It may have taken until Round 21, but last night Port Adelaide put in their best performance for 2015.
It does not change the fact that it has been a disappointing season, but it provided a glimpse into the kind of football Port Adelaide is capable of playing and should be playing moving forward in 2016.
It has been discussed before that maybe this is the year Port Adelaide needed to have. Supporters do not like to hear this, especially when expectation was a top four finish, but sometimes you need to take a step back before taking a step forward.
While the whole club will look to learn from mistakes this year, so will coach Ken Hinkley.
Often the view from AFL pundits for a bottom-placed team is it can take between three to five years to build a competitive AFL outfit that can feature in finals.
At the end of 2012 Port Adelaide had won only five games. The rise of Port Adelaide has not been the traditional rebuild which most clubs prepare for. Port Adelaide jumped directly from the lowly depths of the ladder in 2012 to a semi- final appearance in 2013 and a preliminary final appearance in 2014.
It is very rare for such a rapid rise; especially given the age demographic of the Port Adelaide team which would suggest their best football is further down the line. Maybe we all got caught up and need to analyze a little more rationally.
Hinkley has been strong in his message all year and the direction he wants to take the club. Despite Port Adelaide being below par they have lost six games by fewer than two goals. It shows how tight the AFL competition is and can be a fine line between playing finals and missing out.
If you were listen to some of the media reaction at times you would believe that Port Adelaide has failed to win a game all year. They have still won 10 games and a chance to finish the year with 12 wins.
So where to for next year? Drafting and trading will play an important role and despite it potentially not being a popular opinion, if Port Adelaide can bring in Charlie Dixon for Jay Schulz this is a massive tick.
It will be strange not seeing Port Adelaide involved in the finals after the performance last night and what Port Adelaide did in September last year. The last couple of weeks Ken Hinkley has been magnificent in the media and if you get a chance then watch his interview on AFL 360 from Thursday night, make sure you do. Hinkley is a great teacher, has great knowledge of the game and the players play for him and respect him.
Port Adelaide has a very good coach, and most importantly the right man to steer Port Adelaide towards their next premiership.
Theo Pratt
Roar Rookie
I think we got caught on the hop a bit this year. Complacency and expectation are two things that don't mix well. Throw in a tougher draw and the rest is history. Port will be significantly better in 2016.
Peter
Guest
Port have got a couple of other styles they do play but it comes down to skills. That is what has let Port down. The game plan is fine and they will be back in the mix next year. You can have whatever game plan you like but it means nothing if skills and confidence are down. And call me crazy but I reckon they should keep Butcher.
slane
Guest
I don't think they used plan B and C. Plan A worked perfectly. Port won the contested possessions and then attacked with flair through the corridor. Exactly what they were doing all of last season.
Jake
Guest
You obviously didn't watch plan B and C in action against the Hawks then.
Edgar Slosh
Roar Guru
Hinkley needs plan B. He says he believes in his game plan but look at where they are.
Peter March
Roar Rookie
Alipate Carlile has been a pretty massive out too, but its been good to see players like Hombsch really step up in his absence.
Mark
Guest
Hinkley is a great coach. And I think Voss is finding his feet as well. Lobbe is the interesting one. Port looks so much better with Ryder.
Jake
Guest
Agree. Hoping for a better NAB lead in to 2016 and assault on next year. Ryder and Monfries have done well considering ASADA and now WADA over their heads. Sam Gray and AhChee have been a revelation this year and add depth. Having Trengove Wines and Polec out is massive plus Schulz so down on form. The team is now starting to toughen up a bit perhaps under Voss' leadership?This is a big learning curve year. Ken is the man for sure. He has a steely resolve and he will continue to steer the ship to success. The fixture was shocking this year. Ok apparently Geelong's and Hawks were too but remember they are Vic teams with all the travel advantages to assist them. Port's draw definitely the worst plus those sunday timeslots. Will the AFL give them a fairer one next year, we will see? I guess now that Port are showing how well they play at Ethiad they won't get more games there. Trolls really need to let go of the tarps and bandwagoner jokes too. Port has great crowds compared to most Vic teams, especially considering they have had a poor year. Crows have a massive following in SA so should be filling the stadium every week, especially due to their number of 11 game memberships compared to Port's 11 game memberships. But guess what, Crows don't fill it. This is conveniently overlooked be detractors.
NeverTearUsAppart
Guest
Agreed! Adding: Walshy tragic loss , inclusion of Ryder, unsettled Monfries and Ryder, toughest fixture in the comp, dealing with increased scrutiny and the weight of expectations...
Dave
Guest
Port will be back in the mix next year. Reminds me of Geelong having their little flat spot in 2006 before a good run at the top part of the ladder.