Port Adelaide's 2022 season finished with a 10-12 win-loss ledger, falling short of expectation however unveiling a number of positives to take into 2023. Image: AFL Photos.

NEVER take anything for granted in AFL football. Preliminary final followed by preliminary final is followed by ... 

That last, challenging step on the summit to the AFL premiership has claimed many.

Port Adelaide started Season 2022 with high expectations, internally (with the "Chasing Greatness" campaign) and externally with the vast majority of the AFL captains away from Alberton (16 of the 17) rating Tom Jonas's team as a certain finalist.

The only question was, "Is this group mentally scarred by the preliminary final loss to the Western Bulldogs?"

It was physical scars - not any mental torment - that proved a greater hurdle for Port Adelaide ...

Finishing 11th of 18 with a 10-12 record is Port Adelaide's poorest on-field result since 2016.

"No-one," says senior coach Ken Hinkley, "is more unhappy than me."

Port Adelaide finished its 2022 campaign in 11th, falling short of internal and external expectation. Image: AFL Photos.

Where did it go wrong for Port Adelaide?

At three quarter-time at the Gabba on March 19, the season opener against Brisbane could not have looked better on the scoreboard: Port Adelaide 9.7 leading Brisbane 6.10. But on the interchange bench, club doctor Mark Fisher and his staff were working a scene out of M*A*S*H*. The bandages were rolling across limbs and joints.

Specialist forward Robbie Gray had a Brisbane player roll across one of his knees, straining a medial ligament. He literally limped to the farewell in Showdown LII as the knee continued to "grumble" and deny him much-needed time on the training track.

Wingman Xavier Duursma was smashed in a contest with Brisbane rival Mitch Robinson.

All-Australian defender Aliir Aliir suffered an ankle injury that required surgery.

There was no psychological scar to worry about anymore. Dr Fisher's room might as well have had a revolving door for all the traffic coming his way. Key defenders Tom Clurey and Trent McKenzie, with knee injuries and hamstrings. Lead ruckman Scott Lycett did not play again after carrying a battered shoulder through the second half of the clash with AFL premier Melbourne in round four.

Injured in a ruck contest in Round 4, Scott Lycett was unable to make a return and ultimately missed the rest of Port Adelaide's 2022 season. Image: AFL Photos.

And the season had started without All-Australian key forward Charlie Dixon, who suffered an ankle injury during the pre-season, and Port Adelaide never saw specialist forward Orazio Fantasia - except for his cameo as the non-activated medical substitute against North Melbourne in Hobart in round 9.

Port Adelaide lost that season-opener against Brisbane by 11 points. It then failed miserably against Hawthorn on a night that was dedicated to the memory of Russell Ebert. The first Showdown was lost after the siren - and for poor conversion during the second half of the derby. Then it was defeat to Melbourne ... and the remarkable second-half comeback against Carlton at the MCG where a 49-point deficit at half-time was turned into a three-point loss.

Coming from a long way back to fall short would become the theme of Port Adelaide's season.

"We were chasing our tails from the start," said Hinkley of the 0-5 win-loss count that effectively turned Port Adelaide into an also-ran before the season had taken to its first turn in a wild ride to September.

If there is one character trait of Port Adelaide teams during the Hinkley decade, it is - "Never, ever give up".

"Credit to the boys," says Hinkley, "they stuck to it. At 0-5, most teams would collapse. They would give it away. Our blokes kept going."

Despite an 0-5 start, Ken Hinkley credited the side for their 'never give up' attitude throughout the season. Image: AFL Photos.

Port Adelaide's season went through three stages.

DESPAIR: 0-5 from the first five games made it tough to live off early momentum to push for a third consecutive top-four finish. West Coast premiership coach Adam Simpson did suggest Port Adelaide might have been the "best 0-5 team in the game's history". There is no trophy for such.

HOPE: 7-2 from rounds 6-15 had Port Adelaide finally square on the win-loss ledger at 7-7. After all the damage in the medical rooms, the good news from this period of the season was the early return of wingman (and later half-back) Kane Farrell after a long absence with a knee injury.

EMPTINESS: 3-5 in the final eight games of the home-and-away series, including four consecutive losses, put Port Adelaide out of the finals race after the 38-point loss to Richmond at Adelaide Oval in round 21.

"We were not good enough ...," says Hinkley. "We beat Sydney at home - a team that finished third. We put on eight goals against Geelong - a team that finished the season as minor premier. We were good at times, but we were not good for long enough.

"You do get what you deserve in this game. We played 22 games. We did not perform at a high level for long enough."

Again, good but not great.

Ken Hinkley says the side was good at times, but not good enough - which was accurately reflected in the club's 2022 win-loss ledger. Image: AFL Photos.

WHERE NEXT?

WHILE it did not seem a burning question in the board room at Alberton, the second half of the season did bring the repetitive theme among external pundits on senior coach Ken Hinkley's future. Despite a contract for Season 2023, the thought of Hinkley being "excused" from Alberton to be at Greater Western Sydney, North Melbourne or Essendon did not go away.

