PORT ADELAIDE’s ten goal loss to Geelong six weeks ago was a landmark moment in its season and set it on course to win its Qualifying Final against the Cats on Thursday night, according to assistant coach Brett Montgomery.
Port booked a Preliminary Final berth with the 9.4 (58) to 5.12 (42) victory at Adelaide Oval, and now has a week off to recover and reset.
Many doubted whether Port had the game plan and cattle to match it with the Cats after that loss back in Round 12 but there was no doubt within the four walls at Alberton, according to Montgomery.
“I think again last night we proved that our style is a good style, it’s a style that stacks up in big games, it’s a style that our players love to play and I know our fans love to watch,” he said at a press conference at Alberton Oval on Friday.
“There was an enormous sense of pride in what the guys were able to do.
“I guess at a coaching level and staff level it was a great confirmation that what we’re trying to achieve is right, it’s appropriate, it’s relevant and our guys have really latched on to it and are running with it.
“But we’ve got a lot of work to do from here.
“There’s no right in this game. The only right we had was to get the double chance and as it turned out we didn’t need it but from here it’s all in our hands so we get back to work.”
Montgomery revealed the game in Round 12 was reviewed heavily and he was pleased to see a lot more energy and ferocity at the contest this time around.
It saw Port soak up immense pressure in the second quarter as the Cats started to dominate possession, before getting the game on its own terms in the third quarter and building a match-winning lead.
“You never want to lose but if there was a landmark day in our season it was being so comprehensively beaten by the Cats up on the Gold Coast,” he explained.
“It put us back on edge, it had us question a few things, I think it got us in exactly the space we needed to be in to take this game on.
“We didn’t second guess things but we certainly assessed things to make sure that what we were doing was where we needed to be and we were able to do that and tighten a few things.
“I think you saw last night that’s exactly how we needed to play the first time around.”
The players will enjoy a three-day break now to reflect and recover after a bruising encounter.
Montgomery said it was important to celebrate victories, especially given the challenges the side has had to navigate in 2020.
“We’ll allow the players to reflect and bask in it for the first few days and I think that’s fair enough, you’ve got to celebrate,” he said.
“It hasn’t been a great environment for celebrating the wins this year and us as staff will do the same.
“I can almost guarantee that the guys can’t wait to come back in here, whether it be Monday or Tuesday just to see each other.”
As well as getting one back on Geelong, Montgomery revealed the players were motivated by representing the Port Adelaide community properly in the club’s 150th year.
“One thing we can’t discount here is the responsibility and the passion these guys have for trying to get something special in our 150th year,” he said.
“Whether we think they know it or not, or whether they think about it every minute of every day – that’s probably unrealistic – but they do carry that and there’s a real sense of pride that they’re doing the club very very proud.
“Ken did an outstanding job tying that back in without having them go over the top, to get them to an excitement level that didn’t escalate past where we needed them to be but he certainly reminded them of their responsibility and their place in the club.”
Montgomery is now looking forward to sitting back and watching the other finals games, and he said he did not have a preference for a Preliminary Final opponent.
The 2004 Premiership defender said the side was gunning to give members and supporters something to be proud of in a fortnight’s time, regardless of who it comes up against.
“Regardless of opponent in that Preliminary Final, it’s going to be an outstanding team and it’s going to be one of these teams that all the way through this season has been more highly rated than what we have been so favouritism would be odd and I think it’d be a bit rich, but it’s going to be a great game whoever we get.”
