Brisbane Lions v Port Adelaide: Power must improve inside 50 efficiency, contested ball numbers
Port Adelaide isn’t ready to hit the panic button after another interstate belting. But the Power concede they must improve in some key areas.
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West Coast in Perth, Brisbane at the Gabba.
Do we start to read anything into Port Adelaide’s pair of losses in 2021 so far, given some of the similarities from both matches?
On both occasions, the Power were basically out of the game by halftime.
Against the Eagles in Round 3 the Power lost the contested possession count 135-153, at the Gabba on Saturday night the Lions triumphed in that stat 155-132.
The Power have been all-conquering at Adelaide Oval so far in 2021, and was extremely impressive against Carlton at the MCG in Round 5.
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But when they are travelling to an interstate fortress, Ken Hinkley’s side are getting blown away.
The panic buttons shouldn’t be hit at Port – West Coast are extremely tough to take on in Perth and the Lions played their best game of the season on top of having the hometown advantage.
But from the Power’s two games where they could have made even bigger statements about their premiership aspirations than they already have so far this season, they have loss by 37 and 49-points respectively.
So can we read anything into these two losses?
Port Adelaide midfielder Willem Drew says yes and no.
“They are different games, but we definitely didn’t have the start we wanted,” he told The Advertiser.
“We won the first few centre bounces (against the Lions) and just couldn’t get on the scoreboard.
“It happened against West Coast as well, our inside 50 entries.
“So it is definitely something that we are working on.”
Hinkley said not to worry about the fact the two losses have been tricky away matches.
“No, we are an outstanding travelling team, we are a very good travelling team,” he said.
“We lose games but we have lost to two good teams when they are at their best.
“I think the key is, don’t worry about where you are when you play – worry about the style of game.
“And when we have lost this year, the opposition has played their game that they wanted to play really dominantly and we weren’t able to break through any of that.”
Ken’s simple message
Brisbane were still out on the Gabba turf celebrating when Hinkley dragged his players into the rooms for some early thoughts on what contributed to the loss.
“He was very honest,” Drew said.
“He gave credit to Brisbane, he was just very honest with us about how we didn’t handle the pressure.
“Credit to them, they brought the pressure and we weren’t able to handle it in the contest.”
Hinkley himself said it was a simple message to his players.
“Anyone who watched it would see the simple message, and that’s what I said to the boys, it was a simple message – the ability to stand up in the contest for long enough,” he said.
“That’s their strength and we made them look even better at that because we couldn’t handle some of the contest stuff.
“Whether that was in front, behind or the middle, it was all over the ground a little bit.
“We were nowhere near our best and the opposition was at their very best at what they were trying to do.”
A Brisbane side without reigning Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale gave a Port side without runner-up Travis Boak a lesson in a ground ball game at the Gabba – and the Power a bit of a wake-up call.
“We just look at the obvious things and they show that they were stronger than us in the contest,” Hinkley said.
“We got on top in centre bounce early and had the ball where we wanted it to be, but then we weren’t good enough in the contest in front of the ball.
“We go back to work and we learn, we don’t like the lesson, we don’t like the taste of it but we deserve it.”
Port’s inside 50 woes
If Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley reckons the hitout stat is a “furphy” we might have found out which marker Hinkley might nominate.
Last week the Power had the same amount of inside 50 entries as St Kilda but won their Anzac Day clash by 54-points.
On Saturday night the Power had more inside 50 entries than Brisbane, 58 to 55, but went at 34.5 per cent efficiency and finished with 5.14.
“Doesn’t make an iota of difference, the inside 50 count,” Hinkley said.
“It is efficiency and we have been pretty good at that for a long period of time.
“More often than not we seem to win the inside 50 count, but it doesn’t mean that you are going to score better.”
Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton reckons if a side has 56 inside 50 entries a match they should be kicking a winning score.
Hinkley said it wasn’t that simple.
“Let’s go back to the start (of the match), the very first four centre bounces we go in our forward 50 and Brisbane mark them,” he said.
“Who has the better opportunity from there? I’d say probably Brisbane because they took the mark.
“There are lots of things that we can do better.”
The Power came into the game with 35 of their goals this season coming from small forwards, the best in the AFL.
But because they were so bad going inside 50, only Robbie Gray and Boyd Woodcock were able to get on the scoreboard out of Port’s forwards.
And Charlie Dixon (0.2, 12 disposals and one mark), Todd Marshall (seven disposals, two marks) and Mitch Georgiades (eight disposals, three marks) weren’t able to get the ball down to ground – allowing Harris Andrews’ (10 marks) to have a field day.
Drew said Port’s woes inside 50 were down to the Power’s lack of efficiency, but also Brisbane’s defence.
“I think it was a bit of both,” he said.
“To be honest, our connection between forwards and midfield wasn’t good enough and we have to own that.”
LISTLESS POWER GIVEN REALITY CHECK
– Greg Davis
No Lachie Neale, no problem.
Brisbane showed they could survive – and thrive – without their injured Brownlow Medallist as star recruit Joe Daniher played arguably his best match in a Lions jumper in the 49-point thumping of Port Adelaide at the Gabba on Saturday night.
The Lions claimed their fourth-straight win over the Power and their fourth win in their past five outings in 2021 and sent a shot over the bow of the rest of the competition by smashing a legitimate premiership contender.
