Port returns to basics in hunt for early-season form
WE HAVE BEEN DRILLING DOWN ON THE BASICS, THOSE FUNDAMENTALS THAT HELPED US PLAY GOOD FOOTY AT THE START OF THE YEAR AND VARIOUS PATCHES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. — TOM JONAS
and you look at the teams above, they have got a reasonable draw – and we’re equal with three or four other teams.
“We have got to control our own destiny by winning each game and it starts with this Saturday.
“You have got to be realistic ... (we have to) get our job done, (and) hopefully some results go our way and we end up playing finals.”
Ruckman-forward Paddy Ryder is likely to earn an AFL recall, after being dropped following round 13, as the Power delve into the reasons for their recent losses.
“It has been really important to be positive and stay connected as a group,” Jonas said.
“There’s a lot of outside noise and that can create fractures.
“We have been drilling down on the basics, those fundamentals that helped us play good footy at the start of the year and various patches throughout the year. There’s nothing we can fall back on as an excuse.”
Jonas said Port had drifted from the fundamentals that delivered early success.
“There’s a few stats that would indicate that we’re not quite playing the footy that we would like to be playing,” he said.
“It’s hard always to drill down on exactly what, but given we’re not getting the results, you’d say that there are things we aren’t doing, whether it’s for the whole game or for a patch of the game.
“If we can be more consistent for longer periods we will get to where we want to be.”