Matt White will inject much-needed excitement into Port's team this weekend
MATT White will inject excitement back into Port Adelaide this weekend, says vice-captain Brad Ebert.
White has missed the Power's past two games with a groin injury but will take on Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon.
Port's acquisition of the 27-year-old as a free agent from Richmond has proven successful in 2014; White's booted 20 goals and provided much-needed dash through the midfield and into attack.
He's ranked sixth in the AFL for goal assists a game (1.1).
With the Power desperate to return to the "exciting" brand of footy they played in the first half of the season, Ebert told AFL.com.au White's return would help their case.
"He's pumped up and he's always bouncing around the club, so I guess when he comes out on game day he brings that bit of excitement and enthusiasm to the group," Ebert said.
"But he also brings a fair bit of that run and that outside run and I think he creates a lot of play from that going inside forward 50.
"Also his finishing skills are fantastic, he's been kicking goals and looking really good."
Well into his second season as the Power's vice captain, Ebert said there had been no shying away from the club's poor performances over the past few months.
Port has dropped six of its past eight games, falling from top spot to fifth in the process.
But Ebert said the playing group's confidence was on the rise as key indicators, such as contested possession, suggested its form was improving.
He said that although losses were still brutally dissected, the leadership group tried to maintain a balance during the week.
"We've really tried to make sure that while we review our games pretty hard and work on those areas to continually improve, we make sure that a few days after we're making the mood around the place pretty light," he said.
"[We're] still trying to keep the fun in footy.
"The way we've been playing over the past few weeks shows that we're on the right path.
"Coming into this week, were going in confident that we can go back to the way we've been playing, go back to playing that exciting footy, that hard-working, in-tight football.
"The past three weeks are going to be massive for us, making sure that we're going in confident into finals."
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