Port Adelaide club song rings out while Adelaide run out for AFLW preliminary final against Brisbane

“Oops.”

Oops indeed. Either someone at Brighton Homes Arena has a sick sense of humour, or there has been a major blunder at the second AFLW preliminary final.

The wrong team song was played in full as Adelaide ran out for their preliminary final against the Lions.

The Crows ran out onto Brighton Homes Arena to the tune of the club song of none other than their arch rivals, Port Adelaide.

“Mind games already at Brighton Homes Arena. Port Adelaide theme song played as the Crows make their way out onto the field,” Channel 7’s Kate McCarthy said.

“Oh dear. The entire Port Adelaide team song played as Adelaide ran on to Brighton Homes Arena. Then the Crows song followed. Oops,” AFL.com.au’s Michael Whiting added.

“Lions playing the Port song for Adelaide is either top tier s***housery or someone’s getting fired,” a fan added.

In the defence of the person who presumably made the error, the Power had played that day — but in a different state of the country and about four hours earlier.

And it was a day to forget for the Power, who were smashed by premiership favourites North Melbourne.

But after the Roos handed Port a reminder of what it takes to be the AFLW’s best, Power coach Lauren Arnell is determined to make those lessons count.

The Power’s gutsy run through the AFLW finals was brought to a screeching halt in a 12.6 (78) to 2.9 (21) preliminary final loss to premiership favourites North at Ikon Park on Saturday.

Arnell stressed on multiple occasions that the clinical Kangaroos were the best team in the league, but relished what North had taught her young charges.

“There’s quite a significant gap at this point, and that’s OK in our attitude, I’m sure we’ll be right,” she said.

“We are disappointed. Let’s not miss that.

“But we also have a really clear understanding of where our gap is now, and I’ve been saying this quite bullishly.

“We don’t just want to be a team that plays in prelims — we want to be pushing towards future success.

“And I think this is the perfect scenario for us, after our third season, to be really well informed about where the gap is currently.”

Arnell was adamant Port’s high-intensity style, led by youngsters such as Abbey Dowrick, Piper Window and Matilda Scholz, would hold up in finals.

“We’ve shown winning two finals and losing to what’s the best team in the competition (that) our brand of footy is the right brand of footy,” she said.

The Power can also look to North’s long, ongoing wait for a first flag for inspiration.

“There’s growth for us to come. It’s only our third season. We’ve played about 34 or 35 games of footy together,” Arnell said.

“So there’s continuity as a team, and then there’s simple stuff that North Melbourne makes look so slick, like simple contested ground ball, (and) their kicking skills are exceptional under pressure.

“And I guess that cohesiveness as a team, that takes time.

“What I have just said to the group is North have lost a (qualifying final), they’ve lost a prelim, and they’ve also lost a grand final, and we’ve just entered our first final series.

“So I think the attitude check for us is the most important thing, and to be really fair to our playing group, something I’m really proud of is our attitude’s been exceptional all year, and it’s what has allowed us to be at this point.”

Arnell wouldn’t be drawn on whether the Power needed to add mature recruits or hit the draft to go to another level, but noted they needed to add more strength in the air.

- With AAP