Port Adelaide 2018

[Booney]

Rockliff can check out Unley on Anzac Day.

$800k a year to play SANFL
He was ordinary today but far from your worst.

Couldn't give a shit what he's on. He's not fit and shouldn't be playing AFL football.

[Jim05]

Rockliff can check out Unley on Anzac Day.

$800k a year to play SANFL
He was ordinary today but far from your worst.

Couldn't give a shit what he's on. He's not fit and shouldn't be playing AFL football.

Fitness or injury?
Was mentioned on the AFL site that he had a lower leg injury or is his fitness that bad. Haven’t seen a lot of Port this season to know how he has been going

[Booney]

Rockliff can check out Unley on Anzac Day.

$800k a year to play SANFL
He was ordinary today but far from your worst.

Couldn't give a shit what he's on. He's not fit and shouldn't be playing AFL football.

Fitness or injury?
Was mentioned on the AFL site that he had a lower leg injury or is his fitness that bad. Haven’t seen a lot of Port this season to know how he has been going

Had a shoulder recon in October and didn't go full training until after Xmas then missed both JLT with a knee. Interrupted pre season and no practice matches. Not fit enough.

[MW]

Rockliff can check out Unley on Anzac Day.

$800k a year to play SANFL
He was ordinary today but far from your worst.

8 disp at 50% efficiency
Who was worse???

[Jim05]

Rockliff can check out Unley on Anzac Day.

$800k a year to play SANFL
He was ordinary today but far from your worst.

8 disp at 50% efficiency
Who was worse???

McKenzie, Howard, Clurey to name a few

[Wedgie]

Is Motlop going to make his debut for Port soon?

[morell]

I'm hearing Rockliff pinged a calf early on

[morell]

Is Motlop going to make his debut for Port soon?

Worst. Troll. Ever.

[Jim05]

I'm hearing Rockliff pinged a calf early on

It did say lower leg injury on the AFL site. Surprised the medical staff would send him on for the remainder of the game though

[Dutchy]

Rockliff can check out Unley on Anzac Day.

$800k a year to play SANFL
He was ordinary today but far from your worst.

Couldn't give a shit what he's on. He's not fit and shouldn't be playing AFL football.

Burgo wouldn't cop that

[MW]

Rockliff can check out Unley on Anzac Day.

$800k a year to play SANFL
He was ordinary today but far from your worst.

Couldn't give a shit what he's on. He's not fit and shouldn't be playing AFL football.

Burgo wouldn't cop that

I thought Burgo was still involved...

[Wedgie]

$800k a year to play SANFL
He was ordinary today but far from your worst.

Couldn't give a shit what he's on. He's not fit and shouldn't be playing AFL football.

Burgo wouldn't cop that

I thought Burgo was still involved...

Nah mate, he's at Arsenal who are going backwards at a rapid rate of knots.

[PatowalongaPirate]

“I gave him the thumbs up to play on”

4A39085B-8282-4F70-AC80-163F72AC8B14.jpeg (12.3 KiB) Viewed 336 times

[Booney]

Where to start, where to start?

Really I should be asking “When will you start?” to our boys as that’s pretty much where yesterday’s game was won and lost, at the start. Essendon out gunned us early with a more ferocious attack on the ball and body, they played with extreme pressure when the ball was inside their forward 50 and they spread harder from the contest when they took control from our forward half. 22 points at the final siren, 18 points after 5 minutes, the next 90 minutes was an arm wrestle where both sides could say they wasted opportunities to score.

Two things come out of yesterday for me.

One, Essendon were written off after one loss, they beat Adelaide in the first round, lost to an improved Fremantle in Perth, dropped an ugly one to the Bulldogs and then accounted for Port Adelaide. Adelaide and Port both tipped by many for the top 4, two good scalps. What this tells me is that in the current football landscape to get your headline above all the other headlines it needs to be more sensational than the next and the demise of Essendon ( called by many after one loss ) and the early call that Worsfold’s contract extension was a mistake were, themselves, mistakes.

Let’s not under rate Essendon, any side with Hurley, Hooker, Daniher and Stewart down the spine will offer plenty of sides problems, they too went on a much vaunted recruiting spree and many pundits had them rising quickly up the ladder. The competition is extremely even in 2018 and any said ( bar Carlton ) looks capable of winning against almost anyone. Keep this in mind when thinking of yesterdays game.

Secondly it’s not so much the use of Dougal Howard in the ruck that unbalances our side in my view, Howard has the ability to compete in the ruck and he was being grafted as a forward/ruck option for some time at SANFL level, necessity took control as Hombsch was injured, Jonas suffered an injury and suspensions and Howard went back to defence. He quickly made the CHB spot his. So much so there was no room for Trengove in the back 7 and he was left to move to the Bulldogs.

