FOR all of this first Port Adelaide AFLW season, the footy gods have taken a set against rewarding Lauren Arnell's "Inaugurals" for their unquestionable and undying effort.
They are being made to earn their stripes - and the much-needed "lucky" breaks that come from only from hard work.
Again, no-one will deny Port Adelaide on Saturday at Alberton Oval against North Melbourne stayed true to Arnell's mission to build a senior women's team that lives up to all of the club's traditions since 1870.
The critical note from the 25-point loss - that takes Port Adelaide's season record to 1-1-6 win-draw-loss with two games to play - is Port Adelaide knows what it wants to be in the AFLW.
"They are building a strong brand," said Carlton coach Daniel Harford. "An identifiable, strong brand."
Port Adelaide's brand is contested football. Arnell's crew won the contested-ball count by six (101-95); and the clearances by five (22-17). But North Melbourne had the greater composure and system for its scoring that also was not fully rewarded, as noted with a 7.12 count (3.7 during the second half when it dominated inside-50s with a 21-8 surge of well-connected plays).
Port Adelaide's brand is based on one critical four-letter word: Hard. It works hard. It tackles hard. It runs hard. But the challenge to finish all this hard work with rewards on the scoreboard remains.
Port Adelaide opened with three goals, added the fourth late in the second term ... and then went from feast to famine (again) with just 0.3 from the second half.
The emerging picture with Port Adelaide is - strong defence; and busy midfield where Hannah Ewings is a clearance master and a smart creative player for moving the ball from hot spots to attack. But the puzzle seems incomplete without either the right connection to the attack or not enough potency in the forward-50 arc.
When there was goalscoring from Port Adelaide in the first half it was loaded with excitement and energy.
Port Adelaide introduced its 29th AFLW player - 18-year-old Tasmanian import Lily Johnson, who stole the pre-game script that brought focus to captain Erin Phillips still waiting to score her first AFLW goal in Port Adelaide colours.
Johnson's shot from 40 metres - in front of the fans in the Bob Quinn Stand - after being set up by defender Ebony O'Dea's low pass was the perfect kick into the wind put Port Adelaide within three points of North Melbourne at half-time. And the all-in celebration had such euphoria that surely can only be matched by when Phillips does score a goal.
The opening contradicted everything that has summed up Port Adelaide's scoring woes of recent weeks - and all that is known of North Melbourne's misery defensive themes. There was no lack of adventure from the Port Adelaide players. They attacked, repeatedly. They dominated inside-50s early (12 in the first term and 20-15 in the first half). They put heat into a game in which they refused to have dictated by the more-experienced visitors.
After just one goal from its past two matches, Port Adelaide opened - against a proven defensive unit - with three goals that exposed North Melbourne for playing its last defensive line so far from the goal-line. Vice-captain Ange Foley started the blitz with an intercept mark at the top of the 50-metre arc while North Melbourne sought a rebound play by switching flanks. Her kick from outside 50 carried over that North Melbourne wall and bounced on target through the goal square.
All-Australian Gemma Houghton followed, making her presence as a marking target felt immediately after a six-game absence from ankle surgery. Again, Port Adelaide's pressure game forced a turnover among the North Melbourne defenders leaving Kate Surman hitting up the leading Houghton for a regulation set shot.
Justine Mules, the fire cracker who opened with a team-high six possessions, turned her own mistake into a goalscoring opportunity after she dropped a mark on the end of an Abbey Dorwick-Erin Phillips run-and-kick play to the Port Adelaide goalfront. Mules' recovery, her quick twist to avoid being tackled or bumped off the ball and her sharp snap that bounced truly to the goal set up Port Adelaide's best opening term since the 3.3 against Sydney at Alberton Oval in round 4.
The 3.1 would have been four straight had North Melbourne defender Sarah Wright not chased down Houghton's second shot on goal to touch the Sherrin on the line.
Port Adelaide's five-point lead at quarter-time - after piercing the North Melbourne defensive wall 12 times - was built on such dynamic energy that North Melbourne was taken out of its comfort zone.
And the North Melbourne players were not allowed to become comfortable in the sun at Alberton while Port Adelaide won first possession at the contests - and forced turnovers when chasing the ball.
"Our pressure was unbelievable," said Mules of the opening.
Port Adelaide's superior work around the contests allowed them to put speed on the game - and opened up so much space that North Melbourne took note of the territory it was losing (a significant count of 600 metres on the Champion Data measurements) during the first half.
While Port Adelaide was super-productive of opportunities, North Melbourne reliably created more scores from less - four in the first term, five in the second, four in the third and six in the last - and had the potent forward pair of Jasmine Garner and Sophie Abbatangelo taking advantage of being unmarked or a paddock of space for their scoring chances.
Both coaches - Arnell and her North Melbourne counterpart Darren Crocker - set up an opening match-up for the purists of the AFLW stalwarts: Port Adelaide captain Erin Phillips at half-forward against Emma Kearney. But Houghton's return to the attack - and Mules' phenomenal attack on the ball - gave back to Arnell the tactical bonus of having Phillips mix-and-match her minutes in the midfield and at the goalfront.
Crocker did not deny himself the same flexibility with Kearney who chalked up her own midfield minutes.
Port Adelaide closes its away tour in the 10-game home-and-away series with another trip to Melbourne next weekend to play St Kilda at Moorabbin. It returns to Alberton to end the inaugural campaign against fellow newcomer Essendon on Sunday week.
PORT ADELAIDE v NORTH MELBOURNE
PORT ADELAIDE 3.1 4.2 4.3 4.5 (29)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.2 4.5 5.8 7.12 (54)
BEST - Port Adelaide: Ewings, Foley, Phillips, E. Boag, A. Boag, O'Dea.
GOALS - Port Adelaide: Foley, Houghton, Johnson, Mules.
INJURY: Nil.
CROWD: 2818 at Alberton Oval.
NEXT: St Kilda at Moorabbin, Melbourne, Sunday October 23; 12.40pm start (SA time).
