Port 2014 - Pre-Season/General Discussion

[Rik E Boy]

Whoops, didn't read WUB's post fully. I mean, why start now?

regards,

REB

[The Dark Knight]

It seems quite a few players were struck with gastro and flu like symptoms, I hope the virus has been contained to as few players as possible.

Also, all the best for Butch, hope he is on the mend real soon.

Yep gone right through the playing group it seems, my brother is as sick as a dog today with flu like symptoms and some vomiting, been bed riden all day, don't think I've ever seen him this sick before.

Training was canceled for them tonight as the gym and rooms are being cleaned and disinfected.

[RustyCage]

Redden diagnosed with viral meningitis now. Butcher released from hospital today.

[heater31]

Redden diagnosed with viral meningitis now. Butcher released from hospital today.

As your earlier article stated Butcher went to hospital Thursday night but are the entire Player welfare staff on leave at the minute? Nobody realised John was in hospital until after the reserves had started on Saturday forcing Zac Hawkins (42?) to play both games?

[Gravel]

Redden diagnosed with viral meningitis now. Butcher released from hospital today.

As your earlier article stated Butcher went to hospital Thursday night but are the entire Player welfare staff on leave at the minute? Nobody realised John was in hospital until after the reserves had started on Saturday forcing Zac Hawkins (42?) to play both games?

Zac Hawkins replaced Darcy Byrne-Jones, who fell ill during the warm up.

[Magpiespower]

I thought Port looked good in a few small patches yesterday...

Been like that for about seven frustrating weeks now!

Turn it on for five or ten minutes.

Then... ???

but to me it has appeared over the past month or so that Port really lack a forward option to support Schulz. He is the go to man up there, Westhoff tends to play a lot higher up the ground if not in sweeping in defence, and opposition sides continue to shut down the delivery to Schulz

The Hoff is - and has only ever been - a paper KPP. Much better value when he's got license to roam. Saving our arse down back.

Hear a-lot of Port supporters screaming out for a second tall as if that's the solution to all our problems.

Reakon it's just one of many problems. Though the current forward set-up doesn't help...

[Rik E Boy]

Bouy oh Bouy!

regards,

REB

[NO-MERCY]

Last time you'll see Butcher in a Power guernsey.

[Booney]

Last time you'll see Butcher in a Power guernsey.

I would think that's the case, yes.

[Grahaml]

Port's early season form really showed how good any side can be with some confidence. Seemed all 22 men on the ground ran about without a thought of failure in anything they did. Just about the hardest thing in football is to capture that and to have done it for so long is pretty impressive.

However, the bubble burst and now we'll see who is up to it and who isn't but some things have become clear.

1. Schultz doesn't look like a #1 target. He is clean and finishes superbly. But he doesn't win many 50/50s up there at all. In fact, in far too many he gets soundly beaten. Great foil for someone but the really top sides have a focal point who can at least halve those contest and create openings.

2. Westhoff needs to be played to his strengths. That is his ability to read the play and his run. Watch him and you'll see he covers the ground better than just about anyone and he finds himself in dangerous spots. Give him license to roam and he'll look after himself. Then his height and contested marking will be bonuses.

3. The talls down back are good enough, even if the backups were exposed with Carlisle and Trengove going down. But in all honesty, what defenses don't struggle with the 2 best talls out? None are really great at doing damage the other way so Port just need to find someone seriously capable of hurting on the rebound.

4. The midfield works nicely if everyone is on song. But as soon as one player drops off it all starts to unravel a little. Boak is a fine player but he's not a top liner. If he's the #1 mid then #6 better be right behind him. Not sure anyone there has the right stuff to be that man. Premiership teams for as long as the mind goes back have had at least 1 guy the opposition can't stop or have to put so much into stopping the other blokes seem to have it easy.

5. Ruck is a problem. Lobbe made a massive transformation going from West's reserves to Port's main man in the blink of an eye but while his best is good, his worst is terrible and there's little in between. Lately, his best has been seen less and less. Either he needs greater help, some serious improvement or Port might need to start investing in their rucks.

[Phantom Gossiper]

Tidy up the decision making and disposal efficiency, and the rest will take care of itself.

[Booney]

1. Schultz doesn't look like a #1 target. He is clean and finishes superbly. But he doesn't win many 50/50s up there at all. In fact, in far too many he gets soundly beaten. Great foil for someone but the really top sides have a focal point who can at least halve those contest and create openings.

