2008 Brownlow medalist Adam Cooney has taken aim at Port Adelaide after their preliminary final capitulation at the hands of the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night.
Despite playing on their home deck after a weeks rest and entering the season's penultimate game with a near clean bill of health, the Power failed to the tune of 71-points.
With these factors in mind, Cooney didn't mince his words when speaking in the wake of the South Australian side's second successive exit just shy of a Grand Final appearance.
โIt is the epitome of a choke,โ the former Bulldogs and Bomber said on SEN's AFL Nation.
โYou can't explain it any other way because they had the rail run. No injuries, everything going their way, home prelim, having the week off."
Desperate entering the contest as red hot favourites with bookmakers, Ken Hinkley's side conceded seven goals to one in the opening term to limp to the break 37-points in arrears on their visitors.
โTo put up the performance they did the first quarter, when youโre not fatigued, unless it comes out in the next two days that they had the โGeelongโ virus that 12 players were sick in the lead up to the game," Cooney continued.
โThere are no excuses for that first quarter.โ
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After echoing his contemporary's sentiments, the club's former games record holder Kane Cornes suggested that the heavy defeat could leave lasting scars on a side that once again tripped at the second to last hurdle before their fans.
"Shocked is the word that comes to mind,โ Cornes expressed on the same station.
โIt was set up so well for Port Adelaide. I'm in shock with the performance.
โIt will leave a lasting dent.โ
The resounding defeat now marks the third occasion in which head coach Ken Hinkley has tasted defeat on preliminary final weekend across his nine-seasons at the helm.
Speaking after the one-way traffic had cleared, the former Cat stated bluntly that his side had no excuses for arriving so late to the fixture.
โItโs probably not the perfect time for me to talk too much about what happened early. When you get into this stage of the year, so many emotions are going on,โ Hinkley stated in his post-match press conference.
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โWhat you need, what you want and what you hope and wish for at the end of tonight, we got nowhere near that, and it probably needs a bit of time to digest and think clearly through it.
โWe have no excuses, we have no reasons that were outside our control. We had what we needed and we just didnโt perform.
โAll our players, young and old, need to continue to work to get better. And know that every year, if youโre not prepared to work hard to get back, it becomes an easy drop off.โ
The Western Bulldogs will now advanced to their second Grand Final berth in six-seasons, whilst a subdued mood has yet again descended upon Alberton Oval ahead of another summer of discontent.
Prior to the commencement of this weekend's clash, Port Adelaide first selection at this year's draft was that of pick 17, however, their final entry point is still yet to be finalised.
