STUMPY’S SHORT SHOTS
IT is said that a week is a long time in sport; how about trying 24 hours is a long time in sport, particularly when it comes to our game of Australian football.
It’s fantastic really.
The Saturday before Port Adelaide’s preliminary final against Western Bulldogs, front-page headlines read: “Port’s time is now – Power primed to avenge preliminary final heartbreak”.
On Friday, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said that he could not have imagined that his side would have any better preparation for Saturday night’s home preliminary final against the Western
Bulldogs.
“We’ve had the right build-up, we’ve earned the right to be where we are, we’ve worked really hard, we’ve trained really well in the last seven or eight days and the boys are ready to play, so we just
have to come out and execute tomorrow night,” Hinkley stated.
As simple as that, hey.
“I think we’re an improved football team, a more challenging team than this time last year. We know we’ve got a great opponent to come up against, but we are really well prepared,” Hinkley continued.
Power skipper Tom Jonas added “we’ve overcome some difficult challenges and we’ve added a couple of weapons as well in Aliir Aliir and Orazio Fantasia.
“We’re also carrying that hurt and hunger from the prelim last year”. What could go wrong?
After all, Port Adelaide players had been at home in Adelaide for weeks, with their family and friends, no travel involved, sleeping in their own beds and, basically, an injury-free list to choose
from, with the exception of Mitch Georgiades.
On the other hand, Luke Beveridge’s Western Bulldogs seemingly couldn’t take a trick.
Champion youngster Cody Weightman was to miss the game due to concussion protocols, arguably the best player in the competition, Marcus Bontempelli, had an (at least) slightly damaged
knee, and essential big defender Alex Keath who would have taken Charlie Dixon, was out.
Forget that the Bulldogs had spent most of the previous few weeks flying all over Australia – Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth – with no complaints.
They just keep on singing Lucky Starr’s I’ve Been Everywhere.
Even when they arrived in Adelaide from Perth on Friday, they were not permitted to have a run on Adelaide Oval, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Plenty could go wrong and, in my opinion, it did mainly due to Port Adelaide believing in its own press.
It’s one thing to say that everything is great and feeling good, but it’s a problem when, even if it’s at a subconscious level, you start to believe that it’s just a matter of presenting.
Sunday’s press headline was: “DOGGONE DISASTER – Port torn apart in 71-point mauling”.
Aliir had little or no influence, and did anyone see Darcy Byrne-Jones, William Drew or Orazio Fantasia?
Port’s midfield was smashed.
Stefan Martin’s influence was enormous.
Port Adelaide’s major problem is that it is a one-trick pony, and
I’m not convinced that Ken Hinkley is the right jockey to be on board.
Have your say: Contact Rick at editor@bunyippress.com.au
