Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has described forward Justin Westhoff's early season form as a growing sign of his maturity. Picture: David Clark Source: Gold Coast Bulletin
PORT Adelaide has passed the early season maturity test and now the next month will reveal whether its finals credentials truly stack up.
On the back of the club's best start to a season, games against West Coast at home, North Melbourne (away), Richmond (home) and Carlton (away) are all very winnable.Essendon and Geelong - the only other sides to have started the year 4-0 - will accept nothing less than finals at the end of the season.
But given the Power is coming from so far back, the club will be keen to keep expectations in check.
For now, Hinkley said he was pleased that his young team could start favourite against teams like Gold Coast, GWS and Melbourne and get the job done.
"We talked about that in round two (against GWS) and again this week. We don't want to shy away from the fact that the expectation was we would probably come up here andwin the game," Hinkley said after Port's 38-point win over the Suns on Saturday night.
"But we knew how much of a challenge the trip was going to be, so just because it looks like you should win,then you have to go out and deliver.
"If you can be the third youngest team in the competition and talk about maturity it's good that we are learning, but we average about 3-4 months on the Suns as far as age goes, so we were two very young sides playing up here."
Port Adelaide averaged only 10 more games' experience per player than the Suns who are in their third season in the competition.
At his post-game press conference on the weekend, Hinkley:
SAID his players' fitness level was giving them confidence in games.
"And it's not just about (fitness coach) Darren Burgess," he said.
"It's about his team that he's got working with him.
"They're the things that pile up, you turn up each pre-season session, work hard, you get better. When the games come around you hopefully have something to call on."
PRAISED the performance of Hamish Hartlett who had 29 disposals and three goals.
"It was his 50th game which was good for Hamish to play that well," Hinkley said.
"Our young midfield have all taken a turn. We know it's important they share the load. We talk about it regularly that it will be someone else who has to step up each week."
DESCRIBED Justin Westhoff's start to the season as a sign of growing maturity.
"He works really hard, he puts out massive numbers. For a runner at 199cm he would often lead the numbers for us on the GPS," he said.
"He's maturing a bit, has got some confidence, he's really flexible, we can play him wherever we need and he quite enjoys that role.
"Again he's getting reward for what he's done and the way he's gone about it."
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