PORT ADELAIDE coach Ken Hinkley has lamented the breakdown of his side’s team defence and its inability to go with Adelaide at the contest in the closing stages of Saturday night’s Showdown LIII loss at Adelaide Oval.
Hinkley’s side led by four points mid-way through the final quarter after consecutive goals from tactical substitute Orazio Fantasia and pressure forward Sam Powell-Pepper but conceded the last six goals to go down by 31 points - 18.9 (117) to 13.8 (86).
Prior to the final stanza, it had been a close encounter with neither side able to break away in a match typical of the bitter cross-town rivalry.
Hinkley said there was no defending the fade-out.
“You can’t defend that because at the end of the day we had most things where we wanted them,” he explained.
“It was our game, our home, in a pretty good game of football for three quarters and ten minutes and then they were more willing to keep going to the end, they got a bit of belief and for us we weren’t able to stick at it as long as they were.
“Collectively we couldn’t defend this week and last week we couldn’t either so we’ve got a big score put against us and if you’re going to give up a big score every week you’re going to have to do absolutely everything right in offence to get a win.
“The last 15 minutes of the game they were able to win the contested possession by a good number and that’s what ultimately gives you the territory you want to put on scoreboard pressure.”
Port was honouring its heritage with players wearing the iconic black and white bars guernsey on the night.
And with the Showdown ledger narrowly in the Power’s favour, there was plenty on the line.
“The demand of AFL football is you’ve got to turn up and play (every week),” Hinkley said, responding to questions as to whether the occasion got the better of his team.
“Yes, the Showdown is a bigger showcase game and both clubs believe that so we’re really disappointed that in a home Showdown in the prison bar jumper that everyone was built up for, that we’ve delivered poorly at the end of the day.
“For probably 105 minutes of 120 minutes, both teams were going at each other quite hard and the game cracks open at a moment and they were able to make the most of that moment.”
The Crows made the most of Junior Rioli being unable to hold onto a mark in forward 50, transitioning the ball down the other end for a goal to swing the momentum in the last quarter. Minutes later Izak Rankine might have been deemed to be holding the ball near the Crows’ goal, but instead play continued, leading to a simple major into an open goal for the experienced Rory Laird.
From there it was all Adelaide, Hinkley explaining the breakdown in defence was not just in the backline, but across the field.
“I don’t think we handled their forwards as a collective,” Hinkley said.
“For a bit more than three quarters of the game both teams’ forwards were probably looking the better or more dangerous part of the game.
“(The backline) can look really poor when you can’t support it well enough and we weren’t able to do that but when you get territory from centre bounce straight in, that makes it more challenging.
“If you give them looks, you’re eventually going to cop a couple and we copped more than a couple.”
In the front half Charlie Dixon provided a threat and Powell-Pepper finished with three goals as reward for his desire and intensity all game.
“He’s certainly right at the top of our group in terms of turning up and being consistent,” Hinkley said of Powell-Pepper’s influence on the night and all season so far.
“He gives everything he’s got out there but he’s outnumbered a bit.”
Dixon booted three goals of his own and pulled down six marks but hurt his back in the first half.
Hinkley said the 200cm target was sore, but he hoped he would be available to face the Swans in Sydney next Saturday.