For those calling for a ruckman to come into our group I see your point, we sorely could do with a Lobbe or Trengove right now, but my humble view is that we can leave Howard to do the lion share of the ruck work if we bring Hombsch in to help out Clurey and Jonas in defence. Like most sides you need a third tall option to drop off their opponent in the back half and create a 2 on 1 on the big forwards of the game.

Right at the moment Jonas ( who I thought played well on the much taller Daniher yesterday ) isn’t being afforded the chance to peel off and be that third man up, he’s having to play an accountable role and that unbalances our back 7. In turn when Dixon spends time on ball the forward half looks under sized with the exciting Marshall not yet physically capable of crashing packs and being the main target. Howard rucks, Westhoff backs him up, Dixon stays forward, Hombsch comes in to play the third tall in defence.

Suddenly Hartlett had to play on Stringer who, while matched well size wise isn’t typically a shut down defender and Stringer used his forward smarts and made the most of this kicking 4 goals. Daniher chips in with 2 on Jonas and Clurey, one out with Stewart, has 3 kicked on him. Our back 7 were in disarray at times. Unbalanced. No third man up.

We won the centre clearances, thanks in large to an exceptional game by Robbie Gray but we did get beaten on the outside at stoppages in play though as Essendon’s outside running hurt us badly and we looked a runner short on the outside.

R.Gray and three guys who have been consistently in our best all 4 games this year, Polec, Wines and Ebert can all hold their heads up after yesterday’s game.

Some other concerns to come out of yesterday’s game are the ongoing slow starts our side has dished up, speaking of slow starts it’s clear Rockliff isn’t currently physically capable of competing at AFL level, he’s unable to turn and looks flat, he must go back to the SANFL for a week or be given an increased workload to get up to speed. A shoulder recon in October meant a late start to full contact work and missing both JLT games with a knee injury has him looking like a bloke in need of some work. Better now than later in the season. Some urgency with the ball from the much maligned Jack Watts wouldn’t hurt, I hoped to see a more committed Watts in moments yesterday. McKenzie also looked out of sorts when the pressure went up, seemed a step behind the play at times. Marshall will be monitored after leaving the ground in the third quarter with concussion.

For next week I’d like to see :

Out : Rockliff, McKenzie
In : Powell-Pepper, Hombsch

Boon's best : R.Gray, Wines, Polec, Ebert

[Booney]

Rockliff can check out Unley on Anzac Day.

$800k a year to play SANFL
He was ordinary today but far from your worst.

8 disp at 50% efficiency
Who was worse???

McKenzie, Howard, Clurey to name a few

Howard was ok, Bellchambers wasn't one of your best by any stretch.

Rockliff, McKenzie out. SPP and Hombsch in. We need that third tall in defence to keep our shape.

[am Bays]

I hoped to see a more committed Watts in moments yesterday.

Booney with the greatest respect, when I was a kid I hoped to see the Easter Bunny and Father Christmas each year, the real ones.

I fear you may have the same outcome with Watts

[Booney]

I hoped to see a more committed Watts in moments yesterday.

Booney with the greatest respect, when I was a kid I hoped to see the Easter Bunny and Father Christmas each year, the real ones.

I fear you may have the same outcome with Watts

There's no denying his ability with the ball in his hands, but **** me he lacks awareness.

[Jim05]

[quote="Booney"]Rockliff can check out Unley on Anzac Day.

$800k a year to play SANFL
He was ordinary today but far from your worst.

8 disp at 50% efficiency
Who was worse???

McKenzie, Howard, Clurey to name a few

Howard was ok, Bellchambers wasn't one of your best by any stretch.

Rockliff, McKenzie out. SPP and Hombsch in. We need that third tall in defence to keep our shape.[/quote]
No room for Pittard?
Thought you lacked leg speed coming out of defence.

[Jim05]

I hoped to see a more committed Watts in moments yesterday.

Booney with the greatest respect, when I was a kid I hoped to see the Easter Bunny and Father Christmas each year, the real ones.

I fear you may have the same outcome with Watts

There's no denying his ability with the ball in his hands, but **** me he lacks awareness.

Correct and he always seems to be just going through the motions with no real urgency. Has a beautiful set shot though so if you can get it into him he will kick his 2-3 most weeks

[Booney]

No room for Pittard?
Thought you lacked leg speed coming out of defence.

I didn't see the Magpies game but he played well from reports so he might be a chance.

Perhaps Bonner could push up the ground more and Pittard fall into the back half. Might need to see how he pulled up after Saturday.