IT IS not yet known whether Angus Monfries has been handed a show-cause notice from ASADA, but if he is a target of the investigation, it doesn't seem to be affecting his football.
The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority has informed 34 players they have a case to answer over Essendon's 2012 supplements program, a season when Monfries was on the Bombers' list.
The legal advice reportedly being given to the players is that they shouldn't tell their club if they were on that list of 34.
Either way, Monfries took it all in his stride on Saturday afternoon, kicking three goals to play an important role in Port's commendable four-point loss to the Sydney Swans at the SCG.
Afterwards, Power coach Ken Hinkley had little to say when asked about Monfries' predicament.
"I've got no comment to make about it because it's a simple investigation for me," Hinkley said.
"It's between the Essendon Football Club and ASADA, nothing to do with us, and I've got no comment to make about it."
Pushed on whether he had spoken to the small forward about the situation, Hinkley replied: "I've got no comment to make about it."
While the ASADA investigation continues to leave a mark on the competition, Port would have lost few admirers with the way it attacked Saturday's clash against the premiership favourites.
The Swans jumped out of the blocks early and could have broken the game open if not for a run of nine straight behinds spanning the first and second quarters.
But three of those were rushed as the Power made the Swans earn every contribution to the scoreboard, with the visitors gradually working their way into the game to get in front midway through the second quarter.
They kept on coming and were within a kick in the dying stages before just falling short.
Following the game, Hinkley had no interest in any pats on the back.
"We lost and I don't like that," the straight-shooting coach said.
"We had a real go at the game though, there's no doubt about that.
"The toughest test in footy as everyone is talking about through the week, coming up here to play Sydney on their patch and take them on, I was proud of the boys for the way they went about it.
"We kicked 4.6 to 3.1 in the last quarter, so we really did dominate the last quarter, but we weren't able to get enough score in front.
"That's because it's a four-quarter game and Sydney had done enough over the four quarters."
The anomalies of this year's draw means the two sides meet again in just seven weeks' time.
Hinkley knows his side, which will retain top spot on the ladder after round 13 and hosts the Western Bulldogs next week, is good enough to match it with anyone in the AFL.
He just hopes they show it just that little bit more next time they take on the team in red and white.
"I was pleased with our performance, but we've got lots to learn," he said.
"We're not a club that sits back and gets happy with a good performance. We need to get better and we know that.
"And we'll get another opportunity really soon to play Sydney, with the way the draw works out, and hopefully we'll learn a bit more and be better prepared to play them next time.
"Other people are sometimes looking for proof; we just have to keep working hard because we know our best stacks up really well."
