AFL Finals: All the latest Port Adelaide news ahead of their semi-final against Hawthorn
One of Port Adelaide’s stars was at a loss to explain the club’s qualifying final humiliation five days on, making a worrying concession, as the Power receive a big boost for Friday night.
Port Adelaide midfielder Willem Drew says his side has not identified the exact reasons behind its poor workrate in the 84-point home qualifying final loss to Geelong.
“No, nothing stands out,” Drew said.
“It was a massive game for us and for some reason we didn’t show up, which was really disappointing.”
Asked why there was lack of energy in last week’s game and how to stop it from happening in the knockout, home semi-final against Hawthorn on Friday night, Drew said: “It’s probably a difficult thing to sort of say ‘this was the reason, or this and that’.”
Drew may have been keeping his cards close to his chest as the Power looks to rebound from a fourth consecutive finals loss and avoid a second straight-sets exit in two seasons.
The Power leadership group member does not believe his team is mentally fragile in finals, saying he has immense trust in the group.
Port will be boosted by the availability of vice-captain Zak Butters, who has been passed fit after participating in light drills at training on Tuesday, albeit without contact.
Drew took confidence from the side’s run of eight wins in nine matches to end the minor round and victories in some big games earlier this year.
“Our past performances haven’t been great in finals, but I’ve got full faith we can turn it around this Friday night,” he said.
“For us it’s about keep putting ourselves back out there.
“We had some honest and open conversations, as we’ve done for most of the year.
“For us it was around our workrate and effort.
“It’s about bringing the energy, being ready to go from the first bounce, bringing the pressure, which definitely wasn’t there against Geelong – that’s going to be one of our focuses going into the game.
“We had a great training session today, the energy was up and the boys are feeling good.”
“Butts is probably one of the most competitive people I have ever met,” Drew said.
“If he can play any sport and he’s fit enough to play, he’ll be out there.”
Drew had little to say about Hawks goalsneak Jack Ginnivan’s Instagram post to former teammate and Sydney ruckman Brodie Grundy saying “see you in 14 days”.
“I’m sure all the Hawthorn players are confident they’re going to win and I’m sure we’re all confident we’re going to win,” he said.
Asked what his reaction would be if a Power teammate did that, Drew said “I’m not really too sure, it’s too hard to say”.
Port would not be using the comments as extra motivation, according to Drew.
“We’re more focused on us, as we have been all year,” he said.
BUTTERS CONFIDENT, PORT CONSIDERS DBJ FORWARD RETURN
— Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Darcy Byrne-Jones could be set for a return to the forward line, as Port Adelaide star Zak Butters says he is confident he will play in its cutthroat semi final against Hawthorn.
The Power held a light training session at Alberton Oval on Monday as it looks to find a way to not only stop the red-hot Hawks but put a horror qualifying final performance against Geelong in the rear mirror.
The heavy loss to the Cats came with the Power having to use Byrne-Jones and Ryan Burton in the backline instead of attacking duo Dan Houston (suspended) and Kane Farrell (injured).
Byrne-Jones was named as an All-Australian half-back in 2020 but has almost exclusively played as a small forward for the last two years.
While the Power trained in two separate groups on Monday, Byrne-Jones was with the forwards when they had a quick meeting with line coach Chad Cornes towards the end of the session.
Power star Butters has been cleared of serious injury after he was subbed out of the loss to the Cats at half-time with a rib injury.
He said on Monday that he was confident of taking on the Hawks, with a fitness test on Tuesday to be key.
“I feel like I am in a good space right now, there are a still few days to go now and I’ll give myself the best chance to get up,” he told Channel 7.
While Butters again was named as the most courageous player in the AFL by his peers this year, on Sunday four-time Power best and fairest Kane Cornes questioned why Port’s vice-captain didn’t try and stay on the ground.
“I think it is a real challenge for Zak Butters now,” he said on the Sunday Footy Show.
“A lot of players are playing sore at this time of year, really surprised that he wanted to be subbed out or they subbed him out.
“I think he really has to toughen up this week, really grit his teeth.
“He had to push through that when his team needed him.”
On Saturday renowned sports medic Dr Peter Larkins expected Butters would play given there was no break but noted the injury was painful enough for him to be substituted against the Cats.
Butters continuing to play would have hurt the Power and he wasn’t fussed by the criticism.
“I feel like that’s media, that’s their job and it is also my job to try and get out there and stay out there and do what I do,” he said.
“It was pretty hard to breath... even changing direction and some things were limited.”
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