HEADING into season 2016, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley told Jasper Pittard the time had come for the half-back flanker to stand up.
It was made clear to the 25-year-old that he was no longer a young player whose errors in skill and decision could be regularly tolerated due to his potential.
"I've asked him to be mature: 'You've played enough games now, Jasper, it's time for you to be mature and make those good decisions and keep your composure'," Hinkley said.
Pittard has accepted his coach's challenge and his form to open the season has been sensational.
His average of 25 possessions a game is a serious step up from last year's 20 and his apparent rise was showcased perfectly on Friday night against Essendon.
He finished the 61-point win with 29 possessions, only one of which was considered ineffective.
Amid the genuine pressure applied by Essendon's players, Pittard played just as his coach has demanded – as a seasoned AFL half back.
His 462 metres gained was eclipsed only by teammate Matthew Broadbent's 502m.
"I always like to run hard and take the game on, but I'm just trying to cut those mistakes out of my game and be really composed with the ball," Pittard told AFL.com.au.
"That's something I've really worked hard on and as a back six in general over the pre-season, I think I'm making some in-roads there.
"Kenny backs me in, he backs us all in.
"[The aim is to get] us guys down back more composed and being able to really set up the game, take the pressure off our
midfielders at times and then launch when we get the opportunity."
Criticised for its lack of intensity and lacklustre movement against Adelaide in last weekend's Showdown, Port took to Adelaide Oval against the Bombers with speed on its mind.
The Power played on with quick handballs at every opportunity and although it got them into trouble on numerous occasions, they took the game on with run and carry through the middle of the ground.
Pittard said the mistakes weren't an issue as long as the side continued to attack with aggression.
"We just want to challenge teams. If we can challenge teams with our offence we're going to make them defend, which makes them tired and then we can get set up in defence and do our job better," he said.
"It's scary sometimes and sometimes we're going to turn it over – Kenny has no qualms with us turning it over and making mistakes, that's footy.
"If we can just attack it in those waves, get a few handballs and switch it as much as we can, then I think we look really dangerous and we're going to have a lot of teams really worried."
Friday's win was far from a perfect game but it set a foundation on which the Power will look to build what needs to be a vastly improved campaign compared to last year.
After the successes of 2013 and 2014, both Hinkley and Pittard said the club had taken steps backwards on its journey to respect.
The only way to keep striving towards that goal, Pittard said, was to bring consistent effort from quarter to quarter and week to week.
Friday's win was ugly at times, but the effort and intensity was there.
"We just wanted to have a four-quarter performance – and that's effort – four quarters of actual effort," Pittard said.
"You hear the noise outside, no doubt, and it hurts a little bit, but we deserve everything that's been said about us this week (after round two's 58-point Showdown loss).
"Kenny said, four years ago we set out to earn respect in the comp and I think we did that in '13, '14, but we've probably lost it a little bit in the last year and a bit and the start of the season.
"We've got to keep trying to win that respect back and it's not going to happen until we rock up each and knock out performances like that against any team."
MORE ON PORTADELAIDEFC.COM.AU ...
