After the Power's 48-point defeat at the hands of Sydney on Saturday night, we take a look at four lessons learned...
1. We know what beats Port Adelaide...
Good football. If you left the ground, or your living room, wondering 'How did that happen?', well, the reality is that for all the moments Port Adelaide couldn't make things work, there was a team of red-and-white jumpers heaping pressure on the Power's ball-carriers, closing opportunities and running with players. Port didn't play its best - absolutely true, particularly of its skill errors and turnovers - and when your opponent is mature, experienced and playing very well, that makes a difficult day at the office. There's no question that the Swans are one of 'those' teams.
That is, one of those teams that made last year's grand final, and are shaping as likely to do it again...
A skipper's face can tell a story. Boaky wasn't happy. [pic: AFL Photos]
2. Defence is the best attack...
Some might call the Adelaide Oval a 'Portress', but it was Sydney that build a micro-fortress in defence on Saturday. Port Adelaide laid siege to Sydney's backline with 62 inside-50 entries, but managed just six goals - one goal for every 10 entries - and was only able to hit a target in the arc just 15 per cent of the time. That points to an exceptional defensive effort by the Swans - these statistics were toxic for Port, but pure gold for the Bloods. Sydney defended brilliantly on Saturday, they bat away the high ball time and again, they tackled hard and constricted Port's space at offensive stoppages, they used a man in the goal square to intercept the low ball and they built a wall along the last 10 metres to quickly rebound forward.
All class from the Swans, and a set-up that will be tough beating in pressure games this year...
The Swans spoiled the show on Saturday night, literally. [Pic: AFL Media]
3. Goalless quarters don't win games
Port Adelaide has played 16 games since Round 2, 2010 where it failed to score a goal in a quarter. It has lost all of them. The 2010 game was against that year's eventual wooden spooner West Coast at Football Park. See where we're going here? Football is a simple game, and if you don't score goals, you won't be winning many of them. The 44 points scored by the Power was its lowest total since it was demolished by Hawthorn at the end of 2011 and its equal-ninth lowest in the AFL.
Score lots of goals = wins most games - fairly simple equation...
Paddy Ryder was Port's only multiple goal scorer from just five. Tough night in attack. [Pic: AFL Media]
4. After 50* games there's still plenty left to do...
The loss to Sydney comes at an important juncture in this chapter of Port Adelaide history. After 50 games under Ken Hinkley (*or 51, if you include the week Alan Richardson was a late stand-in during 2013) we've seen five finals appearances, a three-in-five winning record, and a revitalisation of the Port Adelaide Football Club in elite football. Exciting pre-game? Cool new Adelaide Oval? These are peripheral to Port Adelaide's raisons d'être - good, team-focussed footy, lots of it, and no excuses. Hinkley has brought these values to the fore in the Power locker room and Saturday's result is a small blemish on just over two years of very fun footy.
But those two years count for nothing now, and Port supporters know too well that football gods can (and will) turn quickly, unless you find a way to keep them pleased...
Ken Hinkley will be less concerned with personal milestones and more focussed on the next game: he says more hard work is required. [Pic: AFL Photos]
