PORT
The Demons won six in a row before their run was halted by Collingwood in a 42-point loss in the Queen’s Birthday Monday game in Round 12.
Fresh off a bye, Wingard is expecting the Melbourne side to respond.
“They’ve obviously got something to prove,” he said.
“They’re pretty fresh off the break but we’ve got an eight-day break ourselves.
“It’ll be a pretty hot contest early on, I think the first ten minutes is going to determine how we go throughout the game – whether we’re switched on and can match their big bodies.
“We’ll have Wally (Ollie Wines) and Pepps (Sam Powell-Pepper) hopefully pushing those blokes around.”
The Power goes into the game off the back of two straight wins and four in their last five matches.
But Wingard says there is still plenty of room for improvement.
“We’re pretty happy with what we’ve done in previous weeks but I wouldn’t say comfortable,” Wingard said.
“We need to keep challenging ourselves to get better.
“Obviously there’s a big challenge this week in Melbourne, an elite midfield group and it’s going to take us another big
Wingard has himself become part of Port Adelaide’s midfield group in the last fortnight with impressive displays after his early season form was criticised.
He has had 31 and 30 disposals against Richmond and Western Bulldogs respectively and eight tackles in each game after moving from the forward line.
“Playing in the forward line can have its ups and downs,” Wingard said.
“If I was kicking straighter (my form) probably wouldn’t be questioned.
“My kicking at goal hasn’t been great this year but playing in the midfield gives me the opportunity to get around the ball and impact the game that way.
“I’d like to stay there.
“It was a position I played in the back end of last year and I think I hit some great form and played my best footy in that position so hopefully I can one day get a full season in there and make the most of it.”
The Power may have some inside intelligence to gain from Melbourne recruits Jack Watts and Jack Trengove who moved to Alberton this season.
But Wingard said the result would come down to whether his side plays the way it wants to.
“I don’t think there’s inside information.
“Game plan changes week to week so their game plan has probably changed a hell of a lot since last year, let alone the last couple of weeks to this week.
“It’s really about our scouts watching their previous couple of games.
“We have just got to back ourselves in, focus on what we’re strong at, what helped us get the last couple of wins and go from there.”
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