Port Adelaide’s 6-1 start to the year eclipses its two losses to the same point last year, but with the Giants able to be let off the leash late in the game to push the 100-point barrier, the Power will need to ensure its best defensive work is brought to its upcoming encounter with Fremantle – undeniably one of the most suffocating sides in the competition.
Match report
Hinkley, while satisfied with the Power’s 35-point win at StarTrack Oval, was disappointed with the Giants’ high score.
“Absolutely it’s too much,” Hinkley said.
“It’s not what we want to do and especially in reasonably tough conditions.
“It wasn’t a great defensive day, I think, for either side, and it was a big score kicked in tough conditions.
“We’re disappointed with the amount of score we gave up.”
He didn’t excuse his side’s defensive work despite the conditions and paid particular attention to the high score-from-turnover rate that prevailed during the game.
Against the Dockers, the Power will need to be at their most efficient, particularly as it looks to cement a place in the top four against a seemingly rampant Hawthorn challenge in its following game.
The Hawks demolished St Kilda by 145 points earlier in the day to take top spot on the ladder from the Power and are looking as dangerous as ever.
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“I think it [turnovers] got us into trouble a couple of times,” he said.
“At half time, of their 34 points, they’d kicked 26 off our turnovers.
“We’ll review the game and see what we can learn … after that we’ll get quickly into Fremantle and we understand the size of the contest that’s coming our way.
"I don’t think Freo will give us as much room in the offensive ball movement as we’ve been able to get. They’re going to be a really tough opponent for us."
Port Adelaide will play Fremantle at the Adelaide Oval at 1:10pm next Saturday.
