Port Adelaide 2018

[stan]

**** ya shit Port. 2nd to the ball all day.

[Booney]

**** ya shit Port. 2nd to the ball all day.

Inexcusable when we've got the likes of Wines, R.Gray, Ebert and Boak in the middle. Oddly they weren't our worst, just got beaten by a side who worked harder to gain first possession.

[Lightning McQueen]

**** ya shit Port. 2nd to the ball all day.

Inexcusable when we've got the likes of Wines, R.Gray, Ebert and Boak in the middle. Oddly they weren't our worst, just got beaten by a side who worked harder to gain first possession.

We got beaten by a team that plays a full forward, a centre half forward, a true half forward flanker role and has a small crumbing forward, it's funny how a basic team set up is able to score enough to win and run out a game.

[The Bedge]

Long way to go, but if Port were to miss the 8, where would that leave the club moving forward?

[Booney]

Long way to go, but if Port were to miss the 8, where would that leave the club moving forward?

Stuck in the middle of the ladder for years.

[Lightning McQueen]

Long way to go, but if Port were to miss the 8, where would that leave the club moving forward?

I thought they'd be borderline 8 at the start of the season, would rather them miss the 8 and have a full scaled launch next season with a more favourable draw, I wasn't fooled with the picking off other people's plates approach, I was only really excited with the signing of Rockliff but he hasn't fired a shot yet.

[Jim05]

Long way to go, but if Port were to miss the 8, where would that leave the club moving forward?

Stuck in the middle of the ladder for years.

Don’t agree.
It’s a much more even comp now and sides can quickly turn it around

[morell]

**** ya shit Port. 2nd to the ball all day.

Inexcusable when we've got the likes of Wines, R.Gray, Ebert and Boak in the middle. Oddly they weren't our worst, just got beaten by a side who worked harder to gain first possession.

We got beaten by a team that plays a full forward, a centre half forward, a true half forward flanker role and has a small crumbing forward, it's funny how a basic team set up is able to score enough to win and run out a game.

Huzzah!!

Absolutely correct LM.

It's very easy to point at the contested stats and say that's why we lost. But there are plenty of teams that regularly lose the contested ball and win.

But. Those teams have an elite forward structure, so that when the ball is turned over they are efficient, precise and accurate. Mostly through moving the ball through the corridor with urgency and method.

Port have neither. We play the game based on rebound from half back and turning the ball over with pressure. Then locking it in until the football gods smile on us and we fluke a goal. It's overtly negative and cynical. But most annoyingly... doesn't match our players strengths!! Best example is Watts being used as a negating forward on McGovern. What in the actual Ken?! It didn't work last time. Didn't work against Richmond and won't work again with the players you have.

We have a list designed around attacking with flair. Playing on quickly. Bit of dare and aggression. Taking risks. It worked amazingly well in '14. But now we've being instructed to play like a poor man's 05 Sydney Swans by a man protecting his ego and reducing damage, rather than backing in his choc full of talent players.

Yet again, it's a case of driving a Lamborghini with the hand brake on.

[Booney]

*Some viewers may find the contents of this next story disturbing – If so, look away now*

Going to be hard to polish this one, folks.

Beaten up inside the contest, belted in fact, we conceded 7 more I50’s, we allowed the West Coast key forward’s time and space to kick 7 between them and the opposition only just break the 100 point mark. It’s not all broken. If everything was broken they would have piled on far more than 102 points. Defensively we held up pretty well given the early touches afforded the West Coast midfield but there’s no excuse for losing so comprehensively when we get more of the ball than the opposition. More handballs than kicks really stood out on the weekend and our movement from half back to half forward was inept. Our ball movement is killing us. If the players are following instruction then it’s the coaches box who should be under the grille, if it’s the players not following instruction then they can head back to suburban Adelaide for a run.

Finding ourselves under pressure in the midfield we panicked too often, we handed the ball off to a team mate to make it his problem or just coughed it up. 13 of our side had 3 or more clangers on the weekend. Credit where it’s due to the Eagles mid’s and half back’s who got into our face and stopped any fluency in our ball movement, we’re not helping with our ball movement at the moment though. This is also a reflection on our work rate, players weren’t willing to work into space or to create space for their team mates. That’s damning and inexcusable. The good sides have individuals who are willing to sacrifice their own game to help those around them. You can give your team mate plenty by simply working into or out of space and allow the ball carrier time to think and execute. We’re not doing that and it’s not good enough.

Only a few can hold their head up and walk into the review feeling good about themselves this morning. Boak again did his best to drag his side back into the game, R.Gray and Wines again played their roles with 11 of our 31 clearances created by these two, throw in 4 from Ryder and 4 from Polec and it’s fair to say not too many got their hands dirty in the guts. Houston and DBJ tried across half back, unfortunately they had far too many opportunities to do so. That’s it.

