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.
“We are about to get tested fully. We will be tested to see if we can graduate to a level we feel…
