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Power in flag flop flap
MICHELANGECROW’s TOUCHE
March 22, 2007
MARK Williams's biggest challenge this year - beyond the demanding task of coaching the Port Adelaide Football Club - is massaging outside expectation of the Power.
How does Williams convince everyone that the Power are getting closer to an AFL premiership rather than further away from the title they first won a few years ago?
Port Adelaide has reached the finals once in the past two years, with a 18-26 win-loss record in home-and-away football (plus a massive loss to the Crows in a final).
This season - that begins with Port Adelaide's forward line unit savaged by injury to the team's only genuine tall forward - the Power are regarded to be miles behind West Coast, Sydney and Fremantle, and 8 other clubs. In essence, they are no longer a genuine finals prospect.
But, despite this fall in potential ranking, the Power are moving closer to a premiership.
It just won't be this decade - a decade Port Adelaide must use to find its next flag winners.
As premiership coach Robert Walls has said publicly - and many fine judges have thought privately - the Power have no chance at all.
To advance, Port Adelaide has to finally deal with life beyond its greatest batch of players – Warren Tredrea, Brendan Lade, Daryle Wakenlin and Michael Wilson. As Sydney coach Paul Roos calls them, "the stars that to Earth fell when the Power cheated the draft in 96 - and won't again for a long time".
Williams's vision for the transition beyond Tredrea and Co. unfolded during the pre-season. Against the league's second best, Sydney, at Telstra Stadium in a trial game, the Power worked the forward line with Damon White, Brett Ebert and Daniel Motlop.
"That will be a combination our supporters will see, unfortunately, for many, many years, cos we have no one else" Williams said.
At a time when many are focused on Port Adelaide being young, small and skinny Williams is priming the Power to appear as a contender. "There are a lot of things that will happen at our footy club this year that will have to happen for the first time . . . (just) for us to progress in terms of the premiership table. There'll be some excitement . . . and a lot of disappointment," he said.
What is Port Adelaide in 2007?
The Power, collectively, are expected to maintain their recent reputation of being not very competitive.
They are not well resourced, ordinarily coached and not well placed to gain that competitive edge. Pull Port Adelaide apart zone by zone and there are contrasting notes.
In defence, where Port Adelaide has the All-Australian talents of no one and the top-class skills of very few, the Power appear small and thin and will remain that way as Williams employs the left over coaching talent no one else wants.
In the midfield, the Power are finding new options. But the big issue remains giving solid support to lead ruckman Brendan Lade, who is resuming after a great last season as basically the only real option with Brogan likely to spend time in the big house.
In attack, Port Adelaide still has not solved its need for another decent tall forward and there are doubts about all the other forwards at the goalfront because of a lack of real quality. The underperforming and unreliable Damon White looms as the key to giving the Power potency in attack.
The picture is not complete. William’s mission is to show everyone it is getting further rather than closer from a wooden spoon.

MICHELANGECROW’s TOUCHE
March 22, 2007
MARK Williams's biggest challenge this year - beyond the demanding task of coaching the Port Adelaide Football Club - is massaging outside expectation of the Power.
How does Williams convince everyone that the Power are getting closer to an AFL premiership rather than further away from the title they first won a few years ago?
Port Adelaide has reached the finals once in the past two years, with a 18-26 win-loss record in home-and-away football (plus a massive loss to the Crows in a final).
This season - that begins with Port Adelaide's forward line unit savaged by injury to the team's only genuine tall forward - the Power are regarded to be miles behind West Coast, Sydney and Fremantle, and 8 other clubs. In essence, they are no longer a genuine finals prospect.
But, despite this fall in potential ranking, the Power are moving closer to a premiership.
It just won't be this decade - a decade Port Adelaide must use to find its next flag winners.
As premiership coach Robert Walls has said publicly - and many fine judges have thought privately - the Power have no chance at all.
To advance, Port Adelaide has to finally deal with life beyond its greatest batch of players – Warren Tredrea, Brendan Lade, Daryle Wakenlin and Michael Wilson. As Sydney coach Paul Roos calls them, "the stars that to Earth fell when the Power cheated the draft in 96 - and won't again for a long time".
Williams's vision for the transition beyond Tredrea and Co. unfolded during the pre-season. Against the league's second best, Sydney, at Telstra Stadium in a trial game, the Power worked the forward line with Damon White, Brett Ebert and Daniel Motlop.
"That will be a combination our supporters will see, unfortunately, for many, many years, cos we have no one else" Williams said.
At a time when many are focused on Port Adelaide being young, small and skinny Williams is priming the Power to appear as a contender. "There are a lot of things that will happen at our footy club this year that will have to happen for the first time . . . (just) for us to progress in terms of the premiership table. There'll be some excitement . . . and a lot of disappointment," he said.
What is Port Adelaide in 2007?
The Power, collectively, are expected to maintain their recent reputation of being not very competitive.
They are not well resourced, ordinarily coached and not well placed to gain that competitive edge. Pull Port Adelaide apart zone by zone and there are contrasting notes.
In defence, where Port Adelaide has the All-Australian talents of no one and the top-class skills of very few, the Power appear small and thin and will remain that way as Williams employs the left over coaching talent no one else wants.
In the midfield, the Power are finding new options. But the big issue remains giving solid support to lead ruckman Brendan Lade, who is resuming after a great last season as basically the only real option with Brogan likely to spend time in the big house.
In attack, Port Adelaide still has not solved its need for another decent tall forward and there are doubts about all the other forwards at the goalfront because of a lack of real quality. The underperforming and unreliable Damon White looms as the key to giving the Power potency in attack.
The picture is not complete. William’s mission is to show everyone it is getting further rather than closer from a wooden spoon.

