PORT Adelaide ran at a remarkable 15 goals from 19 scoring shots, booting a major every three inside 50 entries on average during the Power’s 35-point win over Hawthorn at Alberton Oval on Friday night. Coach Lauren Arnell put it down to the team’s forwards pressure as the home side laid 22 of their 76 tackles inside 50 and kept the finals-bound Hawks at bay.

“It was a big focus for us in this game,” Arnell said. We’ve seen Hawthorn obviously being a Round 10 game you get a good look at them during the season and they do chip it around a fair bit in their back half, so we knew that front half pressure for us was going to be a really important part of the game and our team really brought that.”

Port Adelaide does need a miracle to make finals – two games outside the eight with two to go and needing to make up 10 per cent – but the term ‘mathematical probability’ hangs in the air. However for Arnell, it was more the way the Power went about executing the gameplan against a quality opposition.

“Really proud of our group, we’ve obviously had a bit of adversity this year between wins and losses, and injuries,” she said.

“I think to come off Brisbane’s game last week where we were really pleased how we went about it, the scoreboard just didn’t tick our way, but to execute our gamestyle in that way against second on the ladder Hawthorn at the moment, and then to respond when Hawthorn had the game on their terms for five to 10 minute patch there in the third quarter, it shows a lot of learning in our season, and a lot of maturity in our very young group.”

Defender-turned-forward Indy Tahau slammed home another five goals for the match, following on in the second half after Gemma Houghton (three goals) lit the fire. Arnell praised both her taller targets, as well as some of the key smalls.

“Gemma got going nice and early and then played a really important game late and connect the ground for us, and I think that’s the best Gemma’s done that,” Arnell said. “Then Indy didn’t see a lot of it early, and a message for her still as a young player is to hang in there and keep showing up and 5.2 is exceptional and now leading the league in goalkicking. “For someone who didn’t play forward at all in the first three rounds, we’re seeing a lot of progress there and I think a shout also to our smalls.

“Chloe Gaunt obviously came in as a tall, so it freed up Tilds (Matilda Scholz) a bit more and Indy did not have to ruck. “But watching Jasm Sowden lay 10 tackles, Katelyn Pope playing a role on (Tilly) Lucas-Rodd really unselfishly, and our skipper really playing a role and doing the things that are required from small forwards that often go unnoticed. “I thought they really contributed.”

Hawthorn coach Daniel Webster said the Power were fantastic with their pressure and ability to transition from inside to outside and lock the ball in the front half.

“I mean their efficiency in the front half, they kicked 15.4 in the end so I think their work around the contest, they were able to get the ball out too clean, there wasn’t enough pressure from us around the source and our defenders were a bit vulnerable I thought in that sense,” he said. “I thought they were incredibly good, we had more scoring shots, we just didn’t finish our work.”