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Opinion
Nine different teams have won a premiership since Port Adelaide last drank from the keg of glory in 2004. They were the tail-end of a different era of flag-winners that included Brisbane, Essendon, North Melbourne, Adelaide and Carlton.
The difference between Port and most of those other clubs that time forgot, is that the Power have had longer periods of contention in-between times.
Ken Hinkley is entering his 10th season as senior coach without a flag, the same equation that faced Nathan Buckley last year. It’s a long time to be at the helm without the ultimate success.
At least Buckley made a grand final, and came within a kick of winning it. Hinkley has no such achievement.
No team won more games than Port in either 2020 or 2021, and their 31 wins over the two COVID seasons had them ahead of Brisbane (29) and Geelong (28).
For all their quality, they couldn’t progress past the preliminary final on either occasion, losing both of them at home. In the first, a champion team got the best of them in a four quarter battle of pure grit. In the second, they were as pathetic as any club last season – down 5.2 to 0.0 halfway through the first quarter, and never got better from there. It was truly awful.
Everything lined up in the Power’s favour in those two years too – no hubs, home finals, sleeping in their own beds.
How much baggage do the Power carry with them from failing so horrendously when heavily favoured to win? It’s a question they’ll have to answer through 2022.
Travis Boak (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)
What’s new?
Jeremy Finlayson joins Port from GWS, and it’s just perfect that he’s joining the flakiest forward-line in the competition.
He still carries with him the burden of only having one touch in the 2019 grand final, and the Giants were more than happy to let him go given he’s a decent player when things are on his terms, but not necessarily one you want in the trenches.
Trent Dumont was delisted by North Melbourne after eight years on their list. It’s hardly a recommendation when a wooden spooner has no time for you, but he can find the footy and is capable of a run-with role when asked, but he’s perhaps not the classiest customer running around.
Star on the rise
They don’t hand out prizes for plumping with Zak Butters here. He showed his industriousness and class from day one, and his cleverness, footy smarts and courage has also been appreciated in his first three years in the system. He’s fearless, despite his smaller frame.
But Butters only played 12 games last year after missing three months through the middle of the season, and he’s missed multiple games each year so far, so there are questions developing over his durability.
Mitch Georgiades is another we’re going to enjoy seeing more of. He’s already overtaken Todd Marshall as the second most important key forward behind Charlie Dixon, and there’s a reasonable case to say he could be the best of the young tall forwards in the competition – a list that includes the King brothers, Harry McKay, and Aaron Naughton.
Georgiades has incredible athleticism, beautiful hands, and has shown he can finish his work well. He doesn’t turn 21 until after this season, so has plenty of scope for improvement too.
Who’s under the pump?
The senior players as a whole need to show they can back up again after falling short despite having every favour through the COVID-riddled 2020-21 seasons.
It’s a big mountain to climb just to reach a prelim, and the legs of Robbie Gray, Travis Boak, Charlie Dixon and Tom Jonas aren’t getting any younger.
Todd Marshall looked a bit lost at stages last season, struggling to find ways to impact behind Dixon and the rise of Georgiades. He even started as the sub in Round 21 against Adelaide. The second or third tall forward role is a difficult one to find consistency in for a young player, but there might just be a little niggle about where he’s at.
Ken Hinkley could very well find himself under the pump if Port start the season slowly. They’ve got a friendly enough draw (on paper) to avoid this, getting Hawthorn, Adelaide, Carlton, West Coast and St Kilda in the first seven weeks. But if they splutter to a 3-4 start or something, the heat will get turned up quickly.
Best-case scenario
The premiership cup makes its way over to South Australia for the first time in 18 years.
The Power are a tough nut to crack in the back half, with a lot of experience and quality in their core six or seven defenders. The addition of Aliir Aliir last season was a masterstroke, and it’s a line that can provide great drive.
Ollie Wines is now a Brownlow medallist, Travis Boak is close to the most evergreen midfielder in the competition and 23yo Willem Drew was outstanding at the coalface last year after missing 2020. There isn’t a great deal of inside depth behind these three, if injury does strike, so look for the likes of Butters to get more opportunities.
Six players with 20 goals or more shows that Port has enough options in attack, and Finlayson has now been added to the mix, but is there room for he, Dixon, Georgiades and Marshall?
Are the early 2000s being repeated? Back then, the Power finished on top in 2002 and 2003 but didn’t make the grand final either time. In 2004, they finally delivered. Perhaps we’re on the cusp of something similar.
Travis Boak (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)
Worst-case scenario
Missed opportunities take a mental toll, and the Power never really get going. There have been a few niggles and injury clouds over the Power this pre-season, and they were uninspiring against Gold Coast in a practice match two weeks ago before eventually shaking of Adelaide on the weekend.
The biggest problem with Port is that you just can’t trust them because they don’t have enough four quarter players.
Zac Butters, Connor Rozee and Xavier Duursma all debuted on the same day in Rd 1, 2019, and we can say they are all still young, which they are, but they are still inconsistent. Fourth year. It’s time.
Steven Motlop has made a career of looking like a million dollars then 15 cents, often in the same play. Orazio Fantasia is a poor man’s Motlop, but playing well against good teams isn’t really his thing. Robbie Gray has been a gun, but is starting to get found out in the heat of big games – he’s only kicked one goal in his last five finals.
For of Charlie Dixon’s strengths, he still goes missing in finals – perhaps he’s never mentally recovered from costing Port in that drawn elimination final against West Coast. Georgiades and Marshall are still finding their feet, and Finlayson has been added.
It’s a long, long list of talented players that can’t be fully relied upon. Put them all together and there’s more flake than at your local fish’n’chips. It’s hard to win flag with them.
Best 22
B Trent McKenzie Aliir Aliir Darcy Byrne-Jones
HB Dan Houston Tom Jonas Ryan Burton
C Zak Butters Ollie Wines Karl Amon
HF Connor Rozee Mitch Georgiades Steven Motlop
F Robbie Gray Charlie Dixon Orazio Fantasia
Foll Scott Lycett Willem Drew Travis Boak
Int Todd Marshall Jeremy Finlayson Xavier Duursma Riley Bonner