Port Adelaide showed during the season that they could compete with most teams and play finals, but only at times. They fell away at the end of the season, losing their last four games and missing the final eight by four points and percentage.
Power had recruited strongly over the off-season and had picked up seven players from other league clubs, although one of these, Dom Barry, had last played for Melbourne in 2014. The other six, however, were considered good pick-ups, but at the end of the day the club would have been disappointed with their output.
Steven Motlop played 21 games and scored 11 goals, Jack Watts played 19 games and scored 18 goals, and Tom Rockliff played 18 games and scored seven goals. The remainder, including Jack Trengove and Trent McKenzie, had little impact, and Lindsay Thomas has since announced his retirement.
The Power did get a good return from two of their second-year players in Dan Houston and Sam Powell-Pepper, and most of their experienced players were good contributors, with Justin Westoff, Travis Boak, Robbie Gray, Brad Ebert and Chad Wingard all playing more than 20 games for the season.
Hamish Hartlett was sidelined for most of the season with injury and will be a welcome return if he is able to front up next year.
(Mark Brake/Getty Images)
Justin Westoff and Robbie Gray battled throughout the year to claim second spot on the club’s all-time goal-kickers list, though are still more than 250 goals behind Warren Tredrea. By season’s end Robbie Gray had kicked 12 more goals – 36 to 24 – and held second place on the club’s top-100 goal-scorers list by three goals, 294 to 291.
The other main goal-scorer, Charlie Dixon, had his least productive season since joining the club from Gold Coast in 2016 but still managed to take his total goals for the team to 105.
Paddy Ryder, one of the most effective ruckmen in the competition, was limited to 16 games in which he scored only ten goals, his equal lowest goal output since 2008.
So for whatever reason most of the players played below their most productive form, and the coach will need to address this problem as well as the probable loss of Jarod Polec for his team to improve enough to challenge for a final spot in 2019.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
A little over 12 months ago, Collingwood demolished Port Adelaide on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the MCG in the first of many, many…
Port Adelaide forward Jeremy Finlayson says he's 'pissed off' at himself for making a homophobic slur, not the AFL for suspending him. Finlayson, banned…
Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
Former great David King has blasted Match Review Officer Michael Christian's decision to not suspend Port Adelaide star Zak Butters for his high bump…
The AFL Players' Association has come out swinging against the league for their decision to hand Port Adelaide forward a three-match suspension for using…
Geelong has been crafty and creative in its list management and has quietly assembled a very exciting young group of midfielders and half-forwards.
