Port a different side at home: Ratten
Carlton coach Brett Ratten says Port Adelaide's impressive home record is firmly in the Blues' minds ahead of Sunday's AFL meeting at AAMI Stadium.
While Carlton are coming off a morale-boosting win over Geelong last round, the Power had a shock 42-point loss to Fremantle at Subiaco to put at risk their top eight berth.
It continued a season-long pattern of extreme inconsistency from Port, after downing Hawthorn the previous weekend.
But Ratten says if just Port's performances at AAMI Stadium are taken into account, they have been consistently strong.
"They've been outstanding. I think they've won eight out of 10 or something like that, their record at home is first-class," he said.
"With that crowd and the emotion and the hype they get at their home ground they can create havoc for the opposition."
Ratten said he would be ignoring Port's performance against the Dockers.
"I'm not that fazed at whatever they did last week," he said.
"I know what they do at home and they're very dangerous."
He said the Blues needed to prove that their upset of the Cats was not just a one-game wonder.
"We can't take our foot off the pedal. We were pleased with our performance, is it one out of the blue?," he said.
"That's what we're talking about. We don't want one out of the blue, we want to make sure that's the sort of standard that we set.
"That intensity and the way we went about it I thought was fantastic ... we need to do that against Port Adelaide as well."
Meanwhile, Ratten said he was surprised by comments from Power star Chad Cornes that the two sides did not like each other.
Cornes also said there were some Blues players he liked to antagonise, particularly star forward Brendan Fevola, with whom he has had previous verbal spats.
"I wouldn't say we hate each other, maybe they don't like us," Ratten said.
He said Fevola regularly copped abuse from opponents and would not be fussed if Cornes had a few insults ready.
"What's the old saying? Sticks and stones will break my bones," he said.
"That's interesting, that's maybe the mind games of the modern game too.
"You can impose yourself physically on opponents and you can also verbally attack them.
"It's who has got the steeliness to stay focused and in the game with the right attitude who'll come out on top.
"If he wants to get under his guard, let him have a go and maybe we might get under his."
Post a comment about this article
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Becoming a member is free and easy, sign up here.