IF THERE was one act that defined Port Adelaide's single-minded focus during its elimination final win over Richmond, it was Hamish Hartlett's courageous gather of the footy in the second quarter.
Hartlett and Tiger defender Steven Morris sprinted from opposite directions for a 50-50 ball inside the Power's forward line. Neither player wavered in their focus on the footy despite the prospect of a violent collision.
But it was Hartlett who gathered the ball first, absorbing a bone-crunching bump from Morris and handballing to Justin Westhoff, starting a chain that finished in a goal.
It was a spectacular moment but Hartlett said his side would have to replicate that level of desire in Saturday's semi-final against the Dockers.
The star midfielder told the club's website that beating Fremantle on the inside would help set the tone for the game – as it did against the Tigers.
Hartlett said the Power also needed to kick straighter than in their round 23 clash with the Dockers.
On that afternoon, Port's 14.13 (97) fell short of the Dockers' 16.9 (105).
"The inside battle's pretty crucial, as it was on the weekend," Hartlett said.
"I think we showed a couple of weeks ago that we're up to the challenge.
"Finishing our work's going to be super important as well, which we failed to do [last time]."
Hartlett was typically modest when asked about his elimination final collision with Morris, insisting he only did what he needed to do.
As a member of the Power's 2014 leadership group, the 24-year-old described the commitment to the contest as the type of thing all players at Alberton should aspire to.
"The ball was there to be won and I know Stevie Morris pretty well on a personal level and I knew he wasn't going to take a backwards step," he said.
"It's just one of those things I suppose; from a leader's perspective you want to do the right thing by your teammates and you want to show the right example for the younger guys that are coming through.
"I just had to do what I had to do to try and win it for my team."
