- Dec 15, 2002
- 7,849
- 6
- AFL Club
- Port Adelaide
- Other Teams
- Man Utd :Adelaide United
PREY NO MORE
By Michelangelo Rucci
07sep04
PORT ADELAIDE can now hunt for the AFL premiership – rather than be hunted by rivals preying on its once fragile mental state.
And that critical change in attitude – to a team repeatedly ridiculed for recent finals failures – is expected to have the Power follow up Sunday's tossing of the monkey off its back with next week ridding itself of the image as AFL underachievers.
Leading sports psychologist Trevor Dodd yesterday noted Port's upbeat path to the preliminary final on Saturday week will give momentum to the Power's mission to change its reputation in AFL finals.
"Where they have felt threatened in finals in the past, they now have a challenge," Dodd said. "All the negatives become positives. Where there was negative energy and emotions there is now positive energy and emotions.
"And the energy taken up in the past three years to win semi-finals to reach a preliminary final can now be put into winning the preliminary final – and going on to the grand final."
The change from the siege mentality at Alberton prompted by losing home finals in 2001 to last year to a club filled with optimism was obvious yesterday.
Coach Mark Williams yesterday spoke of a team no longer heavily burdened by self-doubt in finals. "It's been a weight that we've had to carry for a while," said Williams.
"That's now the past. We now look forward to the preliminary final as a very confident group."
Key midfielder Kane Cornes – who sparked Port's 55-point win against Geelong in Sunday's qualifying final with his hard-gets at stoppages – continued the theme of a team eager to achieve rather than scared to lose.
"It's certainly different for us," said Cornes yesterday.
"The last couple of years we've really had to battle to get in (a preliminary final). We've put ourselves behind the eight-ball (by losing qualifying finals).
"Now we're on the front foot. We've given ourselves the best possible chance of playing in a grand final, which is exciting. And we're looking forward to it."
Dodd yesterday said while Port's mental approach to the preliminary final - against either St Kilda or Sydney - was significantly changed, the challenge to win the last stop before the grand final had not.
"They still have to prepare, they still need that intensity and they still need to do everything they have done all season," said Dodd. "But this time there is no mental tension or wasted energy."
Williams yesterday endorsed this by planning Port's training program in this week off to mirror last week's preparation for the qualifying final.
The Power will train at AAMI Stadium at 4pm tomorrow and at West Lakes at noon on Friday.
And the message of the week at Alberton is to finish off the work put into the past three years in which Port has been minor premier but not reached a grand final - setting up this Power team to be remembered as the AFL's biggest underachievers.
"We're certainly not going to be satisfied with anything less (than a grand final)," said Williams.
Added Cornes: "The work is still ahead of us. We are one game away from a grand final. It is the most important game in the club's history."
Helping Williams keep the pressure on his player is a minimal injury list which forced him to cast aside midfielder Stuart Cochrane on Sunday to recall experienced defender Adam Kingsley.
Of the players who have played a part in Port's on-field performances this season, Williams has only defender Jared Poulton unavailable with a hamstring strain.
Tickets to the preliminary final will sell from 9am Monday at BASS agencies and yesterday Port chief executive Brian Cunningham thanked Power fans for helping make AAMI Stadium a more intimidating place for visiting teams.
The 39,250 made up a record finals crowd for Port and, said Cunningham, "they were loud and passionate."
"There was that finals energy around from the minute you walked into the ground and we look forward to a similar turnout in two weeks' time," said Cunningham.
100% Positive .......Well it worked last week!
By Michelangelo Rucci
07sep04
PORT ADELAIDE can now hunt for the AFL premiership – rather than be hunted by rivals preying on its once fragile mental state.
And that critical change in attitude – to a team repeatedly ridiculed for recent finals failures – is expected to have the Power follow up Sunday's tossing of the monkey off its back with next week ridding itself of the image as AFL underachievers.
Leading sports psychologist Trevor Dodd yesterday noted Port's upbeat path to the preliminary final on Saturday week will give momentum to the Power's mission to change its reputation in AFL finals.
"Where they have felt threatened in finals in the past, they now have a challenge," Dodd said. "All the negatives become positives. Where there was negative energy and emotions there is now positive energy and emotions.
"And the energy taken up in the past three years to win semi-finals to reach a preliminary final can now be put into winning the preliminary final – and going on to the grand final."
The change from the siege mentality at Alberton prompted by losing home finals in 2001 to last year to a club filled with optimism was obvious yesterday.
Coach Mark Williams yesterday spoke of a team no longer heavily burdened by self-doubt in finals. "It's been a weight that we've had to carry for a while," said Williams.
"That's now the past. We now look forward to the preliminary final as a very confident group."
Key midfielder Kane Cornes – who sparked Port's 55-point win against Geelong in Sunday's qualifying final with his hard-gets at stoppages – continued the theme of a team eager to achieve rather than scared to lose.
"It's certainly different for us," said Cornes yesterday.
"The last couple of years we've really had to battle to get in (a preliminary final). We've put ourselves behind the eight-ball (by losing qualifying finals).
"Now we're on the front foot. We've given ourselves the best possible chance of playing in a grand final, which is exciting. And we're looking forward to it."
Dodd yesterday said while Port's mental approach to the preliminary final - against either St Kilda or Sydney - was significantly changed, the challenge to win the last stop before the grand final had not.
"They still have to prepare, they still need that intensity and they still need to do everything they have done all season," said Dodd. "But this time there is no mental tension or wasted energy."
Williams yesterday endorsed this by planning Port's training program in this week off to mirror last week's preparation for the qualifying final.
The Power will train at AAMI Stadium at 4pm tomorrow and at West Lakes at noon on Friday.
And the message of the week at Alberton is to finish off the work put into the past three years in which Port has been minor premier but not reached a grand final - setting up this Power team to be remembered as the AFL's biggest underachievers.
"We're certainly not going to be satisfied with anything less (than a grand final)," said Williams.
Added Cornes: "The work is still ahead of us. We are one game away from a grand final. It is the most important game in the club's history."
Helping Williams keep the pressure on his player is a minimal injury list which forced him to cast aside midfielder Stuart Cochrane on Sunday to recall experienced defender Adam Kingsley.
Of the players who have played a part in Port's on-field performances this season, Williams has only defender Jared Poulton unavailable with a hamstring strain.
Tickets to the preliminary final will sell from 9am Monday at BASS agencies and yesterday Port chief executive Brian Cunningham thanked Power fans for helping make AAMI Stadium a more intimidating place for visiting teams.
The 39,250 made up a record finals crowd for Port and, said Cunningham, "they were loud and passionate."
"There was that finals energy around from the minute you walked into the ground and we look forward to a similar turnout in two weeks' time," said Cunningham.
100% Positive .......Well it worked last week!
