Port Adelaide have suffered three straight Showdown losses, falling to Adelaide by 30 points in their standalone clash last Thursday night.
Despite finishing +10 in inside 50s, +10 in clearances and +5 in scoring shots, the Power could not put the pressure on the Crows, conceding the first goal of the evening three minutes in, and remaining behind for the remainder of the game.
Finishing the contest with just five goals from 23 scoring shots, questions need to be asked of Port Adelaide’s ability to capitalise on front-half pressure and field dominance.
As it stands, the Power lead the competition with 113 behinds, averaging 14.1 per game, trumping their 12.6 goal per game tally.
“Parts of their game I thought was pretty good,” AFL champion Luke Hodge told SEN’s Sportsday.
“But if you don’t put on the scoreboard pressure, the opposition can do whatever they want.
“5.5 from set shots, going at 50 per cent, you’d like a little bit more… where it got them was 0.9 on the run. They scored 1.13 from turnover.
“Port Adelaide are number one for front half turnovers, if you’re going to turn the ball over in your front half, which is your main area of your game style, but you can’t convert on the scoreboard, you’re not hurting the opposition.
“As soon as Adelaide got their run on, they were able to get through them too easy.
“Once you get outside their forward pressure, they are the fifth easiest team to score against.
“Adelaide just walked it in, it looked too easy.”
Former No.1 draft pick Jason Horne-Francis played out a 15-disposal, two-goal game, swinging forward late in attempt to spark a late Port Adelaide comeback.
While he did manage a goal in both the third and fourth quarters, Hodge did have some concerns surrounding the 20-year-old.
“The game was late, he was the person that was going to win the game for them,” he said.
“He was playing deep forward, they put (Charlie) Dixon up the field, they put (Todd) Marshall and the rest up because he was the game saviour.
“I would have thought in your third year of football, coming in as a number one draft pick, that you would have a left foot.
“There was 12 minutes to go on the clock, he’s rolled around, if he kicked that goal, it would have brought it back to 10 points, they had all the momentum.
“He’s decided to go from 35 out, on the outside of his right boot with someone coming from the right side of his body, and he’s shanked it.
“Number one draft pick in today’s game, should roll around onto his left foot.”
Port Adelaide will take on Geelong at GMHBA Stadium this Friday as they look to maintain their position within the top eight.
