DOES the competition recognise contending enough?
Some teams can have a one or two-year wonder patch and pinch a premiership. Others do it on the back of sustained runs and attempts. Some more keep themselves in the conversation for years but aren't able to clinch one, through luck, fortune or simply just falling short.
Port Adelaide has kept fronting up. The Power's season looked in a dire spot after their 79-point drubbing at the hands of Brisbane in round 15, but since then they have won five of their past six games to jump back into third position on the ladder.
Remarkably, the Power are now one win behind League-leaders Sydney, who they beat by 112 points in a Saturday night shock over the weekend.
Port Adelaide is a club that keeps putting itself in the mix. Under coach Ken Hinkley, the Power have won 71 home and away games since the start of 2020, which is second to only Brisbane in that time (74 wins).
It puts the Power ahead of Geelong (69 wins) and Melbourne (68), while Sydney, Collingwood, Carlton, Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs are all down the queue. If the Power can hold onto their top-four position, it would be the fourth time in the past five seasons they earn a double chance.
Port's finals defeats in that period sting – they will rue back-to-back home preliminary final losses in 2020-21 and last year's semi-final exit – but the Power have again rebounded to challenge ahead of a tough end to their 2024 campaign with games against Melbourne (away), Adelaide and Fremantle (away) to come.
The shift since the loss to the Dogs has been stark. Since then, the Power rank No.1 in the AFL for points against (64.3), second in points for (98.2), third in opposition scores per inside-50 entry and fourth for scores per inside-50.
Champion Data notes the Power were 14th for opposition scores per inside 50 percentage across the first 15 rounds and 13th for points against. As the screws tightened on Port and its future under Hinkley, Hinkley's side tightened up itself with a defensive mindset that has paid dividends.
It has started around the ball. In the past six rounds, Port Adelaide ranks No.1 in the AFL for scores from clearances and third in clearance – both in differentials. They are third in that period in disposals, contested possessions, uncontested possessions and also their pressure rating.
It is a significant rise, given the Power were 16th for contested possession differentials across the first 15 rounds.
There will be no surprise, then, that three of Port's highest rated players in the past six weeks have been midfielders: Zak Butters (ranked 15th in the AFL in that time), Connor Rozee (36th) and Ollie Wines (69th). The other two – All-Australian Dan Houston (ranked 46th) and Charlie Dixon (51st) – have also been significant in the form turnaround as Port has won the territory battle.
In the same period, Butters is ranked the eighth best midfielder in the League, Houston the sixth best general defender and Dixon the second best key forward.
Although Port's out-of-the-box smashing of Sydney at Adelaide Oval will skew the numbers in a smaller sample size, Port is moving the ball better than at any stage of its season (No.1 in the League for defensive 50 to scoring percentage, defensive 50 to inside 50 entry and overall inside 50s) and is second for time in forward half.
With strong scalps in the run of form – the Bulldogs, Carlton and Sydney – Port has again put itself in contention. Its five-year history would say that's where it usually is.
