Truth be told, there was a little scepticism about the rise of Port Adelaide under coach Ken Hinkley.
Rarely do teams come on this quickly and even more rarely, do they establish themselves as a flag threat season two into a regime change. When a shell-shocked Power side wandered off Skoda Stadium in August 2012, they appeared a broken unit after the Giants rolled them in a lacklustre final quarter.
Come March 2015, they’re a side which oozes confidence and talent, fortified by a work ethic that is the envy of most of the competition. The brand of football they play is almost kamikaze, a desire to score and outgun the opposition when they’re on the back foot.
Hamish Hartlett, Travis Boak, Chad Wingard and Ollie Wines are now a truly damaging midfield quartet, able to pull teams apart in a quarter of football. They’re now complemented with the likes of Robbie Gray, Jared Polec, Brad Ebert and Jake Neade, meaning they bat deeper than ever.
The sentiment for 2015 is exactly the same as 2014; don’t stop the momentum. It is now one of the most utterly fascinating things to watch when this side runs out a game of football, piling on six or seven unanswered goals midway through the last quarter while other teams wonder exactly what is happening.
It is pure seat-of-your-pants football and a testament to Ken Hinkley’s mentality that he’d rather follow through his idea of how the game should be played, rather than kowtow to a more pragmatic game plan.
In the same way, it’s like Ross Lyon. There is a refusal to let outsiders or naysayers - if there any left for Port - influence the way team and club carries themselves. It’s likely the same reason why they are such a close unit, and are very likely to go on and challenge for the flag.
Players to watch
Jackson Trengove
Trengove is very likely to start Round 1 on the sidelines, but needs to get back ASAP. The big man is a key part of Port Adelaide’s defence and has emerged as one of the best backs in the comp.
Patrick Ryder
The high profile move should pay off massively for Port Adelaide, but it also comes with baggage. Depending on the outcome of the ASADA investigation, Ryder could miss some football. Many at Alberton will be hoping for a minimal sentence if found guilty of doping violations.
Jared Polec
One of the displaced and disgruntled under Michael Voss in Brisbane. Polec started slow last season, but has really begun to flower under the game style of Hinkley. Very creative and can damage teams on the scoreboard if not checked by the opposition.
Key games
Round 3 v North Melbourne – Dropped this fixture last season and will be very keen to make amends. More importantly, a win against the other team most likely to rise into the top two may have repercussions down the track.
Round 16 v Adelaide – The fickle nature of Showdowns mean regardless of the year, the game is always up for grabs. A win here could severely damage Adelaide’s finals hopes at this stage of the season, so Port should relish at the opportunity.
Round 21 v Hawthorn – Likely to be the crucial deciding game in who ends up with a home Qualifying Final.
Finishing position – 2nd