Oh, the Power and progression

Trying to make sense of where the Port Adelaide Football Club is, where it’s been, or where it is going, is a peculiar task.

Their's is a species which rarely pauses for photo opportunities.

The moment we think we’ve got the perfect snapshot showcasing all of Port Adelaide’s intricate beauty - and its shortcomings - they scamper away to redevelop the negative, and our search begins anew.

None of these observations are meant as criticism.

The Power are indeed one of the most exciting franchises in the AFL, precisely because they refuse to be pinned down in a singular narrative.

Perhaps Midnight Oil frontman, and more recently, Australian politician, Peter Garrett, said it best when he sang, "It's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees."

The current Port Adelaide adaptation sits perched at four wins and two losses, with only percentage keeping them out of a top-four spot - a finishing position that has eluded the club since 2007.

They lead the league for disposals, averaging 407 per match, and are second in the competition at +7.3 in terms of tackle differential. They rank second in the league for marks inside 50 with 78, and are doing so without the services of their premier key forward, Charlie Dixon.

And while all four of Port’s victims sit outside of the eight this season (three are unlikely to have any bearing whatsoever on finals), there does seem to be a threatening air about the Power this season making them a legitimate AFL Premiership threat, and a potential bonafide contender for years to come.

The seeds of this current Port Adelaide team were sewn in 2012 after a truly disastrous five-win campaign, which saw crowds plummet to an all-time low, costing coach Matthew Primus his job, and, which, ultimately ushered in a new board.

The awful year prompted an in-depth review of the club, which seven years later can indisputably be considered a raging success.

The year following the 'Alberton revolution,' the Power won 12 games and played AFL Finals again. The next season they found themselves in a Preliminary Final against the all-conquering Hawks, only to lose by an agonising five points.  

From that 2014 PF team, just five players - captain Travis Boak, Brad Ebert, Robbie Grey, Justin Westhoff and Ollie Wines - featured in Friday night’s round 5 victory over North Melbourne.

This is a club constantly turning over its list, re-imagining its outlook on their draft strategy and forever changing its style of play.

Among the wraith of changes at the club in the wake of the disastrous 2012 campaign, the most significant was the appointment of senior coach, Ken Hinkley.

The former Geelong premiership-winning assistant had been - despite reported glowing references - looked over for the three head coaching positions he’d previously interviewed for and was reportedly so deflated - and bemused - by each process that he’d sworn off pursuing another.

That Port Adelaide had the foresight to identify him as their go-to man and convince him to sign has proven remarkably astute.

Hinkley’s a coach who’s able to balance perfectly whatever we think 'old school coaching' constitutes, with an excellent grasp of modern tactics, as well as embracing the increasing role of analytics.

He should be credited further with his ability to survive amid the presence of one of the most omnipresent club presidents in the game, television personality David Koch, while also housing AFL 'living legend,' Michael Voss, as his lead assistant.

For many, that would prove too much to bear. For Ken Hinkley, it’s been a challenge he’s not only willingly embraced but thrived on.

Since Hinkley took over at Port, only Hawthorn, Sydney, Geelong and Adelaide can also claim to have posted a season percentage of 100% or higher, each and every year.

It’s a testament to Hinkley not only turning the club’s fortunes around but also ensuring they remain a relevant league force.

Among the most impressive facets of the Port Adelaide Football Club rebuild has been its approach to list management under the leadership of former St Kilda midfielder, Jason Cripps, which is among the league’s boldest and most ambitious.

From 2012 to 2015, the Power used just one first-round selection at the AFL Draft, where they were fortunate enough to bring the brilliant Ollie Wines into their environment.

Since the 2016 AFL Draft, however, the Power has brought in five first-round picks with all of Todd Marshall, Sam Powell-Pepper, Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma already proving key contributors to the team.  

Yet, it’s not just the club’s approach to the draft that should be commended. 

The off-season prior to last November’s haul (Rozee, Butters, Duursma) saw the Power take neither a single first or second round selection to draft day.

Instead, Port had one of the more aggressive trade and free agent periods in AFL history, acquiring the services of Tom Rockliff, Jack Watts and Steven Motlop - themselves all either prior first-round talent, All-Australian squad members or club Best and Fairest award winners.

Again, just when you think you think you’ve got a fair grasp on what the Power are doing from a list management perspective, they leave you looking foolish.

As the song goes, "take all the trouble that you can afford, at least you won't have time to be bored."

Whether you are enthused about the zigzag approach to list management or remain deeply sceptical is up for grabs.

On the one hand, this 2019 AFL season is indeed a critical one for the Power because, for all the list innovations and excellent recent drafting, the fact remains this is a team who has contested just a solitary AFL Final over the last four years.

For as many people who will insist the Power are at the cutting edge of AFL list innovation, there’s just as many who’ll suggest they’ve been one of the great underachievers of the past few seasons.

Through six games, the returns are quite positive for the Power. As suggested, they haven’t beaten much, however, their underlying numbers are painting a very promising story.

They lead the AFL by a considerable margin where clearances are concerned - with an average of 44 per game - and are number one for inside 50’s with 61.7 per match.

They’re also the only team in the competition who sit top 3 for both contested and uncontested possession differential.

This decade has seen 11 different teams finish the season ranked top three in both metrics, with all but three qualifying for Finals, five of which ended up playing in a Preliminary Final on that season's penultimate weekend. 

Geelong in 2011 and the 2016 Western Bulldogs even turned their ability to perform so brilliantly in both key stats into an AFL Premiership. 

Port’s next couple of matches will provide an even better gauge on where the Port Adelaide Football Club is at. They’ve got a massive assignment this week against one of the best in the business in Collingwood, followed by the intense South Australian rivalry, 'The Showdown' with the Adelaide Crows, the Saturday after.

They’re a unique club, the Port Power, who have charted a different course through these murky AFL waters.

Will Port’s powerful speed boat stay afloat? 

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