COLLINGWOOD Coach Nathan Buckley has praised Port Adelaide’s grunt and will to win after the Power’s come from behind 23-point win over Sydney on Sunday.
Down by 14 points at half-time, Port Adelaide kicked seven goals to two in the third quarter and also outscored the Swans in the last, to win at the SCG for the second year in a row.
Buckley was asked about whether he rated the Power’s credentials on SEN Radio on Tuesday morning and the 1992 Port Adelaide SANFL Premiership player and Magarey Medallist said Ken Hinkley’s was a “very strong side”.
“From bouncing back originally with Ken then dropping away a little bit, we see them as a very strong contested ball side with a real strong defensive structure,” he said.
”To be able to go to Sydney in round one last year when they were unheralded and unexpected to, and then all the comments from (Swans veteran Jarrad) McVeigh coming into this game about wanting to make the SCG a fortress and wanting to right the wrong of that game, and Sydney being up and about, and having the perception of wanting to start this season more strongly than last year and not wanting to get in a hole again, it was a really strong performance.
“I think it speaks to the grunt and the will to win that that (Power) side has and they’ve got some class still to come back.
“I think they’ll be a handful.”
Buckley’s Magpies won’t face Port Adelaide until round 22 at the MCG.
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