Walsh: Power can avoid Eagles' fate

Phil Walsh at Port Adelaide preseason training. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: News Limited

PHIL Walsh says he likes what he's seen from Port Adelaide's young charges since returning from West Coast at the end of last season.

Walsh, who spent the past five years at the Eagles after a decade at Port under Mark Williams, believes the Power are poised to avoid the pitfalls which befell West Coast in 2013.

"Last year at West Coast it was touted in the media we'd play in a Grand Final - we finished 13th," Walsh said.

"What you did last year doesn't count for much in this industry.

"It's a ruthless industry and once you lose that mindset of being the hunter and working hard you very quickly get sat on your backside.

"I haven't seen anything yet to suggest that will happen here ... I'm really excited about what this group is going to produce this year."

Walsh conceded there was an "unknown" factor to the Power because there were no guarantees everyone would reproduce - or improve on - the form of last season.

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But he believed the group was approaching the season with the right attitude.

"Ken says this a little bit and I believe it too 'you get what you deserve'," Walsh said.

"This group works really hard and if they continue to do that and not get ahead of themselves they'll get the rewards."

Port's new midfield manager was measured in his assessment of the onball unit's potential but was impressed with the depth on hand at Alberton.

"It's a group that has come through together which means they should have really good chemistry," he said.

"I think it can be a really strong midfield but the competition out there is so fierce. Every team in the top four or top eight have elite midfields.

"The further improvement of Lobbe in the ruck - that's going to be exciting. His second half last year I thought was outstanding and he's made some big leaps.

"Travis Boak was All-Australian, can he back that up? That's going to be really interesting.

"Ollie Wines - he burst onto the scene. What's his second year look like?

"Brad Ebert since he came back to Port Adelaide ... has played his best footy. Can he keep that going?

"Can Hamish Hartlett become the player everyone thinks he is? Can he get a bit of consistency in his game to be able to do that?

"It's a bit of an unknown but I think that's fantastic."

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