REGARDLESS of the enormous challenge to force its way into the AFL top eight, Port Adelaide is not losing focus on either its short or long-term goals. The objective is the same for both: Build a winning culture.
"It is all about winning - and I don't see that shifting any time soon," said midfield coach Brett Montgomery on returning from Perth on Monday afternoon - after the eight-point loss to Fremantle on Sunday. There is a clear agenda on how Port Adelaide will approach the remaining seven games of the home-and-away season.
"We're always looking at the big picture, even if we have had our eyes down for quite a number of weeks," Montgomery said of the 12th-ranked Port Adelaide that has again slipped behind in the win-loss count (7-8).
"Having the (0-5) start to the season has not allowed us to lift our eyes all year. Today, tomorrow, going into next week's game (against Greater Western Sydney) will not be any different (because of the result in Perth on Sunday evening).
"We have worked on a week-to-week basis after the 0-5 start. And I'm not sure anything needs to change now."
Senior coach Ken Hinkley has declared Port Adelaide will not give up on a top-eight berth to September's finals until it is formally eliminated from the race. And Montgomery maintains the club has not sacrificed its long-term goals to meet this short-term objective.
"We have played Jase Burgoyne; Taj Schofield has been an emergency for many weeks; Lachie Jones is now playing in attack (after starting as a half-back); Jackson Mead is in the team ...," Montgomery said. "I am not sure we can be said to have stuck with an old, tried-and-true method or line-up. We have been quite innovative. Maybe we have another step to take.
"We have youth in the team at the moment. We have some on the edge.
"The midfield is evolving. We are always looking at our midfield options. Robbie Gray went in there after not being there for a while - same with Sam Powell-Pepper and Jackson Mead got good minutes in there. Willem Drew has more of a leadership role. Kane Farrell has come back from a serious knee injury. And we have seen what Connor Rozee has done this season. There are a lot of moves and shifts week to week - and across four quarters.
"It is not the same group of three years."
Port Adelaide is clinging to the tightrope while ranked 12th with a 7-8 win-loss record. Inferior percentage and a two-win gap on the seventh and eighth-ranked Richmond and Sydney leave Port Adelaide with a demanding challenge - win at least six of the remaining seven home-and-away games to qualify for the top-eight finals for the third consecutive season.
The fixture is challenging - Greater Western Sydney at Adelaide Oval on Saturday followed by AFL premier and competition leader Melbourne, Geelong, Collingwood, Richmond, Essendon and Adelaide in the home-and-away season-closing Showdown.
"We don't have to change too much," Montgomery said. "For this group - this coaching group and these players - it is all about winning. It is about playing our style, it is about turning up each week, planning and preparing well.
"That is what we are doing.
"We were beaten, if we are fair, by a better team in Fremantle. They were organised, their hunt was up, the contest was good and in the end we just could not get there.
"We are not doing anything different in terms of our planning, our preparation and our overall desire to win each week," added Montgomery to underline there is no dramatic shift in the agenda at Alberton by the result in Perth. "Not much will change there. And I don't think it will in the next seven days."
Port Adelaide has featured in seven matches decided by two goals or less. There have been two wins - against St Kilda (one point, in Cairns) and Gold Coast (two points, at Adelaide Oval). There have been five losses - to Brisbane (by 11 points at the Gabba), to Adelaide (four points), Carlton (three points at the MCG), Richmond (12 points at the MCG) and at the weekend to Fremantle (eight points at Perth Stadium).
"Those losses include the four best teams in the league," Montgomery said. "And we were close in those games away from home. Tough draw ... tough competition. It just shows, if you are going to go all the way, you need to jag one, two, maybe three of those close ones to have a great season.
"The (ladder) is not a true reflection of our season. We are two wins away from what would be our genuine position on the ladder - and to be fair in what our season reflects. Not more than that, but no less."
Port Adelaide's selection debate this week is expected to include endorsing the recall of midfielder Zak Butters (knee) and more faith in the makeshift ruck pair of Jeremy Finlayson and Charlie Dixon. But Montgomery is not ruling out the recall of Scott Lycett who has been out of AFL action since requiring shoulder surgery after the round 4 clash with Melbourne at Adelaide Oval.
"It is difficult for Scott, but not impossible (to return to AFL without an SANFL hit-out)," Montgomery said. "If you asked Scott Lycett today, he would say he is available. We have to weigh that up after seeing what we get out of him during the week.
"The ruck situation fascinates a lot of people. What Jeremy and Charlie have been able to do - particularly when the ball hits the floor - is quite remarkable. The sheer weight of hit-outs at times in games can be an issue for us. We saw that with Sean Darcy at the weekend - if he is not the best ruckman in the league, he is definitely on the podium. He showed that again with 10 clearances.
"Zak Butters is more likely than unlikely. He could not get full rhythm in his training last week, but that is going to come pretty quickly in the next seven days."
Montgomery defended how Port Adelaide's coaching panel mixed the Finlayson-Dixon tandem against Darcy.
"If you look at the shared minutes between Charlie Dixon and Jeremy Finlayson, they were not far from being even," Montgomery said. "Whether Charlie was in there at crucial times, critical times or when momentum hit, maybe that is where we could have had a closer look. But at times those shifts are not easy to make, depending on workloads, rotations ... I am not here to make excuses, but they both had moments when they were beaten - and they both offered up challenges for Darcy as well."
Port Adelaide's prospects of scoring its first win against Fremantle at the new Perth Stadium were damaged severely by the opening 10 minutes of the second term. Fremantle had total control of the ball and the contest in those 10 minutes.
"We started well, doing a lot of things well. But 10 minutes into that second quarter, there was some damage - and cracks starting to appear," Montgomery said. "Six goals was far too many; we leaked some easy ones. And then we were in catch-up mode. There is a silly freedom that comes with playing catch-up ..."
Port Adelaide had two set shots at goal in the last two-and-a-half minutes - each missed by experienced small forward Robbie Gray (out of bounds on the full) and the team's most accurate forward, Todd Marshall (behind).
"It probably weighs more heavily on Rob," Montgomery said. "Because he has been in that situation so many times before. It has been that often and he has iced it every time.
"Todd won't be thrilled either.
"The clock - and the difficulty to get the next goal - probably crept in. Both players have sound goalkicking routines that they followed, even if it was slightly rushed."
Burgoyne's AFL debut has encouraged the Port Adelaide match committee.
"He battled really hard," Montgomery said. "There were critical moments in that game. Maybe he was physically worked over or rushed with his early touches, but his fight, his contest grew. I am sure we will get another look at him.
"The (slight) body might not be where it needs to be, but the fight and tenacity is."
