Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley felt more pressure meeting Melbourne in round one than for an AFL elimination final against powerhouse Collingwood.
Hinkley says Port’s preparation has been faultless for Saturday night’s knockout MCG encounter – the Power’s first playoff match since losing the 2007 grand final.
But he says he felt more pressure surrounding Port’s last trip to the MCG – in round one to play Melbourne – than he does now.
“At the start of the year, this football club was on its knees a bit and we needed to lift,” Hinkley told reporters in Adelaide on Friday.
Hinkley was aware of a need to live up to the off-field gains made by Port’s new administration.
“People don’t realise how much pressure was on us for round one against Melbourne,” he said.
“There was an enormous amount of pressure to go into that game – I felt the pressure myself for that game more than I am feeling the pressure going into this game.
“I feel like it was a very significant game for our football club.”
Port thrashed Melbourne by 79 points, an early sign of the Hinkley-led revival.
“We have actually done some really strong stuff this year and we have earnt some respect back in the football world,” Hinkley said.
But the first-year head coach said his players, who trained for 45 minutes at Port’s Alberton base before travelling to Melbourne on Friday, were not satisfied with merely making the finals.
“They have got a little bit of no risk about them, to be honest,” Hinkley said.
“The consequences haven’t probably dawned.
“It’s an elimination final – that is the part the boys have been able to keep away from.
“They have just looked at it as a final, a great opportunity, it’s a chance to go an play at the MCG in September and they have looked forward to all that.
“So I think they have been able to keep the elimination part away from their minds a bit.”
Hinkley said it was folly to suggest Port had nothing to lose.
“We have got plenty to lose,” he said.
“We want to keep playing. We want to make our season longer and stronger.
“We lose – we lose the opportunity to play the following week. Understand, it’s the end of the football season, so there is a lot to lose.”