With all forwards, the delivery is the key and different size/shape forwards need different supply. Schulz needs it out in front and in space to allow him to move to the ball, not be in a one on one wrestle with the big defender he is typically outsized by. At the moment our midfield and defence is making his Saturday afternoon very hard work indeed.

2. Westhoff needs to be played to his strengths. That is his ability to read the play and his run. Watch him and you'll see he covers the ground better than just about anyone and he finds himself in dangerous spots. Give him license to roam and he'll look after himself. Then his height and contested marking will be bonuses.

Trengove being out has really hurt Westhoffs game. Against Hawthorn and Fremantle Trengove played as a tall forward chopping out in the ruck allowing Westhoff to run free. Currently he is the CHF and back up ruckman and link man and lose man in defence. Trengoves return will be very useful to both ends of the ground.

3. The talls down back are good enough, even if the backups were exposed with Carlisle and Trengove going down. But in all honesty, what defenses don't struggle with the 2 best talls out? None are really great at doing damage the other way so Port just need to find someone seriously capable of hurting on the rebound.

It hurts us both ways, the ball coming into and out of defence. Trengove is a markint target coming out of D50 and with him out the side Westhoff has to come up, bringing Schulz up, all of a sudden our structure is broken down.

4. The midfield works nicely if everyone is on song. But as soon as one player drops off it all starts to unravel a little. Boak is a fine player but he's not a top liner. If he's the #1 mid then #6 better be right behind him. Not sure anyone there has the right stuff to be that man. Premiership teams for as long as the mind goes back have had at least 1 guy the opposition can't stop or have to put so much into stopping the other blokes seem to have it easy.

I disagree, Boak is a top liner, so is Wines and so is Hartlett. Boaks quiet games this year have reaped 25 touches, his best in the high 30's. The lack of support he and Wines have got in the last month though is a worry.

5. Ruck is a problem. Lobbe made a massive transformation going from West's reserves to Port's main man in the blink of an eye but while his best is good, his worst is terrible and there's little in between. Lately, his best has been seen less and less. Either he needs greater help, some serious improvement or Port might need to start investing in their rucks.

Lobbe has been left to hold the can with both Redden and Renouf lost to season ending injuries. Redden was our lead ruckman in late 2012, rightly so. Renouf stood up early in 2013 and was struck down by what is probably another career ending knee injury. We have them three ruckman on our list and two are gone for the year. Makes Lobbe's workload huge. Take out the Trengove back up and......Lobbe does look tired but we have no option to replace him at this point.

[Rik E Boy]

Some good points there Boon. It is a tough gig to try and carry the ruck on your own. Perhaps only Minson and a to a lesser extent Goldstein have managed to do it for longer and better than Lobbe. I'd agree on Boak too, he is definately an A Grader but not so sure on Hartlett and Wines just yet. I think both will be sooner rather than later though.

Port are a younger team full of run that copped a couple of injuries that haven' been able to counter.

regards,

REB

[Dr Phil]

just heard 4 players from last weeks game were that crook during the game they had to lie down at half time with blankets over them. probs explain the lack of run last week.

[Booney]

Port Adelaide face a task I think is too large, turning the poor form of the last month around to win at home against the league leading Swannies. I’d like to say I have the confidence in this group to match it with Sydney, hell, it was only 7 weeks ago we pushed them to the limit in Sydney ultimately falling 4 points short in a cracking contest.

Since then Port has been on the slide, with 2 wins in the last 6 games pummelling the hapless Bulldogs and falling over the line against Melbourne. Our form has been terrible. Our run has dried up, our defence is bleeding on the back of ordinary midfield pressure, our forwards are starved because of it. Uuuurghh.

Our last month has just simply been below the level to compete with the top sides though. Our top 4 chances are gone and without another win ( or two ) we could potentially miss finals altogether......*ouch*

We do have the timely return of Trengove and another week under the belt of Carlile ( who was monstered in the air and across the ground by Cloke last week, perhaps Carlile was under done ) to sure up our key defensive posts, offer some assistance to Lobbe in the ruck and add the option of playing 3 talls forward with Trengove playing there if we can release him from D50. Although this appears unlikely with Tippet, Franklin, Goodes and Reid all lining up at different stages in Sydneys F50.