One reporter asked Hinkley if we were soft on the weekend, it’s not a tag players like to be given at AFL level and ultimately if you’re playing at the level one thing you are not is soft. What we did get was some less than acceptable performances from some of our lesser lights and it happens too often.

Neade has had his chances, he’s ok at best some weeks and simply poor the next, we don’t ever see him in our best two or three and Johnson looks like he’s offering us more at the moment. Amon likes to run one way only and he’s not performing to the level required, that’s 3 of the last 4 he’s been below par. He’s one who could be seen as having a golden ticket, time to hand it back. Barry wants to be out there, desperately, he looks like he’s willing but seems just a yard off the pace of the game. I can see three outs this week.

Some more established players also were below the level we should be demanding, they however have more credits in the bank than the three mentioned here and don’t deserve to be dropped on one poor week but it’s fair to say Dixon, S.Gray and Pittard won’t enjoy looking back on last weekend. Dixon wasted some opportunities and the other two had stinkers. Hard to be too critical of Dixon given our delivery at the moment.

Getting beaten up inside should see Powell-Pepper and Rockliff earn a recall, I’m not sure Rocky is quite there yet but that’s two runs in the SANFL and it’s time for him to come back in. It might also be the right time to bring Atley back into the side. We need some balance on the inside/outside but right now we’re getting hammered at the coal face and we need reinforcements in and under. This might allow Ebert to play more on the outside with Polec, Motlop and Bonner needing some help moving the ball forward.

Boon's best : Boak, R.Gray, DBJ, Wines

In – SPP, Rockliff, Atley*
Out – Neade, Barry, Amon

( *If Marshall is still unavailable )

Adelaide have won the last 5 Showdowns. It’s almost inevitable at the moment that we enter Showdown week on the back of some rotten form. It would be a remarkable turnaround from last weekend to win this weekend but, let’s hope that season 2018 has another upset or two up its sleeve and it dishes one up this weekend. Massive week for Ryder, needs to quickly find some touch to stop our nemesis Jacobs from owning us again and our half forward structure needs to hold up if we’re going to kick a winning score.

*sigh*

[JK]

We have a list designed around attacking with flair. Playing on quickly. Bit of dare and aggression. Taking risks. It worked amazingly well in '14. But now we've being instructed to play like a poor man's 05 Sydney Swans by a man protecting his ego and reducing damage, rather than backing in his choc full of talent players.

Couldn't agree more. The dare is what made them upstarts in 14', but ever since it's been curtailed rather than embraced.

[The Bedge]

Could Port play Barry as the pressure forward role instead of Neade?

Pittard was very average on the weekend as well I thought along with those named.

Showdown's are generally a physical, hard fought, contested game, i'd be bringing both SPP and Rockliff back in and back the side in to win the contested stuff, and as morell mentioned back the sides attacking flair and talent to hit the scoreboard.

[morell]

Come to think of it, this team reminds me a heck of a lot of the Adelaide teams under Sanderson.

[Booney]

Could Port play Barry as the pressure forward role instead of Neade?

Pittard was very average on the weekend as well I thought along with those named.

Showdown's are generally a physical, hard fought, contested game, i'd be bringing both SPP and Rockliff back in and back the side in to win the contested stuff, and as morell mentioned back the sides attacking flair and talent to hit the scoreboard.

I think Johnson should be given the chance to hold down the small forward pressure role, he looks more capable of sticking tackles than Neade or Barry do.

[morell]

Essendon beat Hawthorn in contested posession stats, but lost...
Fremantle beat Richmond in contested posession stats, but lost...

I've lost count how many times Port have won contested possession and I50 stats but lost.

Port struggle with the good teams because our system, method and structure doesn't match in with the talents of our side. We beat the shite teams not because of the coaching, but almost in spite of it.

[Lightning McQueen]

Huzzah!!

Absolutely correct LM.

It's very easy to point at the contested stats and say that's why we lost. But there are plenty of teams that regularly lose the contested ball and win.

But. Those teams have an elite forward structure, so that when the ball is turned over they are efficient, precise and accurate. Mostly through moving the ball through the corridor with urgency and method.

Port have neither. We play the game based on rebound from half back and turning the ball over with pressure. Then locking it in until the football gods smile on us and we fluke a goal. It's overtly negative and cynical. But most annoyingly... doesn't match our players strengths!! Best example is Watts being used as a negating forward on McGovern. What in the actual Ken?! It didn't work last time. Didn't work against Richmond and won't work again with the players you have.

We have a list designed around attacking with flair. Playing on quickly. Bit of dare and aggression. Taking risks. It worked amazingly well in '14. But now we've being instructed to play like a poor man's 05 Sydney Swans by a man protecting his ego and reducing damage, rather than backing in his choc full of talent players.

