Port Adelaide improved on its 13th-place finish of last year. The Power notched up an extra two/three wins to climb to 10th position on the AFL ladder and, in the third year of a five-year plan, are slowly heading in the right direction.
The club got some important game time into the likes of Hamish Hartlett, Matthew Broadbent, Travis Boak, Alipate Carlile, Robbie Gray, Nathan Krakouer and Nick Salter and appear to have unearthed a player in former Geelong-listed midfielder Jason Davenport.
What went wrong?
Despite Port Adelaide’s rise up the AFL ladder you could argue the club actually went backwards in several key areas. The Power’s frustratingly inconsistent form and significant lapses within games raised concerns over the team’s mental state and willingness to dig in when the going gets tough. The playing list, which was not too long ago considered top-four material, also appears suspect.
The new hierarchy of president Brett Duncanson and CEO Mark Haysman worked diligently to minimise the club’s multi-million-dollar debt, but the club itself does not appear sold on its decision to re-appoint long-serving coach Mark Williams.
Williams was given the thumbs-up as a result of a marathon nine-hour board meeting, but talk of behavioural clauses, succession plans and general unrest has painted the picture of an unhappy marriage.
Most valuable player
The club’s decision to appoint Dom Cassisi as captain was well and truly vindicated in 2009. The skipper took a few games to adjust to his new role, but soon recaptured the form that saw him finish runner-up in Port Adelaide’s best and fairest last year. Cassisi laid more tackles than any other Power player and excelled in the areas (contested possession, clearances, hardball-gets and intensity) where others were questioned. The tough onballer’s courage and self-sacrifice was epitomised in round 19 when he put his hand up to play despite nursing a fractured skull.
Coach's award for one-percenters
Defender Jacob Surjan spent time with the Port Adelaide Magpies during an indifferent 2008, but responded with a career-best season in ‘09. Surjan relished the opportunity to play on the League’s most dangerous small forwards and his fearlessness and ferocious attack on the ball saw him rarely beaten in a one-on-one.
Needs a big pre-season
Justin Westhoff exceeded all expectations by playing in a grand final in his first season, but his development appears to have stagnated since. Westhoff booted just 20 goals in 12 games after missing a large chunk of the season with a broken foot. The tall forward boasts football smarts and a good defensive game, but needs to build on his wiry frame to be a viable key-position player and successor to Tredrea.
Overall grade: C
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
