PORT ADELAIDE captain Tom Jonas need only point at the season's scorecards to highlight why his team is better placed to win AFL finals this year. The club’s record in tight games that mirror finals speaks for itself.
Port Adelaide has won all six games decided by 13 points or less this season, including the most recent match that came down to two points against the much-admired Western Bulldogs on Friday night.
And the experience of last year's major round - that ended with a six-point loss to eventual premier Richmond in the preliminary finals - has Jonas and his crew on a sounder footing for this week's home qualifying final against Geelong.
"On the back of the experience of last year's finals series, we might feel we are a bit better placed," Jonas said at Alberton on Wednesday after a strong training session.
"Last year, we had players in their first finals. Having that under their belt, having felt the energy and excitement of the build-up to a final, they will be better for that.
"We also have continued to improve our game.
"We have shown great resilience this year - and the ability to win close games. That is something we have been working on for a few years.
"There was a time when we felt we were on the other end of tight games. Now we have found a way to win them.
“We feel like we are perfecting that 'red time' play and at the same time we are finding resilience to stay in games and not be blown off the park.
"While the finish to matches is strong, the question lingers on the seemingly false starts.
"Our start (against the Western Bulldogs) was not too bad," Jonas said. "We just did not convert. That was the story of the whole first half. Sometimes, that is just footy. The focus must be on the process more so than the outcome.
"If you look at the statistics, they are very similar in the first and second halves - except for what was on the scoreboard. We feel we made a pretty strong start."
Port Adelaide left west Melbourne on Friday night - after locking a top-two berth to the finals with a two-point win against the Western Bulldogs - with one injury concern after Rising Star forward Mitch Georgiades was subbed out with a left-hamstring strain.
Georgiades trained at Alberton on Wednesday after scans of the hamstring on Monday kept the teenager in the frame for selection.
"He participated in a couple of drills and did some extra work on the sidelines," Jonas said. "He has - potentially - put his hand up. I would not think we would take a risk if there is any doubt this week, especially with Orazio (Fantasia) looking really good (for a recall after sitting out round 23 with hamstring tightness)."
Port Adelaide's match committee is blessed with a near-full whiteboard with Fantasia, fellow forwards Sam Powell-Pepper and Boyd Woodcock and defender Tom Clurey pressing their claims for selection.
"We have some options," said Jonas. "We have had blokes play really well in the SANFL at the weekend when Boyd Woodcock had 40 and Powell-Pepper played good footy too."
This advantage with number is a contrast to all Port Adelaide endured - and overcame with nine wins in the past 10 weeks - while carrying a heavy injury list.
"It certainly has been a long year and plenty can happen," Jonas said. "We preach the squad mentality and that proved to be really important while everyone came in, played their role as required.
"Now we are in a great position where we pretty much have everyone available, so there will be some unlucky players who don't get an opportunity this week but who knows about next week?
"Having your best or preferred 22 to select from is great at this time of the year. If everyone is fit and ready to go, we would be unchanged given the strong win we had on Friday night. Fortunately for me, I am not in the position needing to make those decisions at match committee."
Port Adelaide will start its second consecutive major round against the most finals-hardened competitor of the past decade. Since its 2011 premiership triumph, Geelong has played in 19 finals for a 6-13 win-loss record while reaching just one grand final (last year).
"I have not looked at the records, but we like to think that whoever we play we are facing a formidable opponent in finals and we will need to be at our best no matter who it is," Jonas said showing respect for all seven top-eight rivals.
Port Adelaide and Geelong meet for the fifth time in a final - and third time in a qualifying final. Port Adelaide has won both qualifying finals, by 55 points at Football Park in 2004 and by 16 points at Adelaide Oval last season.
In all games, it is 2-2 in the past four encounters since 2019.
Retiring Port Adelaide midfielder Tom Rockliff recently spoke highly of the gameplan developed to beat Geelong in last year's qualifying final. For Jonas, that playbook still has relevance.
"We have played a bit of footy against each other in the last 18 months," noted Jonas. "We know each other pretty well. I don't think their game style has changed too much; ours probably has not either.
"So it is all very similar. But at the same time we did not employ that (plan) too well earlier in the year. There are tweaks we will have to make. But it will be typical finals footy and we feel we are well equipped to play that footy.
"It will be really important we use the ball well going forward to give our forwards a chance."
Port Adelaide strategically forced Geelong wide on the play at Adelaide Oval to put key forward and 2020 Coleman Medal winner Tom Hawkins wide for his many inaccurate shots on goal.
The match-up with Hawkins again appears with Trent McKenzie.
"Trent is likely to get first go," Jonas said. "He has in the past. But he cannot be required to do it all alone. We need to help him when we get the opportunity.
"Last year Hawkins still had plenty of shots and fortunately for us he missed a few. We were able to push him wide. Ideally, we just stop the ball from getting down there a bit more so he has fewer shots because he is a quality finisher."
Port Adelaide is the only finalist with home-field advantage this weekend - and even with a reduced capacity, by COVID protocols, at the 53,500-seat Adelaide Oval, Jonas is appreciative of the spirit-lifting cheer of the fans.
"I would love to see 25,000 or a full house, but we have to work within certain (COVID) parameters and a very serious (pandemic) we are dealing with," Jonas said. "We know those 15,000 will be loud and proud and making an absolute racket.
"We will feel it is a full house.
"In the past, with away games at the MCG, our travelling supporter groups have always made more noise than their number would suggest. We probably have the loudest supporters in the competition and we expect nothing different (on Friday night).
"We have 60,000 people who pay their membership each year and only 15,000 are able to go to the game ... it is certainly very disappointing and, hopefully, there will be another opportunity to be home this year to allow different people to come along.
"We have been really appreciative of their support across the whole year and we want to honour that with a really strong performance - and go all the way this year."
Port Adelaide's hold of the double chance would in normal circumstances lead to a home preliminary final after a qualifying win or home semi-final by a loss in the qualifying final. But this normal programming is subject to AFL plans for the grand final that seems destined for Perth on September 25.
"We would be really disappointed if we could not play another final at home," Jonas said. "But at the same time, our mantra for the past two years is anytime, anywhere, anyone. That has held us in good stead."
The qualifying final will start at 7.20pm on Friday with all 15,000 tickets to the match already sold.
