Port Adelaide 2018 AFL season review: Power was on but blew a fuse

Mick Stirling

Port Adelaide 2018 AFL season review: Power was on but blew a fuse image

Finished: 10th
Won: 12
Lost: 10
Drew: None
Percentage: 107.6%

Leading goalkicker: Robbie Gray (36)
Leading possession winner: Ollie Wines (574)
Likely Best and Fairest winner: Robbie Gray
Best first year player: Jarrod Lienert
Most improved: Jared Polec 
Biggest drop off: Jake Neade

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What went right?

While the 2018 AFL season finished as a definite fail for the Power it’s only fair to remember they were in the top four after round 16, just one win and percentage away from top spot.

That they blew it from there speaks volumes of the resolve, or lack of it, in this group, but the talent on hand can’t be too bad.

Re-signing Ollie Wines was a priority and seemed a big tick at the time.

Port’s established players were good and look to have a few years left in them yet, including 31-year-old Justin Westhoff, Travis Boak (30) and Paddy Ryder (30).

Highlight: Round eight’s Showdown was arguably the AFL match of the year, with Steven Motlop’s last-minute goal justifying the pre-season recruiting drive, lifting the Power into the eight and giving the club bragging rights over its arch-rival.


 

What went wrong?

Everything fell apart after the round 16 win against St Kilda, as Port saluted just once more in the final seven games.

Injuries were no excuse, with just about a full list to choose from over the last couple of months, and while the opposition was strong those are the teams you need to beat if you want to get to the top.

Where Essendon’s big-name recruits were one of the Bombers’ best features of 2018, Port’s three incoming stars were mediocre at best.

Steven Motlop showed flashes of his best, none more so than the match winner against the Crows, but Jack Watts and Tom Rockliff were ordinary.

Chad Wingard was serviceable but had nowhere near the impact of previous seasons, Jasper Pittard’s form tumbled and first-year sensation Sam Powell-Pepper turned on the second-year blues.

Lowlight: Round 21 was the Power’s worst nightmare revisited, going down to West Coast after the siren at home and putting Port right on the edge of the top eight. They fell out after being thumped by Collingwood the next week. 

In the gun

Jared Polec will be heading to Victoria for a bundle of money and rumours Chad Wingard is being chased sound ominous.

Defenders Pittard and Jack Hombsch have been told by Ken Hinkley they’re no longer in the best 22 and should explore their options elsewhere, while Jake Neade is unlikely to have done enough to earn a new contract.

Lindsay Thomas had one interesting year in teal but has retired, and number-four draft pick Jimmy Toumpas was delisted after a career that never took off.


 

What they need

The first two thirds of 2018 suggest Port has a list that can compete with the best … when they want to … which suggests Ken Hinkley would be best served by players with mental strength rather than football ability.

There’s little doubt last year’s three experienced recruits lacked ticker.

Scott Lycett looks certain to be in a Power jumper in 2019, but there won’t be a lot of other trade movement at Alberton. 

Instead, Hinkley will go to the draft with a pretty handy bunch of selections at his disposal, and which will all be used on the best available youngsters.

Current 2018 draft picks: 9, 21, 27, 45, 46, 81

Next year

Lycett’s arrival will be a big positive, with the Eagle easing the ruck load on Ryder which in turn frees up Charlie Dixon to concentrate on being the imposing key forward he’s supposed to be.

However, if Port loses both of Polec and Wingard a lot of class and creativity goes with them, a couple of things the Power don’t have loads of at the moment.

2019 ladder prediction: 11th

Mick Stirling