United Port Still Eyes Finals
Brad Ebert says the players are united behind coach Matthew Primus, with Port still hoping to play in September
POWER midfielder Brad Ebert says coach Matthew Primus still has the playing group's full support despite an awful 1-5 start to the season, with the club still hopeful of a finals berth.
After the Power suffered their worst loss of the season, a 37-point defeat to Richmond on Sunday, Primus said he expected his position as coach to come under fire.
He has another year left on his contract at Alberton, but his role is threatened by a clause that allows it to be terminated at the conclusion of the season.
But Ebert said the players owed it to the former Power champion to perform for the rest of the season.
"I hope that Matty's position isn't under threat ... you don't want to see a coach like Matty go," Ebert said.
"The playing group have full faith in him and the rest of the coaches."
After its fifth-straight loss on Sunday, Port sits 15th on the ladder and faces a tough run ahead with games against Fremantle, North Melbourne, Hawthorn and Carlton.
But 22-year-old Ebert said it was far too soon for the Power to be ruled out of finals contention.
"It's only round six and you can't rule out finals until it's mathematically impossible," he said.
"We'll just keep working away and hopefully start getting a few wins.
"You don't rule finals in round six, no way."
Given his former team West Coast sits undefeated on top of the ladder, few would hold it against Ebert if thoughts of his 2011 trade to Port Adelaide were accompanied by regret.
But the Power's best player maintained the he still believed in the elements that lured him back to South Australia last year.
"I felt the team we had and the coaches that were coming in were going to go places and were going to rise up the ladder," he said.
"So far that hasn't happened, but I believe it will turn."
As a member of West Coast's squad in 2010 and then again in 2011, Ebert saw the club rebound from wooden spooners to a top four side in the space of one season.
He put the resurgence down to selection pressure coming from the WAFL competition, and classy and experienced players returning from injury.
Ebert said he believed the Power could yet see a similar resurgence.
"There are some good players in the SANFL and there is that class," he said of the Power's list.
"I think we just need the polish of disposal efficiency and the little things that can probably top us off and really take us from just going along like we are, to winning games."
Harry Thring covers Port Adelaide news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs