Port Adelaide is coming off a relatively good 2021 having made a home Preliminary Final for the second year in a row.
However, it would be wrong to say that their season was a major success given their 71-point drubbing at the hand of the Bulldogs in the Preliminary Final.
As the 2022 season approaches, the Power will be hoping their brigade of young talent, mixed with their off-season inclusions of Jeremy Finlayson and Josh Sinn, will be able to push them to the next level.
With a tonne of pressure now mounting for Ken Hinkley the Alberton side is no longer seen as a dark horse in September, but rather a genuine contender.
Ins: Jase Burgoyne (National Draft), Jeremy Finlayson (GWS Giants), Hugh Jackson (National Draft), Josh Sinn (National Draft), Sam Skinner (Brisbane Lions), Dante Visentini (National Draft), Trent Dumont (Rookie Draft), Sam Mayes (Rookie Draft)
Outs: Trent Burgoyne (delisted), Joel Garner (delisted), Tyson Goldsack (delisted), Hamish Hartlett (delisted), Peter Ladhams (Sydney Swans), Jarrod Lienert (delisted), Tom Rockliff (retired), Boyd Woodcock (delisted)
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2021 presented the Power with a terrific opportunity to go all the way and claim the second premiership in their history.
They managed a three-point win against the struggling Bulldogs in Round 23 of the home and away season, securing a top 2 spot with a record of 17-5.
Consolidating the hopes of their fans, Hinkley's side made it through to a Preliminary Final where they would be heavy favourites against the Bulldogs.
Of course, such hope quickly turned into despair for the diehard Power fans.
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Being a top-tier side, Hinkley's side has a plethora of strong areas.
Unsurprisingly, their midfield, run by superstars Ollie Wines and Travis Boak, provides their side with a heap of good looks going forward.
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Palpably delineating this, the Power rank second in tackles and third in contested possessions.
Most notably, however, Port Adelaide recorded the highest number of contested marks in 2021, pipping both Melbourne and West Coast.
In part, this is due to their intercept marking game style where players like Aliir Aliir and Tom Jonas can intercept the ball at will.
The most glaring weakness for the Power appears to be their inability to crank the heat up when the chips are down.
This wasn't just a prevalent issue in last year's Preliminary Final - rather, it has been an issue for a number of years now.
Last year, each of the Power's losses came by more than three goals - with an average losing margin of 38 points.
For them to go all the way in 2022, Hinkley's men will need to rectify this problem.
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Travis Boak and Aliir Aliir were seriously considered here, but, due to his stellar season crowned with a Brownlow Medal, it was difficult to go past Ollie Wines.
Performing consistently all year, Wines averaged 32 possessions - 15 of them contested - plus 6 clearances and 4 tackles.
His ability to do the 'dirty work' in the contest enables the Power's skilful outside players, such as Karl Amon and Dan Houston, to get the ball forward in a clean, swift manner.
Moreover, if not for Wines' strength in contested situations, Hinkley's side would not be able to set up their system well since such a game style relies on the ball being in their forward half.
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Zak Butters seemed on track to have a breakout season last year, however, due to injury, Butters saw played just 13 games.
Previously, Butters has played as a livewire small forward who is there to put pressure on and use his creativity and pace to penetrate opposition defences.
As he matures, the Western Jets product will progressively get more midfield time to further showcase his talent.
He showed glimpses of midfield prowess last season, most notably against the Bombers in Round 2 where he accumulated 36 possessions for a best-on-ground performance.
Expect him to add lots of energy into the Port Adelaide midfield in 2022.
Rounds 7-13 will prove to be of massive importance for the Power if they are to make a really strong surge for the flag.
In this stretch, the Alberton side will play last year's runners-up, the Western Bulldogs, along with fellow Preliminary Finalists Geelong and improving sides St Kilda, Essendon and Richmond.
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Given the Power have made the top four in the last two seasons with a similar list, it seems as though they will make the top four once again.
However, due to the Power having the equal-second hardest draw in the league, it could be hard for them to push for a top-two finish.
Further, it must be taken into account that Port Adelaide will no longer have such a great advantage of being able to play proper home games and nominal away games since all matches are most likely going to be played at each side's real home ground.
PREDICTION: 4th