Tom Rockliff: How Port Adelaide can turn its season around

Port Adelaide’s 0-2 start has exposed issues all over the field, but the biggest is in the forward half. Former Power midfielder Tom Rockliff has some tips for Ken Hinkley.

Port Adelaide has a big problem.

Not in defence, but in attack. They are struggling to score.

In short, the Power are currently lacking forward craft and seems devoid of any attacking structure.

I know it’s easy to say no Charlie Dixon, no Port Adelaide but they need to find other ways to score. And at the moment, they don’t have many.

If they can’t find a way to fix this, they won’t be able to achieve the ultimate that they desire. It has to be concerning for them.

It is still Round 2, but this has to be a headache for the club.

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Tom Rockliff says Port Adelaide need to find other ways to score even with Charlie Dixon (pictured) in the team. Picture Mark Brake

At 0-2, alarm bells would be ringing, however we’ve seen Brisbane make the top four last year after starting 1-3 with their only win coming from a kick after the siren. So all is not lost.

Too often in the past, Port have relied too heavily on their matchwinners — Dixon to kick a bag or take contested marks, Robbie Gray to kick goals after the siren or Connor Rozee to conjure multiple goals.

This approach is not sustainable to win the big games they want to win.

Especially the Dixon factor. He is expected to fly against two or three and take the mark or get it to ground so an extra number can kick the goal.

But they have become too Charlie-centric and for the opposition they are now very predictable — they want to go to a contest, win the ball and bring it to ground and get their smalls involved.

Which is fine at certain times but you need to find other ways to score.

Searching for answers: Power coach Ken Hinkley speaks to Travis Boak during their defeat to Hawthorn. Picture: Getty

They are getting a decent amount of inside-50 entries but they just aren’t reaping the rewards.

Watching the Power against the Hawks while commentating for Triple M, it was just kick it long and hope to get a contest. There was no movement and there were few leading patterns in the forward 50.

You can’t have a game where you have so many more possessions and clearances but lose by 10 goals.

The lack of scoring puts enormous pressure on your front-half game – it’s tough to score with slow inside-50 entries.

When was the last time we saw Port Adelaide get easy goals? When have we seen them walk in and kick goals? Every goal they get is hard work.

Now with Dixon injured and no alternative attacking plan, opposition teams don’t need to commit two or three defenders to a marking contest because Port does not have another big presence in the air.

Instead, Port has Mitch Georgiades, Jeremy Finlayson and Todd Marshall, who are leading forwards with the ability to get separation on their opponents. They need space to get separation and mark on the lead.

Is Todd Marshall the answer up forward for the Power? (Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Method-wise they need to utilise these players strengths and bring them in the game. Get them leading up the ground and turning their opponents around heading back to goal.

Rozee is better served inside-50 as a permanent forward to impact the scoreboard. I don’t think he is ready to play through the midfield.

This Friday against Adelaide and going forward this season, Port needs to focus heavily on offensive strategies and how to get their attacking game going.

Yes there are personnel missing, Dixon is not there, Orazio Fantasia is missing, Gray also.

Aliir Aliir is also missing who can set up rebound offence better than anyone in the competition.

But we’ve seen other teams have players missing and their system holds up, with Port’s offence at the moment the system is not holding up.

With a few tweaks and using players’ weapons this can turn around very quickly and bring them the wins they want.

The injury to defender Aliir Aliir (R) has also been a factor in Port’s ability to turn defence into attack. Picture: Getty

Moves like Houston to the wing is a good move that will have strong rewards as the season goes.

Last year their ability to move the ball from their back 50 to their forward 50 was ranked 16th in the AFL.

Against Hawthorn Port scored just three points from the back-half; the Hawks kicked 9.1 from their back 50.

Melbourne was second and duly won the flag.

But Brisbane was rated 10th, so it should give Port some hope that it’s not too big of a gap to bridge.

So far this year, albeit a small sample size, Port is 18th when it comes to score per inside-50 rate.

In 2021 they were 13th for scores per inside-50, the Bulldogs were first, Melbourne second and Brisbane fourth, Port still finished in the top for.

But no wonder goals are a problem. If they clean this up, and get to top six or even top eight for score per inside 50 rate it could deliver them the premiership they are chasing.

All the talk in the media from players and coaches after the disappointing Hawthorne loss was about a review of team defence.

I think it was an anomaly against Hawthorn.

Tom Rockliff retired last year from the AFL. Picture: Tom Huntley

Their team defence has been solid and strong for a couple of years.

Momentum swings are really important in footy these days and at the moment Port are giving up too many goals in a row and are not kicking enough goals when they have the momentum.

But overall I would give them a huge pass mark over the past couple of years defensively.

If Port play the way they did against Hawthorn, the Showdown will be really close - I couldn’t actually pick you a winner.

But their best will beat the Crows. It is just a matter of whether they can turn it around.

For me the Crows’ skills just aren’t AFL standard at the moment.

In Round 1 in the first half it was clear their kicking was just not up to scratch.

In Round 2 it was more their handballs and fumbles.

They are trying to play this slow build-up off half-back and transition to the open side of the ground.

But their kick rating is 17th in the competition in 2022 so they turn the ball over and can’t defend the corridor once they do turn it over.

They are conceding on average 63 points this season from turnovers, that‘s the most in the AFL.

They are also 18th for points from forward half intercept so even when they do force a turnover they can’t score from it because their skill level isn’t where it needs to be.

Port Adelaide are conceding the most points from turnovers in the competition. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Their ball use isn’t working, the ground is too big when they have it in offence and when they don’t have it they can’t force a turnover.

So they have to look at ways to make the ground smaller when they have the ball.

The one key area that they are actually going OK in is they are fourth when it comes to scoring from clearance so I think that is keeping them in games at the moment.

But I think they are too one-dimensional in the midfield at the moment, they have to find something else to go through there - whether it is speed or ball use I’m not sure.

We know that they are in that rebuilding phase and that it will take time but I’m not sure if this game plan suits them.

Have they gone backwards from their finish last year, I think they have.

They’ve gone younger again and I’m not seeing an improvement in the game style or game plan.

That will be the concern for Crows supporters at the moment, where is the improvement going to come from this year.

I think they can with their ball movement and really hone in on trying to make sure their skills are intact.

But offensively when they have the ball, if they are going to continue to make the ground so big they are going to get hurt back through the corridor and it will be hard for them to defend.