Ebert was Port Adelaide’s leading goal kicker, with four majors kicked at crucial times in the match, in the Power’s 48-point win over the Brisbane Lions at AAMI Stadium.
Throughout the season, Port Adelaide has struggled to string four consistently strong quarters together, but Ebert said that the final term of last week’s game provided some good form in the lead-up to the Power’s battle with the Lions.
“We played a shocking first three quarters and did well in the last quarter last week. So last week’s game against Geelong kind of set us up for the game this week,” Ebert said after the game.
“We played a pretty consistent game today, and that probably got us over the line.”
Ebert said he had focussed on improving his vision and being more competitive during the week, which shone through as he played an integral role in Port Adelaide’s win.
He explained that the club’s new focus upon the players taking a bigger part in the preparation of the match, influenced the team’s approach to the game against Brisbane.
“We did a fair bit of work with Chad Cornes during the week, all about preparation for the game, and we just went out there and enjoyed it a lot more,” Ebert said.
Part of the preparation was focussed upon stopping the Lions defensively, and area where Port Adelaide excelled on Saturday.
The Power held the usually dominant Jonathan Brown to just two goals, and kept the strong Lions forwards goalless in the final term.
“Our defenders worked well as a team today, we spoiled him (Brown) so many times, didn’t let him have it inside 50, and he was forced to kick from 55 metres out, which was pretty tough with that wind.”
Despite the Power’s poor form in recent weeks, Ebert said that their season was nearly back on track, and that Port Adelaide may be able to make the top eight.
“It’s a pretty even competition and we’re got a lot of upcoming games at home, so we can hopefully get a few more wins for the season and hopefully make the finals.”
