Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley could be the straw that broke the camel’s back for Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss.
Rewind to 2012, Port Adelaide has arguably the worst team in the AFL, winning only five games for the season with empty seats as a result.
Former Port Adelaide captain Matthew Primus is stood down and Garry Hocking takes the reins for the remainder of the season.
John McCarthy passes away in a tragic accident in the US and all seems awry at Alberton.
Move to Round 5 2013 and we see the Power second on the ladder after winning four on the trot, including the scalps of crosstown rival and genuine contender Adelaide.
To be fair, the three other wins have been GWS, Gold Coast and Melbourne.
But there is undoubtedly a different feeling around the Port Adelaide this year.
And Ken Hinkley is the name on everyone’s lips.
The former Suns assistant coach is at the helm of the Power and has transformed his band of ‘no-names’ and ‘could’ve beens’ into hardened, well-drilled AFL footballers.
Justin Westhoff has been outstanding for the Power so far this year.
He has 13 goals to his name and the only blight this year could be the 13 behinds he has kicked.
But the real statistic that catches the eye is the 15 tackles the 199cm forward has made this season.
This intensity and has been the showpiece for the Power, and intensity comes down to real ambition and wanting to play for your club and your coach.
Their fitness is another coach-driven factor and uncontested possessions are a indicator of a hard preseason.
Port Adelaide (958) lead the competition in uncontested possessions.
The similarities between Port Adelaide and the Brisbane Lions are blinding.
Brisbane, as they showed in the NAB Cup, has the ability to be great.
If anything, Brisbane on paper is a much better side than Port Adelaide.
The likes of Redden and Rockliff in the middle and big men Longer and Leuenberger are as exciting as any young player in the AFL.
Daniel Rich has shown that he could be a superstar of the competition while Irish recruit Pearce Hanley is arguably the best half-back in Australia.
But if last week’s game against North Melbourne is anything to go by – not all is going as smoothly as it should be at the Gabba.
It is not a suggestion of a rift between players and coach, but sometimes under a coach a culture can be formed in which the players don’t perform to their best.
And as the pressure builds on the coach and the players, the problem worsens.
Voss’ position will be on the line following the disappointing start to the home-and-away season. A win against Melbourne this weekend is a must for the struggling Lions.
In the Lions reserves, all is going swimmingly, undefeated after Round 5 and with a game and healthy percentage sitting them comfortably on top.
Lions’ fans hoping to see some of the spark that the Lions showed in the preseason competition will welcome the inclusion of young guns Yeo, Karnezis, Longer and Cornelius who have been the reason for the reserves’ outstanding start to the year.
They will be excited to step it up this Sunday, but the real competition will be between the two blokes in charge.
Mark Neeld and Michael Voss are two coaches under scrutiny and although the Melbourne board has assured Neeld’s position for the season, a continuous run of losses has been known to change mind’s pretty swiftly.
As for Voss, despite being a legend of the Brisbane Lions, supporters find a way to forget the past when the pain of another loss sits at the forefront of their mind.
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