Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has warned his team not to take anything for granted when they play the Suns. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: The Advertiser
KEN Hinkley has warned his unbeaten team not to take Gold Coast lightly, saying it is a six-goal better side at Metricon Stadium.
As Port Adelaide's new coach prepares to face his former club and protege Gary Ablett for the first time, Hinkley said the Suns are a tough nut to crack in their own backyard.
"Their form up there this year and at the back end of last year at Metricon has been really strong," said Hinkley, who was an assistant coach to Guy McKenna in the Suns' first two years in 2011 and 2012.
"I think they are at least a six-goal better team at Metricon, which makes them really tough work. It's typical of a young club, when you're at your home ground you get familiar with things, your fans are there and help you, there's no doubt about that.
"We saw that here on the weekend (in Showdown XXXIV) when you get the support of your own group (of supporters), it certainly helps the players.
"Typically any young team starts off playing better at home and then they start to improve on the road."
Gold Coast won its last two home games last year, beating GWS and Carlton, upset St Kilda at home in round one this season and lost by just two points to home state rival Brisbane on Saturday.
While Hinkley acknowledged his 3-0 side would not have things all its own way at Metricon, he said his intimate knowledge of the young Suns players could also be counter-productive.
"I hope it gives you some advantage but sometimes it can do the opposite," he said. "Sometimes you think you can know too much about the opposition (and over analyse).
"So I think the important thing for us is that we need to focus on what we've been doing, so that's our main thing for the week.
"We need to make sure we do what we do well, not think that we know everything about the Suns."
Hinkley said having former Power coach Matthew Primus - the man he replaced at Alberton - in the Suns' coaching box would also counter out any personnel knowledge he would have.
"Clearly that's the case," Hinkley said.
"Matty knows a lot about Port, he knows a lot about our players. There's five players (Angus Monfries, Campbell Heath, Lewis Stevenson, Ollie Wines and Jake Neade) he won't know so much about this week but he will still have a really good handle on our group and their strengths and weaknesses. But, like us, sometimes it can trick you, so you just have to make sure you prepare your own team as best you can."
Port must replace the hard-running Kane Mitchell, who has returned to the rookie list, for Saturday's clash, while forward Paul Stewart is in doubt with a knee injury.
Robbie Gray and former captain Dom Cassisi are the main contenders for promotion but Hinkley said Port has 11 in-form players who did not play against the Crows who are ready to go.
"We've got 11 and we spoke about that on Monday as a group," he said.
"Who we pick is going to come down to what type of player we need to bring in."
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