This is the 13th of 19 articles looking at the meta-results for both team and players, as collected from ELO-Following Football’s wide range of sources.
Presenting the Port Adelaide Power.
Back in 2017
The team finished in fifth place with a home-and-away record of 14-8 and a percentage of 130, high enough to place above Sydney and host West Coast in the Eliminationa Final – which didn’t go so well.
They lost painfully on an overtime, after-the-siren goal from a free kick that SA fans will undoubtedly tell you was questionable at best.
Fortunately, they spared themselves that kind of pain this season.
The expectations for the team
Like the year before, the consensus was sixth place. The range of forecasts roamed from second to 10th.
I freely confess to be one of those thinking the additions to their already-strong roster would push them into contention for the premiership this season. When they were 11-4 after Round 16, they seemed poised to do so.
Coming into the season, the players who were considered to be in the top 50 in the league by the AFLPA or The Roar included Robbie Gray (top 15), Ollie Wines, and Paddy Ryder.
In 2018, the team finished
With a four-game losing streak that knocked them out of the finals altogether. They finished in a frustrating 10th place, 12-10, dragging along a percentage of 108 that sat them behind the upstart Kangaroos.
The only consolation, for some, might be that Adelade sat behind them with a lower percentage and out of finals as well.
It’s been…
Five years since the Power won a game in the finals, making the prelims in 2014.
It’s been 15 years and counting since their one AFL flag, that glorious day in 2004 when they dismembered three-peaters Brisbane 113-73, after their two previous minor premierships had gone down in flames.
Charlie Dixon of the Power celebrates with fans. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
According to our patented “ELO-Following Football” rating system, they were in fourth place with a rating of 62.4 in March. Two quick wins pushed them to 68, their high point this season.
Three poor games dropped them 14 points, but they returned to a hillock of 63.7 after their Round 14 defeat of the Demons.
However, only a pathetic performance by the Bulldogs against them in Round 19 kept the Power from reducing their rating in each of their final eight games, incredibly ending the season below average, at 49.0.
That sat them in 12th, the last of the “competitive” teams in the AFL. The Bulldogs were the highest of the six non-competitive teams, at 39.
The other rating systems said that, as ours said above, they started well, looked like a threat, and ended either 11th or 12th on everyone’s list. You know – just like in real life.
Across the spectrum game-by-game expectations
Final record: 14-8.
Betting Line expectations: The Power were favoured by pundits in 17 games this season, expected to go 17-5 with a +296 margin. They went just 9-13 against the spread this year.
ELO-Following Football forecasts: We only favoured them at a rate of 14-8, but we freely admit they weren’t all the same fourteen games that they actually won.
AFL.com.au game predictions: 13-9.
The Roar predictions: 13-9; the individual picks totalled an impressive 79-42.
“Pick-A-Winner” predictions: 13 wins, 9 losses.
The Age forecasters: Also 13-9; individual choices were 169-95.
BetEasy “CrowdBet” percentages: 15-7.
My own game-by-game predictions expected the Power to go 13-9.
Jack Watts and Port Adelaide had a year to forget. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)
What was their best game of the season?
We’re sticking with the obvious: the Motlop winner in Round 8 that won the day against the arch-rivals from down the street, 95-90.
It brought them up to 5-3, even with… y’know what? None of that matters.
They beat the flippin’ Crows with a dramatic last-minute goal! What else matters?
Which game would they most like to erase from memory?
From three differing perspectives, the loss to Fremantle in Round 17 was a fairly definitive the worst loss of the season.
First, losing to Fremantle at all this season, especially for a team sitting 11-4 at the time, was embarrassing enough. That said, at the time, the scuttlebutt was regarding the damage it did to their ‘flag’ ambitions and their hopes of making top two.
It turned out, however, that the second reason it was the worst loss of the season was it began a slide that, except for a one-game respite against the Bulldogs, failed to see them win or even play particularly well again.
The loss of Paddy Ryder that day is not coincidental to that 1-6 finish which not only hurt their flag chances and knocked them out of the top two, but also the top four and top eight as well.
And thirdly? It was simply an ugly game, top to bottom.
If we were to speak of the club in as many words as they had wins in 2018
“Bringing in Watts, Motlop, and Rockliff produced a net negative two wins?”
Meta-player of the year results
1. Robbie Gray – 284 points (25th overall)
Best & Fairest finish: Fourth. Eight Brownlow votes placed him second on the club this year.
Last year’s position: First the last three years (overall 10th, 14th, and 10th).
Notable games: One dominant game (in R8), three prominent games (R4-5 and R20), and three notable games (in R2, R11 and R13). All-Australian Half-Forward.
2. Ollie Wines – 190 points (61st overall)
Best & Fairest finish: Equal second. Received 14 Brownlow votes this year, most on the club.
Last year’s position: Third (28th overall) last year and the year before.
Notable games: One prominent game (R2) and three notable games (R12 through R14 consecutively).
Ollie Wines was immense. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)
3. Justin Westhoff – 170 points (70th overall)
Best & Fairest finish: Received his first ever medal as the Port Adelaide Power Best & Fairest. Also received five Brownlow votes, fourth on the club.
Last year’s position: eighth last year; fifth in 2016.
Notable games: One dominant game (R23), two prominent games (R1 and R6), and one notable game (R12).
