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Scrappy Port scrape home over Collingwood

A gritty Port Adelaide victory could help set up their AFL premiership tilt, Power coach Ken Hinkley says.

May 24, 2021, updated May 24, 2021
Ollie Wines was a matchwinner for Port in its narrow win over Collingwood at the MCG yesterday. Picture: Dave Hunt/AAP

Ollie Wines was a matchwinner for Port in its narrow win over Collingwood at the MCG yesterday. Picture: Dave Hunt/AAP

Last year’s preliminary finalists scrapped their way to a one-point win against lowly Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday and move to 7-3.

It followed a week where they were lashed as flat-track bullies after suffering a rare loss at home to the red-hot Western Bulldogs – their third defeat of 2021 against a legitimate flag contender.

Hinkley was simply relieved to win the hard way, despite the Power playing well below their best against the 2-8 Magpies.

“We’re fifth on the ladder and we get a bit of a break on some of the other teams in the comp,” Hinkley said.

“At the end of the season, we’re not going to sit back and go ‘gee, you played bad against Collingwood at the MCG’.

“That’s somewhat disrespectful to the opposition because they’ve had enough stuff thrown at them.

“There’s no messing around, we didn’t play our best footy.

“We’re going to have to get better, and if we don’t get better, we won’t contend when it matters.”

Hinkley admitted his team was playing too defensively and something needed to change heading into the final term.

It worked as Port kicked four goals – as many as they kicked in the previous three quarters.

“Let’s just go after this a little bit and take some risks in the game, that we had to take,” Hinkley said.

-with AAP

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