Brisbane pulled the plug on the Power early and continued to dominate the listless visitors, leading by 21 points at quarter-time, 38 at halftime and by 54 at the last change to hand Port their second loss of the season.
Daniher was a standout when the match was briefly in the balance with two goals, seven marks, seven contested possessions, seven scoring involvements, one goal assist, two clearances, three hit-outs and six inside 50s.
Charlie Cameron made a welcome return to form with four goals, Harris Andrews owned the skies and direct opponent Charlie Dixon in Brisbane’s defensive 50 while Hugh McCluggage continued his outstanding 2021 with 31 disposals, 15 contested possessions, six clearances and a goal to further his case for an All-Australian jumper.
After blowing St Kilda off the Adelaide Oval last week, Port looked flat at best and disinterested at worst and will take little form, confidence or momentum into next week’s Showdown.
Apart from Ollie Wines, Aliir Aliir and Willem Drew, few gave a yelp for the Power. The final margin flattered Port who kicked some consolation goals in junk time.
At the main break, Port had four more inside 50 entries than Brisbane but either butchered the ball with poor passes or sprayed their kicks at goal. Of their two majors up to halftime, one came from an uncharacteristic clanger from Brisbane’s Daniel Rich.
The Lions had more contested possession (plus 12), more uncontested possession (plus 31), more marks (plus 21) and three more tackles and clearances than Port who allowed Brisbane to stroll around the Gabba for most of the first half and did as they please.
IT IS CHARLIE TIME ðŸï¸#AFLLionsPowerpic.twitter.com/fyFae7RCGr
— AFL (@AFL) May 1, 2021
Power coach Hinkley said Port did not “stand up in the contest for long enough” against the Lions but he was not about to panic with the Showdown looming.
“This team has been pretty consistent… most times they have been able to get the job done and they respond,’’ he said.
“They’ll respond. We look forward to it, it’s the Showdown next week so we’ll be up and about and ready to go …but both sides will be coming off a poor performance.
“Their (Brisbane) strength was their strength and we made it look even better tonight. We couldn’t handle some of the contest stuff, whether that was in front, or behind or in the middle, it was all over the ground.
“We were nowhere near our best and the opposition was at their very best at what they were trying to do.
“We go back to work, we learn. We take the lesson. We don’t’ like the lesson, we don’t like the taste of it, we deserved it.
“Simple message. We need to be better and start with ourselves.”
Charlie sparks lions
Lions small forward Charlie Cameron was all over social media the past week with videos of him dancing up a storm at training and in the gym.
After a quiet start to 2021, he needed to produce some moves on the field.
He had an appetite for the contest with four goals and a hand in one other.
His defensive pressure was up too.
Prison bar irony
After a robust week-long debate about what jumper they could and could not wear in next week’s Showdown, the Power were prisoners of their own poor defensive pressure and grossly inefficient ball use.
It wouldn’t matter what guernsey they don in the SA derby, if they repeat that flat first half against Adelaide, they will find it hard to get out of jail.
Wayward Lions
Kicking inaccuracy has come back to bite Brisbane on a number of occasions in the Chris Fagan era.
It did not cost them the premiership points against the Power but some wayward kicking in front of the sticks meant it took longer than it should have to put away Port.
They kicked four-straight behinds to start the third term before a Lincoln McCarthy snap stopped the rot.
Daniel Rich turns it over in defence and Willem Drew makes the Lions pay 💸#AFLLionsPowerpic.twitter.com/IqWvkEr9oG
— AFL (@AFL) May 1, 2021
Boak’s absence felt
Brisbane covered for the loss of Lachie Neale (ankle) with ease, but the absence of Travis Boak (quad) really hurt Port.
Boak – who finished second behind Neale in last year’s Brownlow Medal count – has been in some of the best form of his career.
The Power missed his leadership and esteemed ball-winning powers as the Lions dominated the midfield battle.
Hinkley said Travis Boak was a good chance to be fit for the Showdown.
“Yeah he should be. He was out this week with an injury, so you’re never guaranteed until you see them back,’’ Hinkley said.
“He’s been carrying it for a couple of weeks and we thought it could get worse and we don’t want it to get worse, Trav’s a pretty important player for us.
“It wouldn’t have mattered if you had 22 Travis’ out there tonight, we needed some support. Ollie I thought was amazing. He gave what he had. I think a few others could have jumped on with Ol.’’
He said Ryan Burton will be monitored by Port medical staff after being subbed out of the match with a rib injury.
SCOREBOARD
LIONS: 4.5 8.8. 11.15. 13.15 (93)
POWER: 1.2 2.6. 3.9. 5.14 (44)
GOALS
LIONS: Cameron 4, Daniher 2, McStay, Bailey, Ah Chee, Zorko, Prior, McCarthy, McCluggage
POWER: Drew, Gray, Wines, Woodcock, Bergman
GREG DAVIS’ BEST
LIONS: McCluggage, Andrews, Lyons, Daniher, McCarthy, Cameron, Zorko
POWER: Wines, Drew, Aliir
INJURIES
LIONS: Nil
POWER: Burton (ribs)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Greg Davis’ votes:
3: Hugh McCluggage
2: Harris Andrews
1: Jarryd Lyons
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