Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley says it is impossible to say whether his side have been left with mental scars following last season’s preliminary final drubbing against the Western Bulldogs.
The Power are priced at 13/20 to beat the Bulldogs in the first meeting between the two sides since Port suffered a humiliating 71-point defeat at the Adelaide Oval.
Slow start to the season
It could be argued that Port did suffer some kind of issue as they got the 2022 campaign off to a horror start. They lost their first five games but have since bounced back with two wins.
They will be looking to make it three at against the Bulldogs. And at the same time bury the events of the last time they met.
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"I am not qualified to know exactly what mental scarring is going to do or not do to people," Hinkley told reporters.
"All I can say is that this competition is so close and changes so quickly, I don't think you can reflect too far back to get a guide to what is going to happen in the next game.
"What went on six months ago is going to have very little to do (with Friday night) but we will certainly not be ignorant and not try and learn from what went on."
Bulldogs hangover
Despite thrashing Port Adelaide, the Bulldogs went on to suffer a similar fate in the grand final as Melbourne romped to victory.
Luke Beveridge’s men have also struggled this season and Hinkley says both teams need to be looking forward, not back.
"Right now we're not talking about the same two sides," Hinkley added. "It would be unfair for either us or the Western Bulldogs to spend too much time thinking about what happened (last year) we're in a different position.”
