Port suffer ‘short-term memory loss’, says Hinkley
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley reckons his players suffer “short-term memory loss”.
“Sometimes we forget what it is that is really critical to us,” Hinkley said ahead of an acid test against Geelong at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
“We get a reminder (in a loss) and then we come out and play pretty consistent footy – that is the team we want to be and the team we need to be.”
The 13th-placed Power have struggled for consistent traction with a three-game winning run followed by consecutive losses entering the Cats game.
And seventh-placed Geelong travel with fresh recent Adelaide Oval success.
Coach Chris Scott’s side pulverised the Power in an 84-point qualifying final belting last year and downed the Crows by 15 points in Gather Round last month.
Geelong are on a four-game winning stretch in the SA capital, with seven victories from their past nine games at Adelaide Oval.
“They have been in pretty good form, it was a pretty good game last week that I watched,” Hinkley said, referring to the Cats’ four-point home loss to GWS.
“Absolutely our best is going to be needed.
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“We have seen them only a few weeks ago come over and have a win so they don’t mind playing at Adelaide Oval, I think it’s pretty similar to what they’re used to playing on.
“High-quality team, incredibly well coached and run, we know it’s going to be a challenge.”
Port goalsneak Willie Rioli returns after a one-game ban for separately threatening three opponents.
Logan Evans also returns for the Power with halfback Kane Farrell (knee) out for at least a month and Jed McEntee dropped.
Geelong made two changes with Jack Henry and Lawson Humphrey replacing Ted Clohesy and Jhye Clark.
Hinkley forecast a torrid tussle between two clubs on the rebound from narrow losses.
And while his Power fell by five points to the Crows, Hinkley took some solace from their response to copping a 90-point flogging from the Western Bulldogs the week prior.
“We look at the opportunities we had versus the result that we got (against Adelaide), clearly the result wasn’t exactly what we wanted,” he said.
“But the brand of football we played was quite positive from the previous week.
“We got further clarity on who we should be and how we should play like.”
