Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has been banging on about it all year: his AFL team is getting better and better.
Hinkley's belief in Port's continual improvement faces a high-stakes test against West Coast on Saturday night.
The Power enter the Adelaide Oval elimination final as hot favourites.
And Hinkley says his players are justifiably confident, having grasped sweeping gameplan changes this season.
"I said right at the start of the year, that as a football team we will improve a lot between the start and the end of the year," Hinkley said.
"And I believe we have improved a lot, because we have tried and changed a lot of stuff in our football program over the last 12 months.
"So we expect that we have got better at that. We hope we have got better at that.
"But we're playing one of the absolute best defensive teams in the competition at being able to restrict sides from scoring."
Hinkley recalled Jarman Impey to replace rookie Ayden Johnson for the knockout final.
West Coast didn't alter their side which downed premiership favourite Adelaide in the last home-and-away game.
While Hinkley lauded the Eagles' defence, it's likely their attack will decide the fixture.
West Coast spearhead Josh Kennedy looms as a trump card - a suspension to Port's best backman Tom Jonas means 40-gamer Tom Clurey will get the massive task of containing the two-time Coleman Medallist.
"We will make sure that ... we give great support to handle such a good player," Hinkley said.
"He (Kennedy) has been such a great player against not just us but against all teams this year.
"He is going to take a fair bit of work. But if we can limit the supply that he gets, put them under a bit if pressure, that will help."
Share