Yet again, it's a case of driving a Lamborghini with the hand brake on.

It's like watching a train knowing there's an end to the track up ahead.

You see all this hard word done down back to do a switch and move the ball forward and then they all stop as there's no one to deliver it to? Like WTF?

We have Dixon that can just plonk his huge frame in the square, Westhoff who can float about around half forward and take a grab, or others if preferred, then there's Robbie and Chad who can be very dangerous up forward, instead they are all trapped near the wing.

[Lightning McQueen]

Could Port play Barry as the pressure forward role instead of Neade?

Pittard was very average on the weekend as well I thought along with those named.

Showdown's are generally a physical, hard fought, contested game, i'd be bringing both SPP and Rockliff back in and back the side in to win the contested stuff, and as morell mentioned back the sides attacking flair and talent to hit the scoreboard.

Daisy Friggin Pearce could play that role better than Neade, I shake my head whenever I see him in the 22, I wonder what our win-loss ratio is with him in or not in.

[Trader]

In 2014 we took the game on and kicked the ball into space, ran onto it and kicked goals.
Teams took a while but learnt if you leave one out the back of the press, that stopped us right then and there.
Ken was forced to move away from the attacking game plan because teams had worked out that's what we were doing.
We don't have the skills to pick our way through a web like the hawks of 2012, so instead we only have one option, negative footy.
Our Disposal Efficiency stats put us middle of the pack, and that's playing a negative game which in reality should move us higher.
As Booney said, over half our side had 3 clangers or more.
We don't have the skills on our list (that stand up under pressure) to play a winning brand of footy.

While it is simple to say we should go back to old footy and plonk a bloke at CHF and another at FF and leave them there, unfortunately we will get eaten alive the other way as sides pick through our web that is missing two blokes.

[Booney]

Could Port play Barry as the pressure forward role instead of Neade?

Pittard was very average on the weekend as well I thought along with those named.

Showdown's are generally a physical, hard fought, contested game, i'd be bringing both SPP and Rockliff back in and back the side in to win the contested stuff, and as morell mentioned back the sides attacking flair and talent to hit the scoreboard.

Daisy Friggin Pearce could play that role better than Neade, I shake my head whenever I see him in the 22, I wonder what our win-loss ratio is with him in or not in.

34 wins, 27 losses with Neade in the side.

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players ... Neade.html

[morell]

Huzzah!!

Absolutely correct LM.

It's very easy to point at the contested stats and say that's why we lost. But there are plenty of teams that regularly lose the contested ball and win.

But. Those teams have an elite forward structure, so that when the ball is turned over they are efficient, precise and accurate. Mostly through moving the ball through the corridor with urgency and method.

Port have neither. We play the game based on rebound from half back and turning the ball over with pressure. Then locking it in until the football gods smile on us and we fluke a goal. It's overtly negative and cynical. But most annoyingly... doesn't match our players strengths!! Best example is Watts being used as a negating forward on McGovern. What in the actual Ken?! It didn't work last time. Didn't work against Richmond and won't work again with the players you have.

We have a list designed around attacking with flair. Playing on quickly. Bit of dare and aggression. Taking risks. It worked amazingly well in '14. But now we've being instructed to play like a poor man's 05 Sydney Swans by a man protecting his ego and reducing damage, rather than backing in his choc full of talent players.

Yet again, it's a case of driving a Lamborghini with the hand brake on.

It's like watching a train knowing there's an end to the track up ahead.

You see all this hard word done down back to do a switch and move the ball forward and then they all stop as there's no one to deliver it to? Like WTF?

We have Dixon that can just plonk his huge frame in the square, Westhoff who can float about around half forward and take a grab, or others if preferred, then there's Robbie and Chad who can be very dangerous up forward, instead they are all trapped near the wing.

My favourite is when we're streaming forward, we link some handballs together. We have a Dixon pushing up. Gray X2 at his feet...

And we kick to a contest in the ******* pocket. Drives me *insane*! You get see it is clearly an instruction based solely around ensuring repeat entries, locking it in and closing off the other side of the ground to a rebound.

Jesus Christ. It's like Ken's playing a video game and he has some imaginary goal in mind... Other than you know... the actual goals.

[Trader]

Could Port play Barry as the pressure forward role instead of Neade?

Pittard was very average on the weekend as well I thought along with those named.

Showdown's are generally a physical, hard fought, contested game, i'd be bringing both SPP and Rockliff back in and back the side in to win the contested stuff, and as morell mentioned back the sides attacking flair and talent to hit the scoreboard.

Daisy Friggin Pearce could play that role better than Neade, I shake my head whenever I see him in the 22, I wonder what our win-loss ratio is with him in or not in.

34 wins, 27 losses with Neade in the side.

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players ... Neade.html

55.7% with Neade since 2013
57.1% without Neade since 2013.