‘Tested fully’: AFL credentials at stake

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley knows the real test of his team starts this week, and the tests will only get harder in the finals as their title quest intensifies.

Hinkley confirmed he would take two ruckmen – Scott Lycett and Peter Ladhams – into Friday’s blockbuster clash with the Western Bulldogs as his team’s premiership credentials go on the line.

Through 16 wins in 2021, which has Port third on the AFL ladder, Hinkley’s team is yet to beat a top-four team.

The Bulldogs, coming off back-to-back losses, meet a different looking Port team to the side that lost the early-season encounter by 19 points.

A top-two finish will also be Port’s reward for victory. Hinkley said his team was ready.

“We get tested every week. This is no different,” Hinkley said on Thursday.

Ken Hinkley says his players are ready to be tested. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

“We are about to get tested fully. We will be tested to see if we can graduate to a level we feel confident we can perform at. The body of work we have delivered would suggest that we still have to pass the test.

“We think we are going and building in the right direction. Proof is in the pudding.

“If we lose it will mean we have to get better. It is as simple as that.

“I get it (the top-four question). Everyone has every right to throw that and talk about that. We can’t deny that. But we will be doing everything we can to stop it, but more importantly we will be doing everything we can to continue to build momentum going into the finals.

“I have no doubt the players understand what the outcome looks like. Win the game, we qualify for home finals; we set out at the start of the year to finish as high as possible and we now have a chance to improve on where we sit currently.”

Defender Trent McKenzie comes back in after sitting out last week’s thrashing of Carlton with hamstring tightness.

Port Adelaide: Orazio Fantasia (Hamstring tightness) is the reason he won't play in Round 23

Power Snr coach Ken Hinkley #AFL | @aflratings

Steven Motlop also returns as a replacement for Orazio Fantasia who Hinkley said should be ready for finals after also suffering hamstring tightness.

“It is very similar to Trent last week. It is an unnecessary risk to take at this stage (with Fantasia),” he said.

“I am confident it is just a week … scans give us confidence he is OK”

Port will also have Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma, who didn’t play against the Bulldogs in round 9.

“We want to play at our best – and to do that we have to pick the best side to play against the Bulldogs,” Hinkley said.

“We will be going as hard as we can possibly go and give ourselves the best chance to qualifying as high as we can. That is the opportunity in front of us at round 23.

“We are in pretty good form, solid form. We have some personnel in the team who are certainly different.

“You clearly get better – every week you have opportunities to improve. We are, hopefully, playing better football than we were at that stage (in round 9). And I am sure the Western Bulldogs would be hoping they are doing the same.”

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