4. Jared Polec – 152 points (74th overall)
Best & Fairest finish: Fifth. Third on the club with seven Brownlow votes.
Last year’s position: Ninth.
Notable games: Two prominent games, in R6 and R19.
5. Chad Wingard – 139 points (82nd overall)
Best & Fairest finish: Sixth.
Last year’s position: Fifth (50th overall), and fourth in 2016.
Notable games: Two notable games (in R15-16).
6. Tom Jonas – 110 points (103rd overall)
Best & Fairest finish: Equal second; also named Clubman of the year.
Last year’s position: 13th.
Notable games: One dominant game, in R14, and one prominent game, in R19. All-Australian 40-man roster.
7. Charlie Dixon – 106 points (109th overall)
Best & Fairest finish: Not in top ten.
Last year’s position: Fourth (41st overall), and 12th in 2016.
Notable games: One prominent game (R19).
8. Steven Motlop – 87 points (144th overall)
Best & Fairest finish: Thirteenth, so, not in the top ten.
Last year’s position: 11th at Geelong, and fourth the year before.
Notable games: Just one notable game, in R16. Except for winning the Showdown in R8 with a last-minute major, his first season in teal wasn’t particularly remarkable. Or Motlop-like.
Steven Motlop was serviceable, but not remarkable. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)
9. Travis Boak – 84 points (152nd overall)
Best & Fairest finish: Ninth.
Last year’s position: Seventh (83rd overall).
Notable games: One prominent game, in China. (R9.)
10. Sam Gray – 74 points (180th overall)
Best & Fairest finish: Not in top ten.
Last year’s position: Tenth (159th overall).
Notable games: Two prominent games (R3 and R6).
Port Adelaide had five top 100 players and 14 top 200 players in the 2018 ELO-FF meta-rankings. Averages would be 5.5 and 11, respectively.
Honourable mentions
Riley Bonner – 16th place (60 points) – One prominent game, back in R1.
Darcy Byrne-Jones – 14th place (65 points) – Seventh in Port’s Best & Fairest voting.
Tom Clurey – 17th points (40 points) – Tenth in Best & Fairest voting.
Dan Houston – 19th place (35 points) – Eighth in Best & Fairest voting, plus was also voted Best Clubman.
Tom Rockliff – equal 12th place (71 points) – One notable game, in R13.
Paddy Ryder – equal 12th place (also 71 points) – Also one notable game, also in R13. Possibly proof that the Illuminati exist.
Player movement during the trade period
In: Ryan Burton (Hawthorn), Scott Lycett (West Coast), and Sam Mayes (Brisbane).
Gone: Jack Hombsch, Jasper Pittard, Jared Polec, and Chad Wingard. On that list of four names, Wingard stands out like a sore thumb. It seems a step backwards.
Current list of draft picks: 5, 10, and 15 (three first-round choices!), plus 85 (pointless).
2019 list highlights
Backs: Riley Bonner, Ryan Burton, Darcy Byrne-Jones, Tom Clurey, Hamish Hartlett, Dan Houston, Tom Jonas
Midfielders: Brad Ebert, Kane Farrell, Steven Motlop, Tom Rockliff, Justin Westhoff, Ollie Wines,
Rucks: Scott Lycett, Paddy Ryder.
Forwards: Travis Boak, Charlie Dixon, Robbie Gray, Sam Gray, Dougal Howard, Aidyn Johnson, Todd Marshall, Sam Powell-Pepper, Jack Watts.
Forecast for 2019
It’s hard to see losing Polec and Wingard as a positive. With three first-round draft picks, you get the feeling that they’re taking the long view right now, but after going all in last season to add the talent they did, it may just end up being a case of addition by subtraction.
Will Wines get more time up front? Will Westhoff rise to the challenge? Or does their late-season fade in 2018 signal something more ominous moving forward?
We hate to be pessimists, but we foresee a continued fall for the Power in 2019, and are pegging them to drop all the way down into 15th place for the upcoming season.
Stix
Guest
Would like to see Gold Coast trade 2019 R1 Pick (will obviously be pick 1) to StKilda for pick 4. Suns can also swap this years pick 29 for the saints pick 36 to sweeten the deal if need be. Gold Coast 2.3,4,6 = LUKOSIUS, RANKINE OR ROZEE, KING & KING. Port at pick 5 will take either Rankine or Rozee.
Pelican
Roar Rookie
Lycett will make a huge difference difference to the structure of the team. Dixon and Ryder will benefit from his addition. Dixon's broken leg killed the structure as did injuries to Ryder and Jonas. Hartlett and Broadbent returning will help with the backs. The loss of Wingard and Polec is not as big a deal as has been made out. They are outside mids and can be replaced with younger players. Youngsters that are ready to step up include Marshall, Boner, Farrell, Atley, Houston ,Howard and Johnson. Also 3 first round picks. Port will be back in the 8 and the list looks better with the inclusion of Burton who can provide X Factor. There is a reason Hawks fans were dirty about loosing him.
Adam
Guest
Have totally mismanaged their list. Lost polec and wingard and have brought in lycett and another defender(burton) .They lack pace in their midfield and quality ball uses. Unfortunately for them they will drop further down the ladder.
User
Roar Rookie
2 players they could least afford to lose for any stretch last season where Dixon and Ryder, once Dixon went down it was all over Red Rover, may have a down year ahead of them but don't see things as being as dire as others will.