THE POWER have been working at recapturing the defiant defensive mindset that characterised its 2015 season for a month, but it isn’t as simple as “pushing a button.”
So says Port Adelaide’s defensive and backs coach Matthew Nicks at the team’s final training at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday morning.
Needing to respond to shock losses to Brisbane and West Coast in the last fortnight that has left them stagnated at 3-4, Port Adelaide has had an honest week internally.
That, Nicks believes, will go a long way to steering the Port ship back on course against Richmond on Sunday.
“It’s been a good week from a review point-of-view and, I guess, getting honest with each other and trying to find a way to get back to where our best footy is played,” Nicks said.
“We trained really well during the week, and sometimes you can come away from training sessions and talk, and say ‘Gee, we trained well’, but not know why.
“I think this week we had a realisation of exactly what makes us a good footy team.”
That honesty translated into something as simple as a strong main training session at the Oval during the week, as the Power prepares to farewell retiring great Kane Cornes for the last time.
But good training is just one demand the coaches and players have, and it will need to translate into an in-game response on Sunday afternoon.
“Without going into too many details, the players trained, came off and felt really good about the step we’ve taken,” Nicks said.
“We’ll be looking for a response and hopefully see that in the game on the weekend.”
Last time these two sides met, Port Adelaide rammed home an eight goal advantage in the first quarter of a cut-throat elimination final at the Oval.
That game, as well as Richmond’s recent match footage, will be used to chisel shape into the Power’s mindset this weekend.
One of the hallmarks of that game was a strong defensive mindset, something missing from the Power’s recent games, but equally something Port has been working to return.
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“It’s really getting back to the way we play and the way we want to play,” Nicks said.
“There’s a lot of perception out there about us being an all-out attacking team, and other teams being able to stop that.
“We’re a lot more than that, and if you watch some of that first quarter against Richmond last time, it’s wasn’t all offence, it was some really ruthless defence.
“That’s what we want our group to get back to, and that’s what we’ve been working on this last month.
“It takes a little while for us to find that form again though, it’s not something where you just push a button and it all comes back.”
Three changes were made at the selection table for Sunday’s team, with Ollie Wines and Alipate Carlile returning from injury as well as elevated rookie Sam Gray.
They replace Matthew Broadbent, Kane Mitchell and Cameron O’Shea.
