1. Sam Gray belongs at AFL level
Sam Gray’s meteoric rise doesn’t look like slowing any time soon. After an outstanding finish to 2015 where he polled Brownlow votes in the final three games, Gray’s form looks to have carried over into this season with a solid first outing in the NAB Challenge.

Gray played almost exclusively in the midfield and was the Power’s leading ball-winner with 21 disposals. His defensive pressure and gut-running around the ground were also impressive.

Even when the likes of Travis Boak, Robbie Gray, Brad Ebert, Ollie Wines and Hamish Hartlett return to the side, Sam Gray looks to have shown enough to be considered a first-choice player in a full-strength Power outfit.

2. Never, ever give up extends to pre-match
Despite being severely undermanned, Port Adelaide showed it was up for the fight right from the get-go against an experienced Sydney team.

The Swans were short-priced favourites and had a lot more of the ball (383-244 disposals), but the Power’s desperation and defensive pressure made life difficult for the Swans going forward. And the visitors were also able to make Sydney pay going the other way – holding the lead for much of the first three quarters.

Despite being scoreless in the final quarter, the Power didn’t stop fighting until the final siren – eventually going down by 21 points.
3. The young boys can compete
Dougal Howard in the ruck, Darcy Byrne-Jones in defence, Will Snelling in the midfield – these young players all held their own against the Swans.

Howard’s aggression and second-efforts in the ruck caught many eyes in Blacktown, with the 19-year-old learning his new position quickly. With no Paddy Ryder due to suspension and Billy Frampton out with injury, Howard has become one of the next in line ruck options at Alberton.

Like Howard, Snelling was in and under all day and kept throwing his body around in the final quarter in tough, wet conditions. He didn’t have a lot of the ball, but his tackling pressure around the ground and body-work at stoppages was impressive.

Byrne-Jones and the Power defence were under siege at times against the Swans, but they remained composed, repelling attack after attack, especially in the second quarter. He’s still got a lot to learn, but DBJ looks to be one to keep an eye on for the future.

4. It’s tough to score into a gale
The Power entered the final quarter trailing the Swans by just four points and the game looked to be going down to the wire. But as the final quarter started, a massive storm hit Blacktown and brought with it gale-force winds and torrential rain.

What was a three-goal breeze, instantly turned into an eight-goal breeze favouring the Swans and moving the ball out of defence became extremely difficult for the visitors.

The game quickly turned into a ground-level scrap and any quick kicks forward for the Swans suddenly had significantly more carry with the wind. Despite the conditions, the Power only conceded two goals in the final term.

While there’s plenty of room for improvement with the Power’s wet-weather footy, Hinkley will be happy with the way the team applied themselves in that final term.