Port Adelaide is living to its Never Tear Us Apart mantra by standing united amid rising frustration from a winless start to the AFL premiership season.
And Ken Hinkley's team also is standing true to its reputation of rising to major challenges, such as measuring itself against the AFL premier, this time Melbourne at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night. In the past nine years, Port Adelaide has beaten the defending premier in each season except 2016.
"We are in this together," Hinkley said at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday morning, hours after club chief executive Matthew Richardson penned a statement to club members and fans emphasising the need for unity.
"The boys believe - and we believe in each other. And we stick together. This football club is strongly connected inside. We are all working really hard to turn things around. If you were with me during the week you would see (the players') attitude, willingness to work and their energy to keep going and to keep improving is about wanting to turn things around quickly.
"We can't hide from the fact that the results have not been what we want. But we are not going to get out of that by fracturing. And you can see that we won't. Our responsibility is to work hard and turn the results around as quick as we possibly can.
"I appreciate everyone is frustrated. I share that frustration. I 100 per cent agree and understand that frustration. I know that goes away very quickly if you get your momentum going in the right direction."
Port Adelaide's 0-3 start and the emotional hit of losing Showdown LI with a kick after the siren on Friday night brings into question how the players have rebounded on a short break - and against significant noise outside the clubhouse.
"The responsibility is to turn up and get back to work," Hinkley said. "We have had a rough patch, but our responsibility is to turn up with as much energy as we always do - and to turning around (the results) as quick as possible.
"The quick turnaround helps. We get back to work. From Monday, we were talking about Melbourne. We have not dwelled on what happens in football ... we just have to get over what another remarkable Showdown did to us.
"We are fortunate it is round 4 - not round 24 when we would stop."
Not in question is Port Adelaide's record in accepting the challenge posed by the AFL measuring stick. In the Hinkley era, Port Adelaide has a reassuring 9-1 win-loss record in home-and-away matches against the defending AFL champion - and five consecutive wins against the AFL premier since 2017.
"It would be a great result if we could do it again," Hinkley said. "We are an honest team. If we can call on history, we would like to call on that record to make sure we get a win against the premiers."
Port Adelaide at selection on Wednesday evening will announce just one change - the return of key defender Tom Clurey, who steps up to AFL action direct from recovery from knee surgery during the pre-season. He will replace fellow tall defender Sam Skinner, who was subbed out of the Showdown with an ankle injury.
"Clurey's return helps us considering the issues we have had with our tall backs; each week someone has been getting hurt," said Hinkley with clear reference to the loss of All-Australian defender Aliir Aliir with ankle surgery and the repeat knocks to Trent McKenzie's body since the season-opener against Brisbane.
"Yes, absolutely there is some risk (with Clurey's recall). But we know what Tom brings - and we are short of tall defenders.
"The six-day turnaround has not given Sam Skinner enough time. There is some chance he will play Saturday (in the SANFL)."
Specialist forward Robbie Gray will not play. He clears the AFL's COVID protocols on Thursday, but has not had the appropriate build-up for the Thursday night test against the unbeaten Melbourne.
"It is just unreasonable," Hinkley said of the task Gray would have faced on Thursday night.
Selection is complicated by an injury list that includes key players and form lines that swing wildly for several players.
"We are (challenged) with what we need with our talls (in defence and attack)," Hinkley said. "We have some younger, developing talls who are just not at the level they need to be to play AFL. And then there are those that are missing (such as Aliir and fellow All-Australian Charlie Dixon).
"We are doing a reasonable job of getting people back as quick as we can."
On the recovery front, Hinkley revealed:
WINGMAN Kane Farrell, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in round 16 against Hawthorn last season, will play in the SANFL this weekend. "This is big time for us when you consider the extent of his injury, the anterior cruciate ligament," Hinkley said. "To return in nine months is incredible work by our medical team - and incredible work by Kane himself. He is a positive part of our club's future - that is one big tick for us. We are excited by that."
KEY defender Aliir is "closer than further away".
KEY forward Dixon is "not looking great for a little while" with his ankle injury. "He will miss between four and six weeks," Hinkley said.
On the match committee whiteboard, Hinkley explained:
WINGMAN Xavier Duursma is "sore". "And he won't play this week after taking another knock to his shoulder (in the SANFL derby)," Hinkley said. "Xavier was not playing at the level he expects of himself - and no player in the side is immune to performance pressure. He is trying really hard to get his form to a level that we know of him. He has been off that (level). People have, unfortunately, times in their career when their form is off."
KEY forward Jeremy Finlayson is "working to make his way back to the AFL". "I sense Jeremy has had a really positive week," Hinkley said. "He is working hard again. He knows exactly where he is looking to improve."
UNTRIED ruckman Sam Hayes is "close" to his AFL debut. "We have said this for a while with Sam," Hinkley said. "At the moment, we feel the one ruck (with Scott Lycett) is still what we need to go with. We are growing Sam and will continue to give him more education, even as a forward."
NO regret in trading ruckman-forward Peter Ladhams to Sydney at the end of last season. "We make these decisions based on our future and long-term success," Hinkley said.
Port Adelaide's match committee lived up to its promise of being creative with a new-look attack in the Showdown with the mid-size Sam Mayes delivering 2.3 to the scoreline. This week's question is posed to the Port Adelaide midfield in dealing with an elite mix at Melbourne headlined by Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney.
"We understand the size of the challenge," Hinkley said. "But we also have good midfield depth to mix and match through there.
"We are going to take them on. We have great faith in the people we have around the ball. They will give us an even look at the ball when we get our chance to play.
"The best teams in the competition (such as Melbourne) have more than one midfielder (to counter). And if you (lock down or tag) one, the other gets you. And, hopefully, it is the same for them (in dealing with Brownlow Medallist) Ollie Wines and Travis Boak. And Zak Butters. And Connor Rozee. And Willem Drew.
"We are not frightened by the names of the Melbourne midfielders. We understand and respect their results."
The match will begin at 7.10pm.
