Port Adelaide 2016

[Booney]

It's fair to scrutinise severely Boon. Let's honestly turn back 18-19 months ago. Very unfortunate they lost a prelim, but for the best part of 2 years they had proven themselves to be an improving team and club. They then recruited a ready to go Patty Ryder to take them to the next step. Then signed their core group to long term deals and market themselves as a club with strong commitment values combined with a proud history.

Fast forward the next 2 years, the following are some issues---->

*Beat Hawthorn twice last year---> To me that's a bigger concern than a positive. What the heck was happening when they consistently lost to complete rabble? One of those wins was also when the season was over.

*Hinkley said last year that the club wasn't dealing with expectation or something along those lines. I remember hearing Leigh Matthews who was lost for words on how laughable that was.

*The players output has continuously been scrutinised----> How long can you seriously keep saying this. Something has to give at some stage. Saying it for 2 years is unacceptable for a team who on paper has a far better team than they did compared to Prelim final day in 2014.

So who is it? The Coach, the players or the club? The coach needs to motivate these blokes to work hard consistently, without that you're screwed. It needs to be fixed and if it's not fixed before preseason in October 2016 I reckon you're in bigger trouble than the early settlers. The reason I say that is that if this is served up again next year it's just going to piss your fans off that the club worked to hard to get on board and did a great job in doing so. Also that's 3 years wasted, I honestly thought you would play in 2 grand finals during that time.

I'm not being a smartarse, nor a troll. I'd back Port before anyone besides the Crows even though I stir my mates up. I reckon the time to fix these issues is now.

I point the finger fairly and squarely at the players.

Recruiters have done their job, they've attracted Ryder and Dixon to the club, two good gets who would have been on many clubs radars. It has been at the expense of recent drafts but the likes of Impey, Amon, DBJ 20,Wines 21, Wingard 22, Young, Polec, Hombsch 23, Trengove, Broadbent, Hartlett, Pittard 25, Boak 27, Gray 28...hardly in need of an injection of youth!

The side can play, the system does work, the players need to pull their ******* fingers out.

[Lightning McQueen]

No, but I wouldn't mind being held under some ice water.

That'd be cool.

Well he did say "ice".

[Brodlach]

Someone just said Port have made finals only twice in 10 years, is that right?

Well, no....07, 13 and 14. 3 of the last 9.

Didnt make it in 2006 so three of ten, that really surprises me.

[Dogwatcher]

No, but I wouldn't mind being held under some ice water.

That'd be cool.

Well he did say "ice".

I'm assuming by his post Booney was saying "what about your club's issues..."

[Booney]

No, but I wouldn't mind being held under some ice water.

That'd be cool.

Well he did say "ice".

I'm assuming by his post Booney was saying "what about your club's issues..."

Exactly...!

[Dogwatcher]

I'm assuming by his post Booney was saying "what about your club's issues..."

Exactly...!

But, I thought that's what's wrong with footy forums.

[bennymacca]

Further demonstrates it's not the system, but the way the players apply themselves to it.

Coaching is much more about system though right?

It's about getting the players to play close to their maximum ability. How many port players are doing that? Surely it is a failure of the coaching staff that this isn't happening? And it's not only depth that gets the best out of someone?

Look at Carlton this year. They have a very simple game plan and an average list. Yet they have a crack (almost) every week, even when key players get injured, and a significant portion of the team is having a career best year. (Gibbs Doherty curnow etc)

How many port players are close to their peak output? Pittard? Broadbent? Dixon is going well.

How many others? Besides young guys like Neade and DBJ I don't think you can say that many others are playing at their peak.

Surely the coaching staff take a portion of the blame for that too?

[Booney]

A portion, yes, completely, not a chance. These blokes are professionals, they should be fronting up every week in the same mindset.

Explain how from the Bulldogs game last week to this week the coaches did anything differently?

If the players "got themselves up" for the Dogs why couldn't they for Fremantle?

Carlton is an really good example, the players are pretty much the same but the system has changed and clearly the players believe in that system. Ports players have shown they believe in our system, they have also shown that they don't always give it 100%.

[Jim05]

It's fair to scrutinise severely Boon. Let's honestly turn back 18-19 months ago. Very unfortunate they lost a prelim, but for the best part of 2 years they had proven themselves to be an improving team and club. They then recruited a ready to go Patty Ryder to take them to the next step. Then signed their core group to long term deals and market themselves as a club with strong commitment values combined with a proud history.

Fast forward the next 2 years, the following are some issues---->

*Beat Hawthorn twice last year---> To me that's a bigger concern than a positive. What the heck was happening when they consistently lost to complete rabble? One of those wins was also when the season was over.

*Hinkley said last year that the club wasn't dealing with expectation or something along those lines. I remember hearing Leigh Matthews who was lost for words on how laughable that was.

*The players output has continuously been scrutinised----> How long can you seriously keep saying this. Something has to give at some stage. Saying it for 2 years is unacceptable for a team who on paper has a far better team than they did compared to Prelim final day in 2014.

So who is it? The Coach, the players or the club? The coach needs to motivate these blokes to work hard consistently, without that you're screwed. It needs to be fixed and if it's not fixed before preseason in October 2016 I reckon you're in bigger trouble than the early settlers. The reason I say that is that if this is served up again next year it's just going to piss your fans off that the club worked to hard to get on board and did a great job in doing so. Also that's 3 years wasted, I honestly thought you would play in 2 grand finals during that time.