In the lead-up to Round 22 against Essendon under the roof at Docklands, club president David Koch made it clear: Hinkley was staying.

"Some will argue," said Koch, "we should make a change based on our performance this season alone (10 wins and 12 losses with an 11th-place finish) and that Ken has never taken the team to a grand final.

"But we base decisions on all the information in front of us.

"We believe Ken gives us the best chance of successfully rebounding next season, of successfully attracting new talent and football department resources to make us better." 

Coaching an AFL team is difficult enough without endless speculation on a coach's future. It probably will not be any different - externally - next season when the theme of 2022 will repeat because Ken Hinkley is coming to the end of his contract.

"I will turn up with all my energy directed to the players and the team," Hinkley said. "I will do my job. I will not be distracted. I was not expected to make it through 10 years - and I am still standing. This job tests you. But my energy has not dropped off."

Ken Hinkley addresses the playing group. Image: AFL Photos.

EXPECTATION

By the "Chasing Greatness" manifesto, Port Adelaide has three premierships to win in the next three years. This is ambition - a statement to drive higher standards and greater expectations.

"We have good reason to think we can bounce," says senior coach Ken Hinkley of how Port Adelaide will set its targets for Season 2023.

Many others also rate Port Adelaide good enough to rise from the bottom 10 to challenge for a top-eight berth next season. But nothing should be taken for granted ...

"It seems an easy fix," notes Hinkley. "We are in a healthy position. The football program is strong. The playing group is getting better. We are on track to bounce ... that is easy to say.

"But we are in a positive position."

"We are not too far from it. We did not start the year as well as we would have liked; it was the worst start we could have had. And we still have ourselves a good chance to make finals by the middle of the season. The team we have has not changed a lot from the ones that made the preliminary finals. If we get back to what we are good at - and with our young guys getting better - I feel we are not far from it. We can have a real crack at it next year.

- All-Australian midfielder Connor Rozee

LIST MANAGEMENT

SO far, the farewells have been made to Robbie Gray, Steven Motlop, Sam Mayes, Sam Skinner and Taj Schofield.

"No Gray, no Motlop and Connor Rozee and Zak Butters in the midfield," notes senior coach Ken Hinkley, "we are thin in that area."

The need for Orazio Fantasia to clear his injury curse - with his knees now sound - is critical.

"I can go into the off-season for the first time in almost five, perhaps six, years without any surgery," says Fantasia. "I know I will get good training in and come Day 1 of pre-season I will be out there training."

Port Adelaide is still seen to be in need of key (taller) defenders. Season 2023 is expected to present AFL opportunity to Ollie Lord, the 195-centimetre draftee (Class 2020, pick No. 49) who made significant progress as a defender - after starting as a forward - in the SANFL this year. There also is the watch on the big-bodied, 192-centimetre defender Jake Pasini who is recovering from an ACL knee injury (suffered on the weekend when Port Adelaide's match committee had debated calling Pasini for his AFL debut).

Jake Pasini looks set for an AFL debut in 2023, showing very promising signs before being cut down by an ACL injury earlier this year. Image: AFL Photos.

"Everyone is in the market for key position players," notes Hinkley.

Critical to Port Adelaide's desire to "reset" its player list is not just finding new options at the trade table in October and national drafts in November, but continuing the noted development of young players by senior coach Ken Hinkley. Season 2022 did bring forward an exciting new prospect in defender Jase Burgoyne, the skinny son of a gun who has a remarkable trait of closing in at the last second to thwart opponents. His eight AFL games this season were more than encouraging. 

GOOD, BAD AND UGLY

SEASON 2022 did present moments of great extremes, sometimes in the same match - as noted so well in the round five clash with Carlton at the MCG. A horrendous first half - in which Port Adelaide fell 49 points behind - was followed with an exhilarating second half that was notable for Connor Rozee's move to the midfield after he had been used to cover the gaps created in attack by injury to Robbie Gray and Orazio Fantasia.

The roll call of the season's key moments, good and bad, are:

GOOD

BYE, BYE ROBBIE

AFTER 16 seasons, 271 AFL games and a career that puts him among the game's greats, Robbie Gray bid farewell with a superb exit at Adelaide Oval in the season-closing Showdown LII.

"With great champions, you know the person is more special than the footballer. It is remarkable when you watch Robbie play football. He is the complete package. Super smart footballer. He just loves the game. And when you love the game as Robbie does, you always will be successful. He is the absolute best of the best when it comes to playing the game. He also is high up in that list of great people.

"Robbie's performance in big moments ... you ask which (game-winning) kick does he remember the most. How fantastic is it that you ask which - which - kick. He does it that often for you; he does it that reliably for you. That is why this moment is sad - and a celebration in so many other ways. We will all reflect and go, 'Gee, I coached Robbie Gray ... when Robbie Gray should have been coaching me'. Or, 'I played with Robbie Gray ... I was his team-mate, I was a mate'.

"Robbie is such a special person."

Ken Hinkley

Robbie Gray farewells the crowd in his 271st and final AFL game in Round 23. Image: AFL Photos.

