Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley knew exactly which part of their impressive win over Collingwood he wanted to highlight first.
It wasn't star forward Robbie Gray's 20 disposals and five goals, each more spectacular than the last.
Nor was it the physical dominance of Ollie Wines and Sam Powell-Pepper in the midfield or Paddy Ryder's ruck heroics in his 200th AFL game.
Hinkley instead wanted to talk about Chad Wingard's unheralded defensive effort on Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury during the second half of Saturday's clash at the MCG.
Pendlebury had 20 disposals and six inside-50s at halftime to keep the Pies within 17 points.
By three-quarter time he'd added just three more disposals under heavy pressure from Wingard and the Power had doubled their lead.
A star player in his own right, Wingard sacrificed his game for the good of the team and it couldn't have made Hinkley happier.
"When you hold a side to 62 points in perfect conditions ... I think that gets missed a little bit," he said.
"We put Wingard to Pendlebury in a run-with role. Our most creative player of all goes and puts some pressure on their captain who was hurting us badly.
"Chad accepts the role and that's what this team is about at the moment - they're playing the role they need to."
It was an impressive statement from Hinkley's men, who had copped a 70-point drubbing from Essendon a fortnight earlier.
The third-placed Power will look to back it up against Richmond next Saturday night at Adelaide Oval.
Richmond have conceded the fewest points against of any team this season, with Port closely behind.
Share