In wins over GWS, Geelong, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Melbourne and St.Kilda we averaged 13 marks inside 50. In losses to Adelaide, Essendon, Richmond, Collingwood we averaged 9 marks inside 50. Now it may seem insignificant, just 4 marks, but 4 marks taken probably equates to 12-14 contests which means 8-12 opportunities for Gray, Wingard and Monfries to crumb and goal or apply defensive pressure to lock the ball in. All this has gone missing.

I’ve stated several times that Boak and Wines have been tremendous, without Wines last week in the first half and Boak across the 4 quarters our midfield would have been smashed, it was soundly beaten anyway. Hartlett was very good too, showing his class with 4 goals and 3 of them long bombs from outside 50. Broadbent, Polec, Wingard, Ebert, Monfries and Pittard all need to lift this week, lift quickly.

Contested ball numbers need to be picked up, tackle numbers need to increase, even intent to tackle more would be helpful. We are not even putting perceived pressure on our opponents at the moment and they are scoring against our undermanned defence because of it.

Saturday night worries me. If we get a serious touch up the next two weeks against Gold Coast away and Carlton at home become 100% critical to us playing finals. Neither of those games are a “W” if we don’t get some form back this Saturday night.

I expect the margin will be greater than the number of lagers I’ll consume. Just.

[Spargo]

That's still a bloody good sip in anyone's language.....

[daysofourlives]

Port Adelaide face a task I think is too large, turning the poor form of the last month around to win at home against the league leading Swannies. I’d like to say I have the confidence in this group to match it with Sydney, hell, it was only 7 weeks ago we pushed them to the limit in Sydney ultimately falling 4 points short in a cracking contest.

Since then Port has been on the slide, with 2 wins in the last 6 games pummelling the hapless Bulldogs and falling over the line against Melbourne. Our form has been terrible. Our run has dried up, our defence is bleeding on the back of ordinary midfield pressure, our forwards are starved because of it. Uuuurghh.

Our last month has just simply been below the level to compete with the top sides though. Our top 4 chances are gone and without another win ( or two ) we could potentially miss finals altogether......*ouch*

We do have the timely return of Trengove and another week under the belt of Carlile ( who was monstered in the air and across the ground by Cloke last week, perhaps Carlile was under done ) to sure up our key defensive posts, offer some assistance to Lobbe in the ruck and add the option of playing 3 talls forward with Trengove playing there if we can release him from D50. Although this appears unlikely with Tippet, Franklin, Goodes and Reid all lining up at different stages in Sydneys F50.

In wins over GWS, Geelong, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Melbourne and St.Kilda we averaged 13 marks inside 50. In losses to Adelaide, Essendon, Richmond, Collingwood we averaged 9 marks inside 50. Now it may seem insignificant, just 4 marks, but 4 marks taken probably equates to 12-14 contests which means 8-12 opportunities for Gray, Wingard and Monfries to crumb and goal or apply defensive pressure to lock the ball in. All this has gone missing.

I’ve stated several times that Boak and Wines have been tremendous, without Wines last week in the first half and Boak across the 4 quarters our midfield would have been smashed, it was soundly beaten anyway. Hartlett was very good too, showing his class with 4 goals and 3 of them long bombs from outside 50. Broadbent, Polec, Wingard, Ebert, Monfries and Pittard all need to lift this week, lift quickly.

Contested ball numbers need to be picked up, tackle numbers need to increase, even intent to tackle more would be helpful. We are not even putting perceived pressure on our opponents at the moment and they are scoring against our undermanned defence because of it.

Saturday night worries me. If we get a serious touch up the next two weeks against Gold Coast away and Carlton at home become 100% critical to us playing finals. Neither of those games are a “W” if we don’t get some form back this Saturday night.

I expect the margin will be greater than the number of lagers I’ll consume. Just.

That would be the 2nd placed Swannies you are playing Boon

[woodublieve12]

Anyone seen or heard from chad wingard??? Seriously, must be a big concern...

[Ron Burgundy]

22% increase in memberships at Port Adelaide. Pretty amazing effort.

[stan]

Anyone seen or heard from chad wingard??? Seriously, must be a big concern...

Thought I saw him at the train station. Mighy of been some uni bum though. [emoji12]