Over the past two years Port Adelaide soared into premiership calculations from nowhere, their magnificent last-quarter surges playing a crucial role in their revival under new coach Ken Hinkley.
In many experts’ eyes they were premiership favourites this season, on the back of winning a final in 2013 and then winning two from fifth last year and almost knocking over Hawthorn in a pulsating preliminary final.
In the Fremantle semi-final and the prelim against the Hawks, their blistering finishes had them in good stead, and it was so exciting to watch those sublimely talented players like Chad Wingard, Robbie Gray and Travis Boak taking the game on.
However, that hasn’t been seen much so far in 2015, which is why the Power are 13th on the ladder. They’ve dropped their past three, all against teams they were expected to beat easily in West Coast, Brisbane and Richmond.
These shock losses can be put down to not finishing games off.
In eight rounds Port have won just one final-quarter, and they look a shell of the team that took the competition by storm the previous two seasons after being declared a basket case in 2012.
In 2013 and 2014 they had a dangerous forward line that could score quickly, with the two keys, Justin Westhoff and Jay Schulz, aided by the best batch of medium sized and small goal-kicking forwards going around, including Gray, Wingard, Angus Monfries, Hamish Hartlett and Matt White.
The output is well down this season, with their damaging outside run – such a bonus, especially last season – being restricted.
It hasn’t helped that Ollie Wines and Jared Polec are injured. But all teams get injuries, it’s about how you cope with them and whether you have sufficient depth to cover those vital losses.
Talking of injuries, centre half back Jackson Trengove is out injured as well, although both Tom Jonas and Jack Hombsch have the height and ability to be adequate replacements.
Over the off-season, Port targeted just the one player from another club, disgruntled bomber Paddy Ryder, and they got their man.
He was seen the ideal support for Matthew Lobbe in the ruck and gave Port another terrific option up front. However, the chemistry doesn’t appear to be there yet. Some clubs can function with two ruckmen. Zac Clarke is an ideal foil for Aaron Sandilands at Fremantle, and Tom Hickey and Billy Longer are starting to become a good combination with St Kilda, but Lobbe and Ryder have not been effective in the opening two months.
Ryder played some great footy at Esendon at centre half back. Maybe he is the logical replacement for Trengove?
The season is a long way from being over, but Port won their first five in the previous two seasons. As a result, even though no side wants one, they could afford a mini-lull, and this occurred – particularly in 2013. Yet they were able to recover, knowing they had money in the bank to stay in the finals race.
They are already beginning to chase this season, but have a chance to get back to five and five as they start strong favourites against two young, but inconsistent sides in the Bulldogs and Melbourne.
Although we thought they would defeat the Eagles, Lions and Tigers!
This side have now become the hunted instead of the hunters, so it’s a different mind set required for Ken Hinkley and his men. They exceeded expectations over the past two seasons, now they have to at least meet them.
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We’re taking a look at one player from each team that needs to make a difference this week, starting with the ANZAC Day games.
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