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Port Adelaide have been the anti-Essendon over the last two seasons, completely transforming their image to be the feel-good story of the AFL.
Just when we reach the end of our tether with our great game being dragged through the mud by another off-field scandal relating to the drugs saga, Port dazzles us with an on-field display that seems an expression of pure joy through the form of Australian Rules football.
The Power’s rise from 2012 basket-case to 2013 winning finalist was meteoric, and last year they not just consolidated, but improved their position to make it to preliminary final weekend.
Check out the rest of Rosey’s AFL preview series here.
Can they go one or two steps further this time around? Everything points to the possibility, but as we know in the world of sport, nothing is given for free or taken for granted.
Here’s what their best side might look like:
B: J.Hombsch A.Carlile T.Jonas
HB: M.Broadbent J.Trengove J.Pittard
C: H.Hartlett T.Boak J.Polec
HF: R.Gray J.Westhoff P.Ryder
F: C.Wingard J.Schulz A.Monfries
Foll: M.Lobbe B.Ebert O.Wines
Int: M.White K.Cornes C.O’Shea A.Young
Em: N.Krakouer A.Moore J.Impey
Port has assembled a side that is beautifully balanced across the field, with specialist talls and smalls in all parts of the ground, but with several players that are equally at home in two or more positions. Part of Hawthorn’s dominance has been the ability to rotate many players through different areas of the ground, and we’re seeing more of the same with the Power.
Travis Boak leads by example on and off the field, and was seen as a quality enough footballer by The Roar panel to be ranked a top-10 player in the competition. Another four or five touches a game and another half a dozen goals across the season, and he can be rated higher still.
Robbie Gray is the most dangerous and damaging player at Port, which we saw over and over in a stunning 2014 season. He has innate ball sense and awareness inside the contest, and plenty of class once on the outside.
Ollie Wines is a bull around the ball, and has incredible surety of hand for a player yet to break out of his teens the last time we saw him. He’ll be a genuine gun for the next decade.
Hamish Hartlett was arguably the Power’s best midfielder as of two seasons ago, but is now probably fourth cab off the rank. He can be ultra-damaging with his penetrating ball use, but could still have more impact with a lift in work rate.
Jared Polec burst onto the scene last year after a few seasons at Brisbane that were a non-event, justifying his high draft pick status. His game style suited and complemented Port’s to a tee.
Brad Ebert is the defensive workhorse who still wins the ball and drives the team forward often, but lacks the class of others. Kane Cornes is part of the furniture, and just keeps going. He’ll continue to perform minding roles, always with an eye to sneaking off his opponent.
Matthew Lobbe and Paddy Ryder will share the ruck load, and the team will greatly benefit from them being completely different types of players. Lobbe lays a ridiculously high amount of tackles for a ruckman, indicating his desire to be involved once the hit out is won or lost. Ryder will use his athleticism to jump over opponents that Lobbe has tired out by crashing into them, and the ex-Don will also kick goals up forward when not running through the middle.
Justin Westhoff will start forward, and then roam wherever he needs to make an impact. He’s truly blossomed under Ken Hinkley, and is one of Port’s most important players.
Jay Schulz is another to have found his best football under Hinkley, and it’s no coincidence that he hasn’t missed a game in that time, after only averaging 12 matches a season over the previous decade in the game. Like his crosstown rival full-forward, Taylor Walker, Schulz has vice-like hands on the lead and is a beautiful kick of the football, and can be banked on to kick goals from anywhere.
Chad Wingard is the x-factor, capable of anything and everything, and is coming off a disappointing 43-goal season. Wouldn’t we all love to have someone in our team who underperforms like he does!
Angus Monfries was also below par last year, having nowhere near the impact of 2013. He’s a very neat small forward who is solid in every aspect of the game, and should find his best again.
Matty White will provide the pace that he always does as an impact player, with an important goal, tackle or breaking a line at just the right time.
Down back, the Power aren’t star-studded, yet combine very, very well together in an underrated way.
Jackson Trengove is the nominal leader of the big men, complemented by the experience of Alipate Carlile, but it was Jack Hombsch who was the true revelation last season, yet another GWS reject to stamp themselves as a top-line player at another club. Hombsch is equally at home affecting a spoil or taking a mark, and backs himself to run off and create, a skill that he’ll only get better at. A calm decision maker with ball in hand, he’s going to be an outstanding player for a long time.
Matthew Broadbent and Jasper Pittard are the running rebounders, and like the rest of Port’s side that play similar positions, they are complementary to each other. Both could stand to get more ball, and Pittard in particular needs to tidy up his use.
Tom Jonas rounds out the back six, and will perform a lock down role. He’s another in the long list of players that has gone to another level under Hinkley.
The Power ranked second in attack and third in defence in 2014, belying their fifth-placed ladder position at the end of 22 rounds. They’ve now got two finals series under their belt, and know what it takes to compete and win at the pointy end of the season. They’re impressive credentials for a side still ranked at the lower end of the middle tier for age and games played. This side contains a great many players that are going to play a lot of football together, so they should only grow.
Hard running. Hard tackling. Quick ball movement. Fast and ferocious. Leave your ego at the door. There’s no logical reason why Port won’t improve again.
Predicted ladder spread: first-fourth
Predicted finish: second
Rosey’s ladder
2nd – Port Adelaide
3rd – Sydney
4th – North Melbourne
5th – Fremantle
6th – Gold Coast
7th – Geelong
8th – Richmond
9th – Essendon
10th – Brisbane
11th – Adelaide
12th – Collingwood
13th – Greater Western Sydney
14th – West Coast
15th – Carlton
16th – Melbourne
17th – Western Bulldogs
18th – St Kilda