Port Adelaide had the weight of the world on their shoulders heading into this past season, after a first-place finish ended in a heartbreaking preliminary final loss to eventual Premiers Richmond in 2020.
With another preliminary final loss at home, did Port do enough to earn a pass mark for their 2021 season?
Season finish: Second
Record: 17-5
2021 season snapshot
Port started the season winning five of their first six games and rounded out the year with six consecutive wins as they galloped into the finals.
The Power displayed a ferociousness that was hard to match for most of the league, as they were able to stick out some tough wins against reigning Premiers Richmond (two points in Round 2), Sydney (10 points in Round 15), and the Western Bulldogs (two points in Round 23).
Yet, similar to last season, the Power seemed to steamroll sides they were expected to beat but largely struggled against fellow contenders, losing against each of the other top-five sides throughout the year.
Despite a convincing 43 point victory, in the first week of finals against Geelong, Port disastrously underperformed in their preliminary final clash with the Western Bulldogs. Falling by 71 points, saw their season end one game shy of the grand final.
Star player: Ollie Wines
The word dominant doesn't even begin to describe how Wines played this season.
The big-bodied midfielder epitomised the Power’s ethos, he was physical, willed the ball forward, and always stood up in the big moments.
Not only did Wines increase his disposals by 10.6 per game, but he also averaged 22.2 effective disposals a game which was more than the total disposals (21.8) he averaged in 2020.
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Furthermore, Wines also averaged 14.8 contested possessions, four intercepts, 9.8 ground ball gets, 4.4 tackles, 19 pressure acts and 435.3 meters gained. He played like a literal machine.
Wines capped off his spectacular 2021 as an All Australian, John Cahill medalist, and Brownlow medalist.
Breakout player: Karl Amon
Amon has been in the system for a while and has proven to be a handy player at AFL level, but he exploded in 2021 to become a genuine star for Port Adelaide.
During his ascent, Amon was able to cement his spot as one of the league's top winger’s, given he was able to generate an attacking advance from anywhere on the field with his weekly 481.7 meters gained. Amon was also aggressive with his defensive efforts as he managed 4.1 tackles and 19.1 pressure acts to round out his game.
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He increased his play by so much that he finished fourth in Port Adelaide’s best and fairest, placing behind intercepting machine Aliir Aliir, club champion Travis Boak and Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines.
As Amon starts to hit his physical prime, the rest of the league should stay on notice as he looks to add more elements to his game in 2022 and beyond.
Positives
Good players keep getting better: Port Adelaide has a relatively balanced list of young players, stars in their prime, and veteran talent. And in 2021 they all seemed to take steps forward.
The likes of Ollie Wines, Karl Amon, Aliir Aliir and, Dan Houston stood out in particular for the leaps they took into their prime years, with each displaying a level of composure and assertiveness when required.
Then the Power's young guns continued to get their game tally up, despite some injury setbacks. They were able to add to their wealth of high-stakes experiences thus far.
With the majority of Port's list approaching or already in their prime, they will continue to terrorise the league for many more years and will likely get over the hump sooner rather than later.
Next man up mentality suits game style: The Power had a plethora of injuries to deal with this past season and managed to navigate these trying times quite successfully.
This was largely in part to the game style senior coach Ken Hinkley has been able to implement. Port was top three in intercepts, one-percenters, contested possessions, and tackles while being first in tackles inside 50.
The imposing style allowed others to enter the team and be highly effective as Hinkley's philosophy prioritised team acts over individual brilliance.
Negatives
Loss of motivation: The flip-side to Hinkley's philosophy was that he didn't seem to have the answers for when his side was outmatched physically.
Instead of implementing any tactical shift, Port would persist with their initial gameplan and hope that their loaded side would eventually outshine the opposition.
This clearly failed to work when up against strong defensive teams like Melbourne, West Coast, and Geelong while being equally as ineffective against strong counteracting teams like Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs.
If the Power is to realise their ultimate success they must be able to, A) Devise a viable backup plan during the week, and B) Successfully implement it during a game.
Defensive deficiencies: For as good a defensive team as the Power were, they seemed to get exposed down back when Aliir Aliir's intercepting ability was negated.
This lead to instances where skipper Tom Jonas was stuck in disadvantageous one-on-one's with the opposition's best forward and exposed the poor positioning of Port's more attacking half-backs.
If the Power is to take the next step, like Melbourne, they must configure a multifaceted defensive structure that prevents such compromising situations for their back six.
Season grade: B+
Port Adelaide was able to put a lot of things together in 2021 and was quite successful, concluding the year with a second-place finish and preliminary final appearance.
The Power were able to get the most of their list, with an assortment of players stepping up throughout the year. Their toughness as a unit made them a tough task for most sides, despite their shortcomings in several key games.
If the Power can continue evolving their playstyle, they will continue to remain atop of the AFL ladder for many years to come.
