Port Adelaide backline coach Luke Webster said he’s been pleased with how the team’s defence is coming together, with a whole team effort continuing to be the focus. 

Following a narrow three-point loss on Saturday against current top-four side Hawthorn, Webster commented on the disappointing result, but also highlighted the positives from what was a big test at Marvel Stadium. 

Speaking with the Adelaide media on Monday, Webster spoke on the review from Round 6, how team defence is progressing, and how they’re planning for Geelong on Anzac Day. 

Webster on the Round 6 review 
“We’re continuing to chase around our ball movement. Some of the stuff that we saw once we got the game on our terms with the way we used the footy and really attacked in a way that we could defend behind it, I thought was a real positive from the group. That was also one of the things we just reflected on then. After losing some momentum early, and then getting the game back on our terms, with stepping into the contest, stepping in and around stoppages, winning the ball back, and then being able to control it were some of the really pleasing things.” 

Webster on the slow starts 
“The last couple of weeks, like even last week, I think St Kilda kicked the first four, but the first five minutes of that quarter, we were dominating. We just weren't scoring. A little bit different on the weekend, we allowed some centre bounce goals in and some really easy scores against early. But it got our players really connected together, and then they worked their way through that, which is a really pleasing thing.” 

Webster on centre bounce goals 
“They can be (coach killers), particularly as the back line coach, but we didn't get our stuff done behind the ball either. We want to set the game up whether we lose centre bounce or win it and behind the ball, we didn't quite get our contest done either. So it's a collective group, as I said before, each line group got together after each goal and tried to work their way through it. And the pleasing thing is that they found a way to obviously manage that and get back into the game.” 

Webster on the team’s defensive progress 
“Yeah, it certainly has (been a focus). We’ve got some great foundations in our team defence. The guys behind the ball are doing a great job when they're stepping into the game, and as a whole group, we're working together really well, which has been really pleasing. And there's still a lot of learnings for our group to have in that space as well. We're not the finished product by any means, but it's progressing in the right direction for us, which is great.” 

Webster on planning for Hawthorn last week 
“It's like any team, they leant on me for the West Coast side of things. Collo (Andy Collins) had an inside word (with coming from Hawthorn), which is great. But as a whole coaching group, each week, we sit down and work out how to best pull apart a team and how do we put our plans in a place to do that, but then bring our style of footy. When our group and our people and members look at the game on the weekend, yes, we didn't get the first part right, but they saw us lean into our game style and really get the game back in our terms.” 

Webster on the interchange rotation cap being reached on Saturday 
“Look, I think any team in that situation, you want to try and win the game. We had Drewy (Willem Drew) on the bench. We knew that we were getting close to the cap, but you want to get your best frontline players out there to try and there to try and give you the best opportunity to win that game. And you can't predict that someone might do something or have a cramp or get some injury, so you can't really plan for that stuff. And yeah, we've got to continue to look at it. But for where we were, we wanted to get our best players on the field and give us the best chance at winning that game and I thought we did that.” 

Webster on taking positives from Round 6 
“Yeah, definitely. We're disappointed we lost and obviously the start of the game we needed to be better, but the way the players got themselves back into it and then played the brand that we really want to lean into and bring week, in week out, that's the real positive part, that our brand of footy holds up against a really good footy team in Hawthorn, and we gave ourselves the best chance to win that game.” 

Webster on Miles Bergman 
“(How we use him in the next few weeks will be) very similar to how we used him on the weekend. I think the confidence that Bergs gets from being in a contest, I thought he really stepped in and lent into that on the weekend, which was really pleasing. And that allows him to play his natural game. His ability to win the contest, be able to drive his legs and get through the game. And he's got a great kick on him, a really good penetrating kick, and we saw that throughout the game on the weekend, which is really pleasing. And you know, again, we just got to keep supporting him and give him the best opportunities to play his best footy.” 

Webster on planning for Nick Watson 
“I still stand by our decision to give (Josh Lai) an opportunity on (Watson). We know Watson's a really crafty, dangerous forward. And Josh had shown that he can do that throughout the pre-season, and some of the guys he's played on. And even a couple of goals he got was some decisions that he made, but also some decisions off the ball. The centre bounce goals that put you under the pump, put you on the back foot already. We had to make the change a quarter time but Josh will take some great learnings away from that. But again, we'll continue to consider giving our players the best opportunities, and what a great way to learn for him.” 

Webster on giving young players opportunities 
“I went into the game having the confidence that, yes, Josh (Lai) has only played four games, but give him a great opportunity to play on one of the best, dangerous forwards in the comp. He didn't get everything perfect and again, as I said, we looked to turn that around, but then if you look at the rest of the group that we saw some great lights from those guys. Whitlock stood up, Berry stepped up, Ewan Mackinlay stepped up on the wing, which is really pleasing. We're going to continue to give guys different roles. Burgoyne’s played in different positions, Berg's been in different positions. We had a number of different players playing different roles. We've got to keep seeing how our playing group is evolving and giving them opportunities to get better each week.” 

Webster on ensuring Josh Lai maintained confidence after QT 
“He wasn't too bad. It is a challenge when you give him a role and doesn't quite get it done. And then I had a good chat to him a quarter time. I said, look, mate, we’ve just got to continue to keep looking at this. And one part of his game that we know he can bring, and what he's shown over those four games so far is he can impact in the air and when he plays on different types. And I thought he handled that really well, and accepted that he didn't quite get it right, but then he moved on for the rest of the game, which was really pleasing. And showed some good signs of some of the contests that he was in.” 

Webster on planning for Jeremy Cameron this weekend 
“They're obviously building in their game. Jeremy Cameron's a great player. He can get the ball up the field, but then he can also play closer to goals as well. Preparing against him is something that you can really overthink about. But again, we'll put our players in with the best chance. The best backlines in the comp, and where we're getting towards as a backline of Port Adelaide, is working together as a group and working together as a unit. We're not just one person that defends one person. We work together as a group as best we can to defend all their forwards. So again, there's moments that other guys get stuck on, and there's moments where guys are going to have to hand over to Cameron on the weekend. It's about knowing and understanding those players and how best to defend them as a group. 

“I need to have a little bit of deeper look (into who has played on Cameron in the past). Obviously, my first year here, and I’ve obviously prepped guys in the past for him. And I'll definitely go back and look at who's played well in the past, who's done jobs on in the past, how we’ve defended him the last few times. And that'll obviously then come to a decision on which way we go. But the pleasing thing for me is, from what I've been told, obviously, Miles has done a job on him, Jonesy’s played on him before. So there's multiple guys that we might be able to go to him, and some of those guys that continue to develop in their roles to play on those type of players. But as I said, they might be their preferred matchup, but the best backlines in the comp play together as a whole group.” 

Webster on Port Adelaide’s recent history with Geelong  
“As I mentioned before, I'll need to go back and have a look at those last two games. And we're a different football team than what we were in those last couple of years, and there's been a lot of talk, obviously around our team defence, having the foundation of that and setting the game up. And then that helps everything. It helps your contest, helps your offence. And again, from the learnings that we got from the weekend in our really good patches of footy that we played after quarter time, is certainly something we're going to put in place against Geelong, How we can defend them, how you win the ball back, and then how we can attack in a way that we can defend them is certainly something to take into this weekend.”