PORT ADELAIDE gained more than four AFL premiership points - and healthy percentage to command top spot - from its season-opening win against North Melbourne. Just as valuable is the belief the players can change the flow of the game when it does not go the "Port Adelaide way".
Port Adelaide midfield coach Jarrad Schofield on Monday praised the players' ability to "respond and adapt" after being jumped by North Melbourne in the first term of the Round 1 clash at the Docklands on Sunday.
North Melbourne achieved just a two-point lead at quarter-time after bombarding the Port Adelaide defence with 20 inside-50 entries, basically built on superiority at the contests and with contested ball.
"You have to give credit to North Melbourne," Schofield said at Alberton on Monday. "They matched us around the footy; take nothing away from North Melbourne - a young side that came to play. We were fortunate they did not make us pay on the scoreboard.
"To our boys' credit they responded and adapted. Once we got our game going around the footy, we hit the scoreboard. We played the Port Adelaide way."
Eight goals in the second term - to set up a 40-point lead at half-time - was built on the master form in the midfield of former captain Travis Boak ... and the timely presence of experienced midfielder Tom Rockliff as Port Adelaide's first 23rd man as the medical substitute.
"We did not know how the game would unfold, but Tom's experience and football smarts was an added bonus to have him at ground level (on the interchange bench) to help our midfielders early on," Schofield said.
Port Adelaide advances to its home opener against Essendon at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon with much on the agenda - both in preparation and at selection after copping injuries at the weekend both in AFL and SANFL matches.
"Better starts of course," said Schofoeld, "but there was a lot to take away. There were a lot of positives and areas to work on ... including a better performance early on against Essendon."
Port Adelaide is awaiting the results from scans to the sore hamstrings of wingman Riley Bonner and 2020 academy recruit, half-back Lachie Jones who played just then first half of Friday's SANFL trial against Sturt at Alberton Oval.
Boak is not in doubt despite a corked leg carried during the second half on Sunday.
Forward-midfielder Connor Rozee is back in the selection frame after a strong recovery from successful foot surgery a fortnight ago.
Schofield acknowledged the strong club debuts of former Sydney defender Aliir Aliir and Essendon forward Orazio Fantasia giving Port Adelaide new dimensions at both ends of the field.
"Their impact was massive for us," Schofield said. "Aliir was not the aerial game (seen against Adelaide at Noarlunga) but he was a road block in the right spots. Fantasia's 4.4 was a really good effort ... could have been eight goals on debut."
Port Adelaide's 2019 top draftee Miles Bergman proved he "did not look out of place" in his AFL debut with Schofield noting the teenager was rewarded for "his hard work on his game" during the pre-season.
"He will benefit from that game," Schofield said. "He did not look out of place and that is a credit to him; he has worked hard on his game."
