We take a look at four big factors going into Friday night’s game against the Cats.
Us…
Gun runner Sam Colquhoun is back in the side and the man they call ‘Muffins’ is hoping to be part of Ken Hinkley’s recipe for success on Friday. Colquhoun is an elite running machine and plays his best footy across half back and on the fat edges of the ground.
And them…
The big Cat forward is always important to keep down and, if he’s up and firing, on a tight leash. Alipate Carlile usually gets these big jobs but we’ve seen guys like Tom Jonas and Jack Hombsch sometimes used to stop big blokes like Hawkins. The Tomahawk averages just under three goals a game this year, but after kicking four and three in the last two weeks, is clearly pushing towards his best.
What we loved last week
Nothing beats having 12 individual goal kickers (well, maybe 13 or 14) and certainly last week’s haul against the Bulldogs was richly satisfying. The Power want to be sourcing its goals from all over the ground – when that happens, you get that sense a side is getting on top. If it happens again on Friday night, you’ll know the Power is maximising its run from the middle.
What we didn’t…
A few leaky goals weren’t what the doctor ordered, and there were a few times against the Bulldogs that easy goals were converted. Certainly, if not for a big end to second quarter, the Power could’ve been in trouble at half time.
What we want
Port has been consistently inconsistent this year, but two consecutive wins in something close to the ‘Port Adelaide way’ has been encouraging, but it’s not enough to sate Ken Hinkley’s hunger for four quarters of tough, hard, uncompromising football. The good news is that even in some of their losses, the Power has been able to produce quarters of brilliance, but tonight’s test against the Cats is one that needs to be on from start to finish.
