loss.avif’There’s no plan B’: Why Port Adelaide’s greatest tactical strength may also be its greatest weakness
Port Adelaide has been a curious case for a number of years now under Ken Hinkley.
Consistently making finals, consistently challenging top-end teams, multiple top 4 finishes and a couple of prelim finals to go along with that. But Hinkley and Port can’t seem to clear that final hurdle.
The criticism levelled at Port has been that they are a flat-track bully; they beat up on those teams that aren’t challenging but they can’t seem to get over the top teams outside of the odd win at home.
Is it personnel?
Is it game plan?
Is it motivation?
Well, unfortunately, it’s a combination of everything, but there’s one area that doesn’t get the blowtorch to the same extent.
We know Port have had defensive issues in the past; prior to this year, Aliir Aliir was the only defender with the height to genuinely be considered a viable like-for-like match-up.
Queue the pursuit of Brandon Zerk-Thatcher and Esava Ratugolea; both of whom have been good inclusions without being standouts.
The ruck position was also in question last year with Scott Lycett practically limping into retirement at the end of 2023.
Port brought in Former tiger Ivan Soldo and ex-Bulldog Jordon Sweet to bolster the ranks and provide some much-needed stability to the position.
While Soldo began the year strongly, injuries have interrupted his year, and the lack of continuity has exposed his form to the point where he was dropped for their round 15 drubbing to Brisbane.
So, it’s fair to say that even with the four recruits, the ruck and defence still look vulnerable.
But now Port has an issue with the forward line, that has served them so well, being incredibly ineffective.
Charlie Dixon, Like Lycett last year, is limping towards retirement. I can’t recall too many games this year where his influence has been felt.
Jeremy Finlayson is out of form and seems at this point to be a plug-and-play type of player that can fill a hole if it is desperately needed.
Todd Marshall isn’t living up to his new contract and is failing to show he can take the reins, and Mitch Georgiadis is coming off an ACL so we won’t see his best until next year I would imagine.
The forwards haven’t been helped by the ball movement. Port Adelaide is terribly predictable going forward, very straight line and is easy for opposition defenders to read.
That being said, Port’s forward press isn’t particularly effective either meaning teams have been able to have great success transitioning from their back half.
But none of this is particularly new information. The major concern for me coming off the back of their 79-point loss to Brisbane two weeks ago is their midfield.
On paper you love it; a young core of Zak Butters, Connor Rozee, and Jason Horne-Francis, all capable of being Brownlow medal players.
Mix in Wines, a former Brownlow medallist, and Travis Boak, a player that would be in the same category as Scott Pendlebury and Joel Selwood had he played in Victoria.
Add a touch of Willem Drew and Dan Houston – and it looks formidable.