On Saturday, North Melbourne will be met with a Port Adelaide side desperate to notch up its first win of the season.

The Power have been handed a brutal fixture to start 2015, facing Fremantle (away), Sydney, North (away), Hawthorn and Adelaide in their first five weeks; four teams who finished in last year’s top six and an away derby is hardly an ideal beginning.

In addition to the calibre of opponents, it has become evident that Port is attempting to add an extra layer to its game plan in 2015.

Over the first two years of Ken Hinkley’s tenure, the Power made a name for themselves with their pressure around the ball and overrunning sides the longer the game wore on. Only the Roos won more second half quarters (in the home and away season) than Port Adelaide in 2014.

In the first fortnight of 2015 against Fremantle and Sydney, the Power have had more disposals and time in possession, despite losing both outings and only winning one of four quarters after half-time.

In 2014, the Power played a total of five games against Fremantle and Sydney. Comparing those outings to the first two rounds this year unveils a change in how they are disposing of the ball by foot.

Across the AFL, the trend is for a club to kick long approximately one third of the time and short the rest of the time. Last season the Power largely followed the rest of the league. However, in the first two rounds this season they've deviated from the script, as the numbers show.

Even allowing for the frenetic pressure the Dockers and Swans applied in the first two rounds, a change of almost seven per cent is dramatic and points to a larger change.

Even though the Power have been disposing of the ball over shorter distances, they are actually playing on from marks more this season than at any other time under Hinkley. While the numbers through two games are slightly inflated because of the smaller sample size, it gives an indication of what they are attempting to do.

Short disposal by foot with the option to play on quickly appears to be what to expect from the Power this season. Matthew Broadbent, Brad Ebert and Hamish Hartlett provide a snapshot of Port’s shift in disposal.

During 2014, the trio, inside the top seven at the club for total kicks, stayed largely in line with the AFL average mentioned above. So far this season it has changed sharply.

Sides have got on top of North in the past by controlling disposal. 2014’s season opener against Essendon comes to mind until that was rectified on a glorious Saturday evening at the MCG some six months later.

However, if it leads into quick ball movement it can also result in open forward lines through quick transition. It’s a ‘best of both worlds’ approach that Port is working towards. If this method clicks it could add an extra dimension to a team that is already one of the best in the league.

It’s up to North to arrive at Etihad Stadium focused and ready to apply 120 minutes of pressure to prevent that from happening.