JEZZA, YOU BEAUTY

JEREMY FINLAYSON came from Greater Western Sydney in the 2021 AFL trade period with mixed reviews, particularly from the critics who questioned his consistency. After being dropped early in the season, Finlayson became a vital part of Port Adelaide's second-half charge while working as a ruckman rather than as a key forward. His ability to become the "extra midfielder" by following up hit-outs made many question the merit of a specialist ruckman.

"There is no doubt that once the ball hits the ground, Jeremy can be the best of the talls on the oval. Jeremy has comprehensively outplayed the opposition ruckman once the ball hits the floor."

Port Adelaide midfield coach Brett Montgomery

ALL ROZEE

ALL Port Adelaide did to make sure it could call Connor Rozee's name at No. 5 in the 2018 AFL national draft paid off with the 22-year-old move to the midfield this season (after a testing 2021 with injury). Rozee became the only South Australian-based AFL player to earn All-Australian selection this season.

Following a shift to the midfield in Round 5, Connor Rozee had a career-best year on the park that saw him earn All-Australian honours for the first time. Image: AFL Photos.

TODD MARSHALL

PATIENCE - and belief - has paid off. Key forward Todd Marshall shone in Season 2022 with extraordinary goalkicking accuracy - 45.15 - to be Port Adelaide's leading goalkicker. Backed by senior coach Ken Hinkley after just four disposals in each of the first two games, Marshall responded with a career-high five goals in the first derby - and repeated the feat against West Coast in round six and scored in every game after this.

I've found some internal belief, but I want to do it consistently. For me, that is the main thing at the moment - to get more consistency in my game and to do it against the big body defenders has made for a good challenge.

- Todd Marshall

SPP

CHALLENGED at the end of last year to present himself in sound condition for the start of pre-season training, Sam Powell-Pepper responded with his best-ever season while playing as an aggressive high half-forward. He had his biggest return on the scoreboard with 24.22 while playing all 22 home-and-away games - and reached his 100-game milestone this season. He also was a handy ruckman with 21 hit-outs.

"I did not know if (senior coach Ken Hinkley) was joking around with me, so I was not sure (when it was first mentioned about playing ruck). Then it came up in the second meeting, so I thought, 'Oh, I'm actually doing it'."

Sam Powell-Pepper

BAD

INJURY COUNT

INJURIES are inevitable. And great teams - as Port Adelaide has sought to be - will have a "squad mentality" that allows for "one soldier to step up when another falls". Unfortunately for Port Adelaide, too many of the key soldiers in ruck, attack and defence were lost to injury in 2022.

FALLING SHORT

PORT ADELAIDE lost seven games by two goals or less (11 points to Brisbane, four points to Adelaide, three points to Carlton, 12 points to Richmond, eight points to Fremantle, 12 points to Geelong and six points to Collingwood). There also was a 14-point margin in the rematch with Melbourne in Alice Springs. Too often, Port Adelaide would have a game taken away by a 10-minute momentum shift to the opponent. 

Port Adelaide lost seven games by two goals or less. Image: AFL Photos.

UGLY

RUSSELL'S GAME

LESS said about Port Adelaide's 64-point loss to Hawthorn in round two - when the game was dedicated to the memory of club great Russell Ebert - the better. But the failure to honour Port Adelaide's greatest player in that night game at Adelaide Oval must be noted. 

BIRD SEED

(all the small stuff that meant the most)

SCORING

AVERAGED 82 points - marginally down on the 2021 count of 84.

DEFENDING

CONCEDED 74 points on average - up on the 2021 count of 69.

AT HOME

IN the 12 games played at Adelaide Oval, including the away Showdown, Port Adelaide won seven. The losses, excluding the first Showdown, were to Hawthorn, Melbourne, Geelong and Richmond.

The best win at home was by 23 points against Sydney in round 14 when Port Adelaide impressed rival coach John Longmire with a manic approach.

"Their pressure was elite, particularly their tackle pressure inside forward 50," Longmire said. "To their credit they put enormous pressure on us and we turned the ball over coming out of our back half. That's the sort of pressure you get in big games and from Port Adelaide."

AWAY

IN the 10 games played on the road, Port Adelaide won three - against St Kilda at Cairns, North Melbourne at Hobart and Essendon at the Docklands.

LADDER

WINS against top-10 teams: St Kilda (one point), Western Bulldogs (17), Sydney (23).

LOSSES: Brisbane (11 points), Melbourne (32 and 14), Carlton (three), Geelong (35 and 12), Richmond (12 and 38), Fremantle (eight), Collingwood (six).

WINS against bottom-seven teams: Adelaide (56 points), West Coast (84), North Melbourne (69), Essendon (16 and 84), Gold Coast (two), Greater Western Sydney (55).

LOSSES: Adelaide (four points), Hawthorn (64).

TURNSTILES

LURING fans back to the football was tougher than imagined after all restrictions - by COVID protocols - were removed at the gates at Adelaide Oval. Port Adelaide's 11 home games drew an average attendance of 29,693 at Adelaide Oval, ninth best in the 18-team national league.

MEMBERSHIP

RECORD rewritten - to 63,240.