PORT ADELAIDE co-captain Tom Jonas understands the frustration of his side’s inconsistent performances, but says the club is determined to rectify the issue.
The Power has been unable to win consecutive games since Rounds 5 and 6 this season, following a win with a loss each week since Round 9.
Jonas says Port has played high-quality football on the back of emotion, but knows his side must bring the energy every week to go to the next level.
“We need to own and accept that,” Jonas said at the Showdown press conference on Monday morning.
“We have been an inconsistent team for a long time. We are doing everything we can to stamp that out but at the moment that seems to be the case.
“Fortunately, this week is usually a pretty emotional one. It’s a big build up and a great week, so I dare say we will bounce back.”
Jonas - in his first year as co-captain - says he can’t put his finger on exactly why his side is so inconsistent, but says the training standard in the lead-up to Saturday night’s clash with the Western Bulldogs was exactly the same as it was the week prior against Geelong.
“That’s been the tough thing because we feel like we’ve been consistent with our training,” he said.
“The training standard has been great for a long time. Our mental mindset - at least outwardly - has been exactly the same.
“We are approaching the games the way we did the week before against Geelong. Then to dish up a first-quarter performance, and a whole game performance like that has become baffling.
“We don’t know the answer right now, so we are just working on what we can control.”
The key defender says Ken Hinkley’s stinging assessment of the Power’s inconsistency after Saturday night’s 25-point loss was a reality the playing group must address.
“Kenny (Ken Hinkley) isn’t saying anything that we don’t already recognise,” Jonas said.
“When we walk off the ground after a disappointing defeat, having gone win-loss-win-loss for a fair while, we know the reality.
“He is just saying what we’re thinking.”
The Power has the chance to bounce back against cross-town rivals Adelaide in a blockbuster Showdown at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night in Round 16.
