Despite a disappointing 62-point defeat to rivals Hawthorn on Friday, Ben McKay is confident the Dons can ‘rectify things quickly’ as they turn their attention to Port Adelaide on the road this week.

The 28-year-old key defender held his own under immense pressure from Hawthorn’s 69 forward entries in round one, cutting off the opposition well (leading all comers on the ground with 10 intercept possessions) and providing an aerial presence with eight marks - the most of any Don on the night.

McKay says that while the loss was obviously frustrating, there are identifiable areas of improvement to take into this week and the rest of the season.

 
McKay on… reflections from heavy defeat

It was obviously disappointing. Losing by 60-points is disheartening. 
 
This week has been about finding the balance between being honest about what went wrong and understanding that we’ve got another game on Sunday.
 
A lot of what happened was in our control, which is frustrating, but it also gives us confidence that we can rectify things quickly. 
 
McKay on… identified areas of improvement 

I think most of it was basic skill errors. We had good looks going forward but missed handballs, missed kicks, or had lapses in concentration and communication. 
 
All of that is controllable and fixable. 
 
If you pause the game halfway through the second quarter, things looked decent. We had opportunities to apply pressure and didn’t capitalise on them - that was a big talking point.
 
McKay on… a defensive perspective 

(Hawthorn) are very quick to move the ball and keep it in motion. 
 
They have a really smart, well-connected forward setup and are very good at making space and challenging defenders.
 
For about a quarter and a half, we managed that reasonably well, but in the second half we couldn’t sustain it. They make good decisions, challenge you, and spread the ground well.
 
We’d identified that pre-game, but we weren’t able to execute it for long enough.
 
McKay on… interpreting the stand rule for defenders 

It’s been discussed all pre-season. You literally can’t move, and the run from behind becomes a big issue. 
 
It opens the game up, which is good for scoring and spectators, but it’s tough down back. 
 
Every team is still working out how to exploit it better - we’re no different.
 
McKay on… managing external noise 

I don’t really listen to it too much. Everyone has an opinion, and that’s fine. 
 
From our review, it wasn’t laziness or lack of effort. It was decision-making and attention to detail that let us down.
 
We listen to Brad, the coaches, and the people in-house. That’s what matters. 
 
At a big Club there’s lots of noise, and as an older player it’s important to help young guys learn to keep things internal.
 
McKay on… moving forward

There’s a balance. (The Hawks) were very good - they’d played the week before and finished top four last year. 
 
Some of our mistakes might’ve been opening-night nerves. Hopefully those things don’t turn into trends. 
 
We had three debutants and some players down back who’ve only played a handful of games together. There’s a cohesion element we need to work through.
 
You really need the first three or four weeks to gauge where you’re at. It’s round one, you can’t throw everything out. 
 
That said, it’s on us older guys to lead. You can’t expect first or second-year players to carry a team. We’ve made that pretty clear internally.

As athletes, we’re pretty good at putting things in the past. Last year is last year - this is a new campaign.
 
There’s nothing better than winning and getting the young boys experiencing that feeling. Sunday’s a good opportunity to turn it around.
 
McKay on… Isaac Kako and Jacob Farrow

Isaac (Kako) should be good to go - he’s been training well, and it’ll be great to have his energy back.
 
Jacob (Farrow) played in the VFL last week and has been impressive - Great character, really mature - he’ll get his opportunity, it’s just about making it count when it comes.
 
This first-year group as a whole has been outstanding in terms of attitude. 
 
McKay on… Port Adelaide matchup 

They’ve got some dangerous movers, it’ll be a good challenge.  
 
Hopefully a big crowd in Adelaide and a great atmosphere. 
 
We’re really keen to respond strongly after Friday. We’re motivated and focused on rectifying things this week. 
 
It’s a great opportunity on Sunday, and we’re all looking forward to it.