Coming into the 2015 season, Port Adelaide supporters had every reason to be buoyant. They were a kick away from a grand final after finishing with 14 wins and 8 losses in the home-and-away season and were widely tipped to be top four certainties this year.
The addition of Patrick Ryder was seen by many to be the final piece of a puzzle that had come together so rapidly it was astonishing – from the drama of the Matthew Primus era and a five-win season in 2012, they rose from the ashes and stunned the football world with flair, dare and an ‘us against the world’ mindset, both on and off the field.
Just over halfway through 2015 they sit 12th on the ladder with 5 wins and 7 losses, with a loss to bottom of the ladder Carlton on the weekend seemingly putting a nail in the coffin for their finals aspirations this season. There were cries of umpire interference but the truth of the matter is a side of Port’s perceived calibre should never have been in that position against a bottom of the ladder side to begin with.
It’s not easy to answer where its all gone wrong but there are definite factors that stand out immediately when looked at in comparison to the 2014 iteration of this side.
Their highly touted fitness program seems to have either regressed or other teams have caught up, with Port’s ability to run out games no longer a strength and players often second to the ball well before the final siren.A focus on skills was hinted at during their pre-season but their clanger count is up this year from 2014 and there’s a distinct lack of rapid movement – especially from the backline.
Port’s clearance numbers are similar but their effectiveness is not. They scored from 28 per cent of their clearances last season (second in the league) but have struggled immensely at trapping the ball in their attacking 50 this year. Their marks inside 50 have also dropped off (they’ve fallen from second in the league to 10th in this statistic) and overall their points per game have fallen from a very healthy 99 to a mediocre 83.75 after the 12 games played this season.
Some may point to a one-dimensional forward line. Jay Schulz is well down on form and there’s some issue with his contract seemingly at play and Ryder has always thrived more in a first ruck role than up forward, but given the strength of Port’s prime movers in the midfield the delivery to that group should provide more than enough scoring power.
The real answer starts to become clearer when looking at ball movement forward. Port led the league in inside 50s last year (56.2 per game) but have dropped
to 11th this season (49 per game). Their running bounces have also dramatically fallen from 15.2 per game (1st in the league) to 11th (6.6).
Teams are smothering the corridor and are forcing Port to play to their level, on their terms. Even the likes of Brisbane were able to put three men around the mark to prevent quick ball movement and clog the corridor to prevent a long kick. Carlton did the same and applying even a modicum of pressure to the ball carrier while the corridor has been shut off seems to have destroyed Port’s run and ‘slingshot’ style, resulting in turnovers and static play, especially from the backline (the drive from which was a crucial cog into their attacking 50 last season).
Football commentators were quick to jump on the ‘Port have been worked out’ bandwagon but the issues run deeper than that. Ken Hinkley, as fantastic of a motivator as he is, seems to have no plan B. There are no dramatic responses on the selection table and no feasible attempts at turning what teams now use against them to their advantage. It’s not that they have been worked out, it’s that they cannot do anything to counter that fact.
The loss of Phil Walsh (to the Crows) has no doubt hurt, but the loss of Peter Rohde (their general manager of football operations) is one that may well have hurt just as much. Rohde was a big part in bringing this group together and had the unenviable task of transitioning Port Adelaide from 2004 until the fruits of his labour were seen in 2014.
Tactical nous may be lacking and it’s up to Hinkley and co to show otherwise.
It’s time for Port Adelaide to think outside the box. While it’s not unusual for young sides to have a ‘down year’ the way in which Port have lost to the bottom sides this season with lacklustre skills, molasses slow play and a lack of effort from many players is unacceptable. Losing Jared Polec, Matt White and Jackson Trengove has harmed their cause but their injury list is nowhere near at the level it could be to claim injuries are the issue.
To rebound from this season Hinkley and the senior players must start righting the ship as there’s no doubting this is a group full of some special talent, but lacking the vigour and element of surprise of last year are not showing it.
Teams will continue to flood the middle of the ground for as long as it works after seeing the results so far this year, it’s up to the coaching staff to develop a proper plan B that’ll allow Port to get their dash back.
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