EVERYONE has an opinion on Port Adelaide. Everyone. 

And in a season that has one clear-cut front runner (Sydney) and more than a handful of would-be contenders, it is surprising that so many opinions have already emphatically dismissed Port Adelaide.

In 12 games to the mid-season break - with a healthy 8-4 win-loss count - Port Adelaide has:

BEATEN second-ranked Essendon (by 69 points) - and the critics diminish the result saying Essendon had "one of those bad days". Who hasn't this year? 

OVERCOME a long-standing hoodoo against third-ranked Geelong at Kardinia Park with one of the most exhilarating starts unleashed against a proven rival,

STOOD UP to the challenge posed by a demanding sixth-ranked Fremantle and ...

FADED badly in the last term to fifth-ranked Carlton at the last start at Adelaide Oval, on Thursday night in a prime-time match that has come to define Port Adelaide to many judges.

Today, if the usual measuring stick - "Who has Port Adelaide beaten in the top eight?" - is applied, the count would be 3-1 in Port Adelaide's favour. Only Sydney has a better win-loss count on this marker.

But placements in the top eight are swinging wildly in a truly competitive season ... and this should not be forgotten nor ignored in a competition that is unlikely to reveal its true challengers to Sydney's strong start until July. History warns all on making definitive judgements before the tax man arrives with his calculations on June 30.

In the 8-4 start to the marathon chase for a final-eight berth to September's AFL major round, Port Adelaide is not significantly better nor overtly worse than many in a cluttered race that underlines all the league has sought to achieve for a competitive, level competition (even if the fixture delivers a few curveballs on the equality front, particularly with the timing of the byes).

The field to find a challenger to the top-ranked Sydney runs deep. Yet, there is a dismissive tone towards Port Adelaide ... even after a weekend that highlighted how the race to September will be wild and testing of many.

Perhaps that is the "boy cried wolf" pain Port Adelaide has to carry for repeatedly chasing a top-four berth and not advancing beyond preliminary finals in recent seasons. 

In being competitive Port Adelaide builds hope to September. In falling short once those top-eight finals filter contenders from pretenders, the critics become fickle. This year, they have swung wildly in assessing Port Adelaide.

At the start of the year, the strategic recruiting to fill glaring needs in defence - with tall defenders Esava Ratugolea and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher from Geelong and Essendon - was a masterstroke. There also was the need to bolster ruck stocks - achieved again in the trade period with well-prepared rucks in Ivan Soldo and Jordon Sweet from Richmond and the Western Bulldogs.

Looking back at the end-of-trade summaries, Port Adelaide was considered a winner with its needs-based recruiting. Today, one judge - North Melbourne premiership defender David King - has put the label of "average" on Port Adelaide's trade work ... and so soon after recruiting exciting midfielder Jason Horne-Francis, who is far from average, from North Melbourne.

Perspective can be a rare commodity in an AFL system that has opinion dominate and ratings change faster than financial analysts can deliver verdicts on the stock exchange.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley does have this right about the race to September: It is about accumulating as many premiership points as possible during the qualifying games of the home-and-away series - and then taking the lessons from the marathon from March-August to the decisive sprint in September.

It would be foolish in such an ultra-competitive competition to project any other vision. But some have already cast their votes ... and the challenge for Port Adelaide is to highlight the folly of being dismissive of a squad that is still to find its best in 2024.

STORY SO FAR

AT 8-4 with placement in the top four, Port Adelaide has made a solid start to its campaign.

The wins have been against West Coast (50 points), Richmond (30), Essendon (69), Fremantle (three), St Kilda (10), Geelong (six), Hawthorn (one) and North Melbourne (59).

The losses are to Melbourne (seven points), Collingwood (42), in the Showdown (30) and Carlton (36 points).

Against top-eight company, Port Adelaide is 3-1.

GOOD, BAD AND UGLY

GOOD: Beyond dealing with its needs in defence during the trade period in October, Port Adelaide has answered its requirement for a new ruck battery - and it can confidently select (as it has across the first half of the season) any of its three rucks Ivan Soldo, Jordon Sweet and Dante Visentini.

Continued progress of Jackson Mead as a midfielder.

Impressive form of midfielder Zak Butters who is in elite company on leaderboards for several AFL awards.

