After coming back from a 41-point deficit to beat the West Coast Eagles in Round 5, Port Adelaide sat in a share of top spot on the AFL ladder after winning their first five matches.
How things have changed for the Power.
Since then they’ve been handed losses by North Melbourne, Richmond, Carlton, Geelong and the Western Bulldogs.
Wins against Melbourne and GWS perhaps gave a false indication of how far Port Adelaide had progressed, yet the same can be said about losses to Geelong and Carlton, two sides who we can say with almost absolute certainty will play finals football.
So exactly where are Ken Hinkley’s side at? And more pertinently, can they build from their 5-5 record with enough wins to move back into the top eight and see finals football for the first time since 2007?
Port get the chance to regroup this weekend with their mid-season bye, before a month of football that will likely determine whether they are still a chance at the eight.
They’ll get the closest thing to a guaranteed four points in Round 12 when they face the Giants at Skoda Stadium, then return to AAMI Stadium for home matches against Sydney and Collingwood, and finally head to Melbourne to play Essendon at Etihad Stadium.
Against the Swans, Magpies and Bombers the Power will unquestionably start as outsiders, but if they can jag a win from one of those games – as well as beat the Giants – it would leave the Alberton club at 7-7 with eight matches left in the season.
Looking further ahead, games against St Kilda, Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast and Adelaide could all be assessed as ‘winnable’ games, although the likes of Hawthorn, Geelong and Fremantle all loom.
Not that Hinkley would even be glancing anywhere near this far ahead on the fixtures list. First, he and his coaching staff must find a way to reverse their current five-match losing run.
Alongside fitness coach Darren Burgess, Hinkley was lauded for an innovative training regime that had Port Adelaide physically primed from Round 1.
But as is often the case with young sides the fitness benefits from preseason can only last so far, and we often see them tail off in the second half of the season.
Just ask Essendon, who saw their 8-1 start to 2012 crumble to finish at 11-11 and miss the finals altogether.
Hinkley also needs to reverse the slumping form of Justin Westhoff and Hamish Hartlett, both of whom made enterprising starts to 2013 but have fallen away sharply in the past month.
If they can’t provide support to the likes of captain Travis Boak, who has starred with an average of just under 25 touches a game, it could be a long second half of the season for the Power.
Franko
Guest
The reserves fiasco looks like it will break a few noses. The most likely scenario seems to be that Port Magpies cease to exist and Port Power own and operate all teams from U17 up to AFL. This will be bad because the Magpies team (Power reserves as they would be) would have no interest in winning the SANFL, they would exist solely to provide players for the Power, a Jeremy Clayton for example would never play for the Power reserves. The Crows would also have some stand-alone reserves team that again would have no integrity, have a completely different salary cap and intentions of winning the comp. Another possible scenario is that the Power and Crows have reserve teams in the SANFL reserves. This throws up the prospect of either a Port Power vs Port Magpies match, or Port Magpies dropping their reserves side and replacing them with the Power reserves. If you get dropped from Port Magpies SANFL, you go back to play for the Port Power reserves. I am pretty sure neither AFL club is keen for this one. Either way, it’s a bloody mess and Port Magpies (arguably still the best supported side in the SANFL) are likely to be wiped out.
Kevin Martin
Roar Rookie
yes - only the most 'die hard fan' believed finals would happen - tho after a 5-0 start we all thought 'could we???' Ken and Co have to dig us out of the shite we have been in for the past 4 years so its a start of the journey back to finals for us. Realistically 2015 we will be in finals... need 2-3 years of list turnover with a new coach to get his ideal team together then you top it up for a tilt at the flag!
Kevin Martin
Roar Rookie
And Port Adelaide Magpies will not have any shadow or links with Port Power, totally separate entities. They are already, but bringing back the AFL reserves will solidify this completely . ... strange comment that - the links are being increased with One Club ... after years of division and being separate? Are you sure an AFL reserves comp is planned tho ... talk in SA is getting both AFL teams in the SANFL comp ... Port Adelaide have Magpies - Crows will either form a tenth team or link to another SANFL club as their 'reserves' team.
Johnno
Guest
One thing that will change , is now the complete split from the SANFL of both clubs, and I think this will be for the better too, for both the AFL and SANFL. Reserve grade is apparently coming back to the AFL. And the crows and Port, will no longer field players in the SANFL. And Port Adelaide Magpies will not have any shadow or links with Port Power, totally separate entities. They are already, but bringing back the AFL reserves will solidify this completely . And no more 1 or 2 player allocations per SANFL club, totally separate. And the SANFL will be able to be separate entities.
Andrew Sertori
Roar Rookie
i think 2-3 more wins and game time into the kids will make the year a success for hinkley, anything else is a bonus, you just feel they are building now
margar
Guest
Agree with this article and comments: two strong SA teams are essential but the coverage given to Port is often incidental and when they win it is almost like "oh we better say something about that" whereas the Crows have coverage even if they do not merit it i.e check out stories in the Advertiser about player's cat, coach's wedding, player's grandmother, supporter's recipes. The SANFL have also been complicit in the way they have bled both clubs of revenue from home games. Their intransigence and influence has in part, contributed to some of the detriment at Port Adelaide which hopefully is now turning around with a strong chairman, board, head coach and coaching panel. I hope they scrape a few more wins for the year and give needed game time and experience to the team. As a supporter, I think they are on the right track and I am optimistic for the future.
Johnno
Guest
I hope so. It's good for Adelaide, too have 2 strong AFL teams. Good for AFL and footy. It would be tragic if one Adelaide club folded. The new Adelaide oval renovation, hopefully will improve the club. Kochy, has made a big difference, helping getting some sponsor's on deck. Port are a good team potential wise, just need better management. But i have been worried about the depth in AFL this year, a few too many teams struggling. GWS, Melbourne Demon's, St Kilda, Brisbane Lion's, Western Bulldog's etc. Looking at the point's ladder GWS for and against statistic's are awful. If I was the AFL, I would be putting all those resources into clubs like Mlebourne Demon's, Port, ST Kilda, Western Bulldog's, not GWS. Port are mid table so doing okay this year, but more support from the AFL would be good. Port also get let down in South Australia by the Adelaide crow's centric , Adelaide media always ripping into Port. And the SANFL clubs always angry with Port too, how they feel the Port Adelaide Magpies were ruined etc, and there SANFL comp diluted more.