PORT ADELAIDE coach Ken Hinkley says his side was beaten by a side more polished and more physical around the ball in its 35-point loss to Geelong.
The Power led by seven points early in the third term before the Cats booted five straight goals to set up a 11.16 (82) to 7.5 (47) win at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong.
It continues Port’s miserly run at Kardinia Park with just two wins in 15 visits, and none since 2007.
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Hinkley said there was not a lot to be pleased about from his side’s performance.
“We didn’t play that well,” he explained to reporters in his post-match press conference. “We were lucky enough to be ahead at half time but there wasn’t much of the game that we enjoyed, other than a few minutes in the second quarter.
“The team that had the better physicality around the ball won the game.
“We didn’t give up but we didn’t have much polish around the contest, down the ground or in our forward line or backline. There were just too many parts not working really well out there.
“We were trying but we just weren’t working that well and Geelong were just too good.”
Port Adelaide lost a lot of the key indicators including inside 50s (57-43) and clearances (36-26), but Hinkley said the contested possession disparity which had Geelong ahead 150-121 was most telling.
“Geelong were just way better around the ball and willing enough to be a bit stronger in the contest than we were today,” he said.
“We were able to get some shape on the ground and able to go forward but when you get it in there, we weren’t able to hold it in there enough and cause repeat entries.
“That is one of the strengths of our game. Getting it in there is one thing. Keeping it in there is another and turning that into score.”
There were some positives with the form of Kane Farrell (18 disposals, two goals, five score involvements) and Dan Houston (30 disposals, 11 marks, and four inside 50s) but Port Adelaide will be licking its wounds after dropping its first game since Round 5, after four consecutive wins.
Hinkley said the last month had proven tricky given the hectic travel schedule, and his side would look forward to returning to Adelaide Oval to face Essendon next Sunday.
“In the last four weeks we’ve been to Cairns, Hobart, Geelong so we’ve done a bit in the last four weeks and we’ve been able to get some wins that we needed but the reality is we weren’t good enough today,” he explained.
“We’ve been good enough to win four of the last five but the season says we’re going to have to keep doing that if we’re going to improve our season.
“We are right in the season. We’ve got hopefully our best football to come.
“I certainly believe our best footy is coming. Today here at Geelong we didn’t see much of our best footy.”
Port Adelaide’s game against the Bombers will be the second of the Sir Doug Nicholls rounds, celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and the contribution of Indigenous players to the game.
