We look back on the season that was for Port Adelaide's 2015 AFL campaign...
1. Aggressive, decisive play wins games...
A Port Adelaide that bares its teeth, more often than not, is going to play good footy [pic: AFL Photos]
The Power missed the finals by one win. So where could 2015 have been different?
We need to look at the losses...
Defeat at the hands of cellar-dwellers Carlton and Brisbane weren't just ignominious for the result, for the Power were rated highly for finals contention going into the season, but tough watching for the type of football produced.
There was no will to fight against the Lions, and against Carlton there were three quarters of 'ordinary' before the Power's final quarter surge. Both performances were unacceptable.
It felt like the Power was treading water for much of the season. Usual first choice players were dropped throughout.
Only at Round 15, with an against-the-odds win over Collingwood, did the Power look to turn the wheel.
It lost to the Crows the week after, but then went on to win its last six of seven games.
Those wins came from playing aggressive, emphatic, punishing football at times, and through stoic and resolute play in others.
Against Hawthorn - twice in 2015 - the Power showed the standard of football it can play with that attacking mindset.
Its narrow losses showed the penalty that Port will pay for not being fully switched on.
And it's defeats against the Bulldogs, Lions and Blues, showed that a Port Adelaide that doesn't fight, will lose - badly.
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2. Two men were a cut above…
Great years from both of these blokes. [pic: AFL Photos]
They've made the All-Australian squad of 40, some would say they're a shoo-in for the final team, and will vie for the John Cahill Medal at the end of the year.
Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard enjoyed superb seasons again in 2015 and one (or maybe both) will probably win his second best and fairest.
Their years were defined by their consistency. Gray was well within the sights of supporters after his dominance of 2014, but had to overcome a slow start to his season to hit top gear and replicate that superb form week after week.
Wingard was sublime as a mercurial small forward - finishing the year as the Power's leading goal kicker, but also spent plenty of time in the midfield to have a genuine impact around the ground.
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3. The list has plenty to offer...
Cohesiveness on-field came good by the end of the season, the Power just needed one more round to press for September... [pic: AFL Photos]
...it's just about everyone bringing it together at once.
Brendon Ah Chee, Sam Gray, and mature rookie Nathan Krakouer all showed class throughout the season. Each had their battles - fitness, composure, ball use and game impact - to overcome, but all can look back on 2015 with pride and satisfaction from a personal level.
The trio were rewarded with contract extensions and will be looking to further improve their form in 2016.
Others like Jack Hombsch showed that even those who have been regulars in the Power's line-up can step up to another level with high-impact football. Hombsch particularly enjoyed a strong season often playing as Port's No. 1 backman in lieu of the injured Jackson Trengove and Alipate Carlile.
4. 2015 was disappointing, but there is plenty of upside...
It's been a long year, but the Power has plenty of upside... [pic: AFL Photos]
For a club that 'Exists to Win Premierships', not making finals is a failure to deliver on that ethos.
Most of all, 2015 was a failure of consistency, the essential ingredient in building towards ultimate success.
Throughout the season, the Power's inability to produce that daring, running, take-the-world-on game style each week cost it a top-eight berth. Injuries played their part, yes, but every team needs to negotiate medical troubles every year.
2015 was disappointing, and an emotion acutely felt in the playing group. One only need look at the body language of players like Travis Boak and Robbie Gray at the final siren in Round 23. It was a missed opportunity.
But there is promise in the performance shown late in the season. That - especially the win over Hawthorn - was when Port recaptured its mojo.
The first two seasons under Ken Hinkley produced an exciting and daring brand of football, so we know what the team is capable of.
2015 had that same brand, but in patches. That was the difference.
There is significant upside for the Power heading into the 2016 pre-season, but they need to work hard and commit to producing gutsy football to truly realise it.
It all starts in November.
