The holes in every club’s list ahead of the AFL Draft

For a side whose last pair of campaigns have ended at the penultimate hurdle, it appears on the surface that the Power aren't a million miles away from claiming their second flag.

While some may state that a 71-point preliminary final loss at home to a side that was blown out by 74-points in the grand final suggests Ken Hinkley's side are still outside of touching distance, a 33-10 record across 2020 and 2021 proves Port are also no slouches.

Still, thir consistent ability to beat bottom eight sides may be inarguable, but when this same form isn't transferrable to contests again finals calibre teams, serious questions need to be asked before yet another window eventually slams shut.

Although it also remains a challenge to successfully debate down the quality across Port's roster, there is also a prevailing view that many of those on a good wicket at Alberton have proven unable to get the job done when the whips are cracking in late September.

With some willing to label the side that contains four All-Australians and a Brownlow Medallist as 'chokers' and 'pretenders', should these talking heads have a point, is Port's greatest weakness a mental fragility when it matters most?

On raw form, it's tough to argue a counterpoint, but given that it isn't my place to pry or make judgments on players' mental states, I'll respectfully opt out of coming to any uneducated verdicts.

However, as past athletes from several other clubs and disciplines have claimed that scaring took place when their goals were snuffed out just shy of the finish line, it's not outside the realms of possibility to suggest that soul searching has been on the agenda since September 11 of this year.

While matters of the mind are often hard to quantify, so too can the size and span of a side's premiership windows.

Although Port's list still looks powerful on paper, the opportunity for those that are currently under Hinkley's reign to collectively claim a cup could be running out.

As first reported on by Matt Turner of The Advertiser, more than half of the club's starting side that took on the Bulldogs in the preliminary final are entering the last year of their contracts.

And when one considers that this collection of key talent is comprised of Butters, Rozee, Duursma, Boak, Gray, Amon, Burton, Houston, Drew, Marshall, and McKenzie, headaches regarding retention are almost certain to have arisen already.

Again, like other clubs, this may not be considered a current hole, but should another season end short of repeating the successes of 2004 and several names choose to ply their trade elsewhere in the aftermath, the history-rich club could be left looking at the last few years with pain rather than pride.