At last, a Power in the midfield Port Adelaide forward Justin Westhoff marks in front of Sydney's Dane Rampe. PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley will today review Port Adelaide's pre-season with the knowledge the club is the surprise of the summer after its trial-game win against premiership side Sydney by five goals at West Lakes yesterday. Port had a lot to prove after two seasons of pain and the effort against the Swans confirmed the club gets a pass mark. There is a distinctly different look about Port under new coach Ken Hinkley, and it was on display against Sydney in front of the sparse crowd of 5042 at West Lakes. There has been a long-standing question over the Swans' interest in pre-season practice matches. But the side they brought out was filled with enough stars to suggest the premier considered it an important game as it prepares for its flag defence. Nick Malceski floated forward for an early, casual goal, reminding the audience of his Grand Final contribution and Josh Kennedy, one of the club's most important players, was busy enough to have a game-high 15 disposals by half time. Shane Mumford was firm in the ruck but Jarrad Redden and Matthew Lobbe in tandem competed well and it looks like that's the way Port will go this season - with multiple ruckmen. The Swans are contenders again but it was the Power that made onlookers take notice first. Much of Port's midfield work was channelled through captain Travis Boak, who played another game from the top drawer. He glided out of heavily-congested situations - and being against Sydney, there were many - and was particularly sharp with his handpasses. Boak has been one of the Power's most influential for years, and when Mark Harvey coached Fremantle, he singled out Boak as the first player who needed attention by opposition sides wanting to shut down the Power. The difference a couple of years later is that Port's midfield is beginning to have some depth. Hamish Hartlett is there with his elite skills, Brad Ebert is steady with an uncompromising work rate, Kane Cornes's first 10 disposals came at an efficiency of 100 per cent and top draft pick Ollie Wines has the ability to win it in close like an older player. Add to that former Essendon player Angus Monfries, who showed sparks yesterday as he returned from hamstring injury, and Boak is likely to share his time between the midfield and the forward line. The match had a different look about it, the way many games Sydney are involved in are. It was old-fashioned one-on-one tactics for most of it, rather than teams using heavy forward presses. Also, there was a strong wind blowing towards the lake end. Tom Jonas played a peach of a game, restricting Sydney legend Adam Goodes just one week after holding the Eagles' Mark Le Cras. Jonas shapes as one who can handle the stars of the game. Goodes had his own moments but he's too good to be completely shut down. In the backline, there was a steady partnership between Jackson Trengove and Alipate "Bobby" Carlile, who looks fitter and more mobile than last season, to go with the foot skills of Jasper Pittard. But the most drastic improvement in Port is in attack, where the forwards have finally added to their defensive skills and manage to keep it in the area for longer periods. It was exemplified by little Jake Neade, who took on contest after contest like a man wanting to fight the front bar. First-year player Sam Colquhoun was busy and won his own ball and Sandover medallist Kane Mitchell, who was barely sighted in Alice Springs last week, kicked a couple of quick goals when he came on in the second half to prove he has both smarts and enterprise.