Old AFL rivalries are still festering for Power and Crows in lockdown

As AFL players around the country returned to training on Monday, it was clear that old rivalries never die.

Port Adelaide’s Tom Jonas, left, Jackson Mead and Martin Fredrick train at Alberton Oval. Picture: Kelly Barnes

A week ago Collingwood president Eddie McGuire claimed the coronavirus crisis had seen a thawing in relationships between old rivals as enemies put down their guns for a common goal.

But as AFL players around the country returned to training on Monday, it was clear that some old habits never change.

Port Adelaide are on the front foot, challenging the AFL’s decision to house them with the Crows at the Mercure Resort in Palm Meadows on the Gold Coast.

The two South Australian teams will spend at least six weeks together and possibly longer through the latter stages of training and then the opening month of the restarted season.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley echoed the views of Power chairman David Koch by questioning the decision.

“Our preference as a footy club would be to be on our own. We are arch enemies. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to put them together,” Hinkley said.

“We have these great matches, these great grudge matches, and we’re going to go into a place and be all buddies? It doesn’t quite feel right.”

While Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks did not want to buy into the issue on Monday, it follows the stoking of interstate tension by West Australian Premier Mark McGowan recently.

The Power’s preference would be to bunk down with the Eagles or Fremantle, who will share a golf club retreat at the nearby Royal Pines Resort.

The distaste for their neighbours aside, Hinkley is grappling with how best to ensure the Power are as well prepared as possible for a premiership push.

He remains hopeful they might earn a government reprieve that would allow the Power and Adelaide to complete the mini pre-season training period at home before relocating to the Gold Coast.

Courtesy of a thumping win over the Gold Coast in the opening round, Port Adelaide sit on top of the ladder.

Hinkley believes his squad is capable of excelling on the Gold Coast in matches against West Coast, Fremantle, Brisbane and potentially the Crows, though the AFL’s preference is for the Showdown to be played in Adelaide later this year.

Exactly how long the clubs remain in southeast Queensland will depend on the easing of quarantine restrictions in South Australia and Western Australia.

Both states have fared extremely well to date and their governments are keen to do everything possible to maintain the positive health outlook.

Hinkley is concerned a longer stint away from home than currently outlined will have a detrimental effect on performance.

He is also concerned that restrictions on playing golf and surfing, among other limiting measures on social contact, will ultimately have an impact.

“Hopefully we’re not there for any longer than six or seven weeks but we don’t know that. We can deal with it for a bit but there is a tipping point,” he said.

“We’re getting tested twice a week, but I’m looking at the community thinking, ‘everyone else is having to live a pretty reasonable life’. We’re probably being shut down a little bit too far, as far as what we can and can’t do.

“We are happy to live above the standard. We want to be community leaders as an AFL club in South Australia.”

But he said a collective good could come from the experience.

“If it is possible, you can become even tighter … and we will try to use that to our advantage.”