Port Adelaide look a lot like 2008 Hawks

The 2008 Hawthorn premiership was largely viewed as one which came ‘before their time’.

Off field turmoil and on-field failure during 2004 season had seen the club change their coach, bring in a high-profile president and start a rebuilding process which was sure to a take many years. The club preached patience to its fans.

After missing the finals during the 2006 season, Hawthorn had managed to secure fifth position in 2007 and a home final against the finals hardened Adelaide Crows. With the likes of Andrew Macleod, Tyson Edwards and Mark Ricciuto on his farewell tour, many had tipped the Crows to knock off the young Hawks.

Trailing for most of the match, it took a last quarter rally and a Buddy special to get the Hawks over the line. The next week the Hawks faced North Melbourne and where bundled out swiftly, never really in it versus a squad at the height of their Shinboner spirit days.

The 2008 season saw the Hawks, who had the third youngest list, jump out of the blocks, winning the first nine matches of the season. Injuries exposed Hawthorn’s youthful list as they finished the season with eight wins and five losses over the final 13 games, gaining many doubters as they entered the finals.

However when the finals started and again with a full list at their disposal, the Hawks found devastating form, beating the Bulldogs by 51, Saints by 54 and finally Geelong by 26 to take home the premiership.

The 2011 AFL season was rock bottom for Port Adelaide, not only had they finished second last on the ladder, financially they were crippled, they had threadbare crowds and a serious lack of sponsorship dollars. Making matters worse the newly formed Greater Western Sydney where about to enter the competition and compromise the draft with a bevy of picks at the top of the draft over the next two years.

A fortunate turn of events had South Australian junior star Chad Wingard, who many recruiters considered as a top three selection, telling GWS that he had no desire to play for the startup club. As a result GWS who had the first five selections in the draft passed each time, allowing Port to select Wingard with the sixth pick – highway robbery for a player of his talent who already has an All-Australian selection to his name.

Although 2012 had been another bad year on the field, off the field was to prove a raging success. Three off-field additions to the club would prove pivotal to the revival of Port. Ken Hinkley was appointed as head coach, David ‘Kochie’ Koch named President and Darren Burgess was recruited from English Premier League giants Liverpool as fitness coach.

The story of Hinkley’s appointment as Port Adelaide head coach was one of great persistence by Port CEO Keith Thomas. Hinkley had been an assistant coach at St Kilda, Geelong and Gold Coast and had come close for head coaching roles at Richmond, Geelong and St Kilda. He also had informal chat with Melbourne before he appointed Mark Neeld.

Having moved his family from Geelong to the Gold Coast for the past two seasons, initially Hinkley refused to even meet with Thomas for a coffee to discuss Port’s head coaching position. He had concerns about relocating his family again so soon, also over Port’s off-field turmoil and perceived lack of talent. Port decided to move on, coming to agreement to appoint Leon Cameron as head coach and Alan Richardson as coaching director of the club.

Then Cameron spurned Port Adelaide in favour of a chance to take over the coaching role from Kevin Sheedy at GWS. A text message by Geelong’s Andrew Mackie to Keith Thomas during grand final week informed him that Hinkley had changed his mind rekindled Port’s interest and they soon appointed him as coach.

In 2013 Port Adelaide rose up the ladder to finish seventh and would play Collingwood at the MCG. Trailing in the fourth quarter, Port would use their trademark fitness to overrun the Pies and win their first final since 2007.

In the knock-out semifinal they would lose to a Geelong side that has their own brand of ‘never say die’ football which is akin to the Shinboner spirit.

Port started the 2014 season with the third youngest playing list in the competition. Coming out of the gates strongly, Port started the year with ten wins and one loss after eleven rounds. They have since gone two and five over their last seven matches, with injuries to key players contributing to their recent form struggles.

With such a young list Port’s soft underbelly has been exposed much like Hawthorn had in the middle of 2008.

Port will be bolstered by the return of key players for the last push into the finals. A fully fit Port are a dangerous proposition for any team, proven by their scintillating form to start the season. Port are fuelled by youthful enthusiasm and a fleet of runners who can go all day thanks largely to their fitness guru Burgess.

As we head towards the finals we will find out if Port too has it in them to win a premiership ‘before their time’.