Sound return from serious knee injury of forward Mitch Georgiades in new role away from goalfront to be a half-forward.

BAD: Losing half-forward Sam Powell-Pepper to a season-ending knee injury during the home clash against St Kilda in the Anzac tribute match on April 26 has been a notable hit to so much of Port Adelaide's needs in both an attacking and defensive sense inside forward-50.

UGLY: Dare anyone mention the Showdown counter has fallen out of Port Adelaide's favour with three consecutive losses in the derby? It is the match that certainly influences emotions most - but the response 10 days later at Kardinia Park against Geelong might just suggest Port Adelaide is getting better in dealing with the letdown after a Showdown.

KEY ISSUES

FINDING the best form - and keeping it - is an enormous challenge in sport at anytime. And this AFL season is clearly testing not just Port Adelaide to find the consistency to match Sydney today.

There will be a keen watch on the resting schedule and fitness of key forward Charlie Dixon - and the progress of his understudy Ollie Lord who had his start wrecked by a pre-season knee injury.

While the numbers point to Port Adelaide having a tighter defence, there is the challenge to be sounder when opposition teams have momentum - as noted in the clashes against Collingwood and Carlton.

Goalkicking accuracy was an early season headline - and still a work in progress from a determined program started in the pre-season. The current 50 per cent conversion rate does need to improve to take advantage of Port Adelaide's league-best figures for putting inside-50 entries on the scoreboard.

At 8-4, there clearly is a sound body of work from the first half of the season - and challenges to be a better contender in the run home to September.

BEST WIN

v Essendon in round five. By 69 points at Adelaide Oval.

After quarter-time there was no risk of a repeat of last year's epic battles with Essendon that ended in one-goal thrillers. Port Adelaide outscored Essendon by 13.9 to 3.3 after quarter-time.

Obviously, the comeback against Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval in round 11 - the big finish with two goals in the last minute with the off-the-ground winner from Darcy Byrne-Jones after falling 41 points down - fits in the category of epic outcomes.

WORST LOSS

v Collingwood in round seven. By 42 points at MCG.

Solid six-goal start, with the attack functioning while key forward Charlie Dixon was being rested, was brushed away by Collingwood's charge from time-on in the first term and six-goal second quarter.

BY THE NUMBERS 

ATTACK: Averaging 90 points (down by two on 2023). Scored 100 points or more against West Coast, Richmond, Essendon, Geelong and North Melbourne.

Average score at 13.13 in a season of great attention on scoring conversion at Alberton.

Scoring has been spread - rather than heavily reliant on one or two forwards. The club scoring leaderboard is - Todd Marshall 18.11, Willie Rioli 17.12, Mitch Georgiades 16.12, Darcy Byrne-Jones 16.10, Charlie Dixon 13.12, Jason Horne-Francis 11.6.

DEFENCE: Conceding on average 80 points (down by five on 2023). Conceded 100 points or more to Collingwood and Carlton.

Notable individual performance was from Esava Ratugolea holding North Melbourne proven goalkicker Nick Larkey to no goal in Hobart, ending a long-running streak.

MIDFIELD POWER: Zak Butters is leading club average on disposals (28); Ollie Wines on contested possessions (11.36); and Jason Horne-Francis on clearances (seven).

Butters ranks in the top-two at Port Adelaide in all three categories.

NEW FACES 

CLUB DEBUTS: Ivan Soldo, Esava Ratugoleau and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher in the season-opener against West Coast.

Jordon Sweet in the round six clash with Collingwood.

AFL DEBUTS: Not in first half of season.

WHAT NEXT?

Greater Western Sydney (away)

Brisbane (home) 

St Kilda (away)

Western Bulldogs (home)

Gold Coast (away)

Richmond (home)

Carlton (away)

Sydney (home)

Melbourne (away)

Adelaide (home)

Fremantle (away)

PROJECTED FINISH: According to the analysts at Live Ladders, who at one stage had Port Adelaide to finish ranked second to Sydney, the home-and-away season will end with a 14-win count, percentage at 107 and the fifth ranking. There is the forecast of a home elimination final against the Western Bulldogs.

But in such a wild season, who could be confident in making any projection in June?