PORT ADELAIDE mentor Ken Hinkley was proud of the stick-to-itiveness of his side in recording a 28-point win over Carlton on Saturday night.
More to the point, Hinkley was pleased his troops were able to regroup and front up again after a bruising encounter with Richmond that kept the medical rooms at Alberton busy in the aftermath.
“I thought we played a really strong game of footy up against a team who is trying to emerge themselves and come through,” Hinkley told reporters at the MCG.
“I’m really pleased to be honest. More pleased than you’d perhaps know because last week was a really big game and really strong performance. Last year after (beating Richmond) we didn’t play the game of football we wanted the next week (losing to Geelong).”
The Power entered Saturday’s clash already carrying several sore bodies and hurting from the omissions of Zak Butters (ankle) and Xavier Duursma (knee), both casualties from that brutal battle with Richmond.
With vice-captain Hamish Hartlett copping a heavy corkie and a shoulder injury forcing the classy Dan Houston to be subbed out of the game, the squad mentality preached by the coaching staff at Alberton was again put to the test.
“The physical battle of last week, we didn’t get through unscathed obviously, we had a couple miss out because of injury but we also took two or three players in this week who were less than their best with their physical capabilities,” Hinkley explained.
“To the boys credit, led by Tom and Ollie, I thought they were outstanding in the way they went about it (against Carlton).
“You travel, you lose some players through injuries the week before who are pretty important to us. Then you get some early injuries in the game tonight.
“(The players) stuck at it really well and the game was put away pretty early I thought. After halftime we were in pretty good control and in the third quarter we got the game where we wanted it.”
It had been 22 months – 637 days to be exact – since Port’s last trip to the MCG; a field of battle the Power will be hoping to return to at the pointy end of the season.
Hinkley praised his captain for keeping his troops focussed on the task at hand following the high of defeating the reigning premiers and ensuring they take valuable experience from a win at the ‘home of football’.
“Tom recognised the week and that’s what good captains do, they recognise the moment,” Hinkley said.
“The moment was we’ve come off a big game and we’ve got to be a side that over and over again has got to keep turning up.
“That’s what good sides do. The very best sides in the competition have done that for a long period of time and we are starting to do that.”
Helping propel the Power to victory was a forward line pumping on all cylinders.
Young talls Todd Marshall and Mitch Georgiades have begun to find their feet alongside All-Australian Charlie Dixon and Hinkley was excited to see the growth of the trio working together.
“Both Todd and Mitch have had significant challenges over their journey for different reasons,” he said.
“Charlie has certainly got himself in great shape now as a footballer and they’re getting some rewards.
“They like playing together too and they’re starting to understand each other’s game.
“That’s when it starts to click. They know who is going where and what each player should expect from each other.”
Port Adelaide next turns its attention to a St Kilda side that will travel to Adelaide Oval determined to make amends after a lacklustre showing against the Tigers on Thursday night.
However, Hinkley issued a stern warning to the challengers and set out the expectation that his side will come ready to defend home soil.
“St Kilda beat us last time at Adelaide Oval and they beat us good,” Hinkley admitted.
“Their speed and their hunt is really impressive.
“(St Kilda) can be sure of one thing; they’re going to play against a pretty good side when they come over and they’re going to have to play at their best to win the game because we will be at our best.”
