by Booney » Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:46 am
Have to balance this review, some disappointment, some admiration.I'll start with the bad news first, the disappointment.
For the second week in a row Port have been forced into playing a style of football that does not suit us, we have had the terms of the match dictated to us by an opponent who played better, for longer, than we did.
Our midfield has struggled to get firsts hands on the ball at stoppages ( beaten 45-36 ) and then when they have our forward line has had little to no impact on the board ( win I50's 62-52 ).The arrival of Ryder has given Port an added dimension, but this seems to have come at an early cost, Westhoff and Schulz seem to be struggling to find their feet in a system that clearly has changed when Port get forward of centre. Just 6 goals from 62 I50 entries means there's work to do on getting that balance right.The final piece of this is tackles, we were smashed 76-52 in the tackle count by the most ruthless defensive unit in the game. One lesson from Saturday night is not just what we did wrong, but how much they did right.
While all the early talk this year was about Hawthorns continued dominance and Port's rise continuing, Sydney are obviously one of the teams to beat. While Longmire bores the bejesus out of me, his side crushes their opponents at stoppages, has the forward line fire power nobody else can really boast and has somehow managed to keep what looks to be one of the best youngsters in the country hidden away, somehow. Isaac Heeney.
Sydney clearly made a decision to allow Jasper Pittard the ball across half back. Someone has to bring the ball out the back half and Sydney decided it's better to have Pittard do so than Broadbent or Hartlett. The challenge for Port in the next 3 weeks is to get both Broggsy and Hammer more of the ball, they must work harder to create run and carry, find space and deliver the ball forward of centre. Now, I'm no canning Pittard here, Hinkley backs Jasper in and that's good enough for me, he's a much better judge than I am. There is though no question Pittard can muff it up, I mean completely muff it up, sadly on Saturday night he wasn't alone.
The stats say Sydney made more clangers ( 51-47 ) and Port made more 1%'ers ( 52-51 ) but as we all know, stats can lie. Port also had more of the ball ( 438-417 ) and more I50's as noted above ( 62-52 ) but got beaten by an even 8 goals and it could have been much worse.
Plenty of work to do ahead of what looms as a must win for Port, against our bogey side the Kangaroos this Saturday night.
Boons best :
Gray - 32 touches, 6 clearances, 4 tackles, 8 I50's, yet he hardly seemed like he was in the game, such is the form this guy is in. On the night I was thinking, "Gee, Robbie is down"....no, he wasn't. Once again Port's best midfielder by a mile. Several clearances and one passage of play where a one handed pick up that looked certain to be goalward bound was snuffed out by Sydney's pressure was telling. Gray looked like he was about to break the game open, only for Kennedy to shut him down. Two of the best at it.
Pittard - Don't let my review above make you think I question Pittard's place or value to the side, I do. I just rather others have the attacking use of the ball, but Pittard was good on Saturday night. Sydney allowed him some space and his career high 34 touches came at 79% with 7 R50's and 5 I50's. Very much the game of a running half back. Hinkley continues to back him in, so will I.
Wines - 29 touches, 6 tackles, 6 I50's, bit going at 69% disposal efficiency. Again one of Port's best, again much of his best work was undone by the pressure Sydney applied to our centre square.
Cornes - Spent much of the night escorting Dan Hannebery around the ground. Hannebery had 28, Cornes had 25. Hannebery got involved in two goals, one while matched up to Wingard, one while on Boak. Numbers, again misleading, suggest Hannebery had the better of this contest but I think Cornes held his own in this one. Hannebery had only 3 clearances and 3 I50's. That's a win for one of the best run with players in the game.
White - Gets an honorable mention. Not huge numbers ( with 16 touches ) but when subbed in to replace the injured Impey he at the very least showed some run, some willingness to carry the ball through lines and take the game on. Some good signs from a player who had not had a great start to his 2015 campaign pre-season and in the first round.
Hard to pick anyone else from here, Jonas battled away, Hombsch had Franklin covered then Buddy does what he does, the freak, Ebert got his 27 touches and Ryder showed he was better for the round 1 run.
On the rough side, Boak was smashed. He had 20 touches, but only 2 kicks such was the pressure the Port skipper was placed under. Monfries had 26 touches ( at 65% ) and Wingard 22 at a poor 54% for someone of his class.
With Jarman Impey out with a hamstring, one change is certain. Reddens return from nearly two years out of the game could hardly be described as a success, 6 hit outs and 9 touches show the big man has lots of work to do to get back up to AFL pace. Lobbe's injury does seem like it will keep him out for at least another week and with big Goldstein looming Port need to find a way to get first hands on the ball and get the likes of Boak, Hartlett,
White, Wingard and Polec running and carrying the ball.
Neade will have his place in the side under pressure and I'd like to see Ryder ruck the bulk of the match now he has some game time under his belt.
PAFC. Forever.
LOOK OUT, WE'RE COMING!
and the crowd is buzzing in there pre-game and at half time ( $5 Pale pints! ).
