Round 1 - V Melbourne

[Booney]

I'm pretty confident of winning this one.

Players who are on debut will be super keen to impress with the likes of Cassisi and Gray missing out, we have a couple of ready made replacements to come back in if any mid-size under perform. Finally some depth starting to appear.

Cant wait to see Wines go at it and like the look of our forward half, I think we will be too strong for Melbourne all over the ground.

Port by 40 points.

Cmon Ports!

FROM PAFC.COM

B: Campbell Heath, Alipate Carlile, Tom Jonas
HB: Jasper Pittard, Jackson Trengove, Lewis Stevenson
C: Kane Cornes: Matthew Broadbent, Hamish Hartlett
HF: Angus Monfries, Justin Westhoff, Paul Stewart
F: Jake Neade, Jay Schulz, Chad Wingard
Ruck: Jarrad Redden, Brad Ebert, Travis Boak
Interchange: Matthew Lobbe, Oliver Wines, Andrew Moore
Substitute: Kane Mitchell
Emergencies: Aaron Young, Sam Colquhoun, Cameron O'Shea

Honourable mentions to Colquhoun, Aaron Young, Cameron O'Shea, Brett Ebert and Jack Hombsch - all of whom have been thereabouts on the track during the pre-season; the latter two having been hampered by injury late.

[valleys07]

Not sure that line-up on PAFC is completely accurate, but if not, there will be 1, max 2 changes.

Been waiting for this day since november. I really do believe we have turned a corner towards becoming a competitive team, hopefully we deliver on pre-season hype.

Wines, Neade, Stevenson, Heath and Mitchell look our likely debutants. Our back six looks more stable, our midfield is good and our forward line possesses players willing to apply defensive pressure and convert opportunities.

Carlisle and Trengove (of the Jackson variety) have huge jobs on sunday and are the catalyst IMO to 4 points. Clark looms as a game breaker, and Dawes (whilst average in past seasons) may relish a change in scenery and re-visit his 2010 form which lead the pies to a flag.

Our key to a win on sunday is goals from our midfield. The best sides have their midfield scoring 20 goals each a season. Boak and Ebert have shown that during pre-season they are dangerous when attacking, and if we are not one dimensional with schulz and are getting 1,2,3 goals from your monfries, neade's, westhoff's, stewart's, wingard's etc...it should see us kick a winning score.

Port by 12-25 points.

[drifter]

did I read that Bobby Carlisle isn't playing ?

[GWW]

Given its at the MCG, and our record against them there is shocking, I'm not overly connfident we will win.

I wish I was more confident, but I see it as a 50/50 game at best.

With Carlile not playing, I would expect Hombsch to be in the 22.

[Booney]

Well, Wines, Stevenson, Heath, Pittard, Redden, Lobbe, Schulz, Monfries, Westhoff, Ebert, Boak, Trengove, Stewart, Jonas, Wingard and a few others played well. That's a positive.

Melbourne a shambles, but they really only had it when we didn't execute perfectly which wasn't often....not often at all.

We showed some poise, we hit back in the second when we needed to and showed enormous pressure, just what the coaching staff have spoken about through the summer.

Round one, against Melbourne....but, I couldn't be any happier with that.

[valleys07]

I thought Cornes' job on Jones was very good. Jones still got a bit of it but when he did he was forced to dispose of the ball to a 50/50 contest or Cornes was able to force a stoppage. Trengove was very good on Clark after he got the early jump on him, and our midfield group of Boak, Ebert, Hartlett, Monfries, and Wines were exceptional.

Yep- Its round 1, yep, its Melbourne, but im stoked with our performance. We were precise with our ball movement out of the back 50 (Pittard, Stevenson and Heath very good by foot and Jonas did well on Howe after qtr time) and multiple forward options (loved Wingard's game!) saw melbourne's back six under enormous pressure trying to exit.

Now to back it up against GWS. They looked good in patches yesterday and it will be another tough contest. Cannot wait!

[carey]

I was at todays game and was very impressed. Although it must be said that Melbourne were a total disgrace and will easierly get the spoon no question. Viney for them was outstanding that was were it stopped.

For us i thought Hartlett was best followed by Cornes, Boak, Stewart, Ebert and Scultz tough to pick the best but thats in order for me although thats leaving out some blokes who played really well in Wines,Monfries, Wingard, Stevenson and i thought O'Shea.

I was so pleased to see us pressure the ball carrier at all times and when we didnt have the footy we busted our hump to get it back.

Must back up with a win over GWS then the Fags could head up to face the Gold Coast 3 and 0

[GWW]

I didn't get to watch a lot of the game, due to being at a family lunch (and haven't had a chance of looking at a replay yet), but was very impressed with what I saw, especially the tackling.

Monfries was an absolute steal in the pre season. Stevenson and Heath appear to be decent recruits too.

Didn't appear we particularly missed Chaplin or Pearce.

We have the makings of a real quality midfield in 2 or 3 years time.

Wines had a great debut, and apparently he's been confirmed as round 1 Rising Star nomination.

[valleys07]

but was very impressed with what I saw, especially the tackling.

Was sensational. Infact our pressure on the ball carrier was the best i've seen it in 2-3 years.

Didn't appear we particularly missed Chaplin or Pearce.

Stevenson / Heath > Chaplin in terms of disposal efficiency. As for Pearce, well, we now have a midfield group which may have seen Pearce thrive, given that Boak, Hartlett, Ebert and possibly by the end of the season, Wines, all worthy of an opposition tag.

Wines had a great debut, and apparently he's been confirmed as round 1 Rising Star nomination.

Correct- Surprised but thoroughly deserved. I honestly would have thought Viney, however his will no doubt come before seasons end.