going. Brent Daniels crumbed a beautiful goal from a forward-50 stoppage, with Bedford one-upping him 10 minutes later for a major in his 50th AFL game.
It bucked the overall trend of the game with the Power able to turn the tide on the clearance numbers to their advantage.
Jesse Hogan’s first goal of the day right on three-quarter time finally gave the Giants the breathing room the numbers suggested they deserved. They were starting to have success moving the ball quickly and had +57 handballs going into the last break.
After the two sides traded behinds in the last quarter, GWS was eventually rewarded for their commitment to transition with speed as Toby Greene shook off his yips to get his first of the day and extend the lead to 23 points.
Port Adelaide remained in with a sniff after a late goal to Esava Ratugolea, but unlike last week, the Giants were able to trust their systems right to the final siren. Kelly capped off his brilliant comeback with the final dagger, putting the game to bed and locking up his side’s spot in the top eight.
Both teams have developing lists with young players set to play a pivotal role in the outcomes of their season. But in the end, the Giants’ experience and assuredness in defence proved the difference in a game where goals were a precious commodity.
It was a vital win for GWS ahead of next week’s Sydney Derby. The Swans will travel to Western Sydney looking to continue their hot run of form. But getting back in the winner’s circle will give Kingsley’s men the confidence that they could finally stop the streak of their cross-town rivals.
More Coverage
Originally published as AFL Round 14 GWS v Port Adelaide: Ken Hinkley’s new-look forward line misfires as Giants rediscover mojo
How Port great helped draft the kid who’s out to emulate him
Robbie Gray was part of the Port Adelaide contingent that drove to visit Joe Berry in Benalla in August. Three months later, the Power traded up to secure the goalsneak. Here’s why.
‘Unbelievable’ late drama erupts at AFL Draft
One club has emerged as big winners of the AFL Draft after pulling off a late deal that appears to have put a rival in serious trouble.