I'm not being a smartarse, nor a troll. I'd back Port before anyone besides the Crows even though I stir my mates up. I reckon the time to fix these issues is now.

I point the finger fairly and squarely at the players.

Recruiters have done their job, they've attracted Ryder and Dixon to the club, two good gets who would have been on many clubs radars. It has been at the expense of recent drafts but the likes of Impey, Amon, DBJ 20,Wines 21, Wingard 22, Young, Polec, Hombsch 23, Trengove, Broadbent, Hartlett, Pittard 25, Boak 27, Gray 28...hardly in need of an injection of youth!

The side can play, the system does work, the players need to pull their ******* fingers out.

And what if the players don't pull their finger out?
Isn't it the job of the coach to send them back to the Ressies or at the end of the year send them packing. Still seem that Port have too many untouchables that never cop the heat. As you have said if Boak isn't fit don't play him and if he is send him to the Maggies. Westhoff and Hartlett also appear to have golden tickets. Really is time Ken makes a statement

[Spargo]

Statements need to be made when the pressure's on & before finals are out of the picture.

[valleys07]

Further demonstrates it's not the system, but the way the players apply themselves to it.

Coaching is much more about system though right?

It's about getting the players to play close to their maximum ability. How many port players are doing that? Surely it is a failure of the coaching staff that this isn't happening? And it's not only depth that gets the best out of someone?

Look at Carlton this year. They have a very simple game plan and an average list. Yet they have a crack (almost) every week, even when key players get injured, and a significant portion of the team is having a career best year. (Gibbs Doherty curnow etc)

How many port players are close to their peak output? Pittard? Broadbent? Dixon is going well.

How many others? Besides young guys like Neade and DBJ I don't think you can say that many others are playing at their peak.

Surely the coaching staff take a portion of the blame for that too?

Very 2013 Port Adelaide, that.

[Booney]

And what if the players don't pull their finger out?
Isn't it the job of the coach to send them back to the Ressies or at the end of the year send them packing. Still seem that Port have too many untouchables that never cop the heat. As you have said if Boak isn't fit don't play him and if he is send him to the Maggies. Westhoff and Hartlett also appear to have golden tickets. Really is time Ken makes a statement

Who do we bring in? Mitchell, Ah Chee, Amon, Butcher or the first year kids?

Here we go "but the contracts". . One contract currently looks dubious, perhaps two. But at the time of signing neither appeared to be ridiculous. Hartlett and Lobbe wouldn't be on big coin and I think we've seen enough to know they will be valuable when in form.

[Jim05]

And what if the players don't pull their finger out?
Isn't it the job of the coach to send them back to the Ressies or at the end of the year send them packing. Still seem that Port have too many untouchables that never cop the heat. As you have said if Boak isn't fit don't play him and if he is send him to the Maggies. Westhoff and Hartlett also appear to have golden tickets. Really is time Ken makes a statement

Who do we bring in? Mitchell, Ah Chee, Amon, Butcher or the first year kids?

Here we go "but the contracts". . One contract currently looks dubious, perhaps two. But at the time of signing neither appeared to be ridiculous. Hartlett and Lobbe wouldn't be on big coin and I think we've seen enough to know they will be valuable when in form.

Play the kids, you just might find another gem.
So I take it you are happy for the team to meander on for the remainder of the year and just hope they pull out their finger?
Sometimes it takes a big kick in the arse to jolt them into action, send one of the big names back to the Ressies, can't be any worse surely

[Booney]

Nope, I said in my comments earlier in the thread Hartlett needs to go back. I've also been pretty keen on some others going back and while I'm not happy to meander through the rest of the year I see no point in playing Butcher or Mitchell who'll be gone at the end of the year.

We simply can't drop Westhoff, we have no height as it is, bar Butcher and Frampton. He has to stay in.

Riley Bonner, Jesse Palmer and Billy Frampton are the only three I see worth trying right now. Bonner, half back, Palmer, third tall forward/back and Frampton might just get a run as he's our only ruck left on the list.

Johnson, Houston, Hewitt, all first year draftees. Let them be. Toumpas and Polec can stay there and earn a recall ( unless more go down injured ) and Clurey isn't playing well at all, if he was he'd be in ahead of O'Shea and Stewart.

[daysofourlives]

Nope, I said in my comments earlier in the thread Hartlett needs to go back. I've also been pretty keen on some others going back and while I'm not happy to meander through the rest of the year I see no point in playing Butcher or Mitchell who'll be gone at the end of the year.

We simply can't drop Westhoff, we have no height as it is, bar Butcher and Frampton. He has to stay in.

Riley Bonner, Jesse Palmer and Billy Frampton are the only three I see worth trying right now. Bonner, half back, Palmer, third tall forward/back and Frampton might just get a run as he's our only ruck left on the list.

Johnson, Houston, Hewitt, all first year draftees. Let them be. Toumpas and Polec can stay there and earn a recall ( unless more go down injured ) and Clurey isn't playing well at all, if he was he'd be in ahead of O'Shea and Stewart.

What about Colqhuon, wheres he at? Surely he comes in, at least he works both ways and is probably fittest on your list, disposal might not be 100% be has a crack

[amber_fluid]

See my comments on the previous page, people saying it's the coaches fault are off the mark or just trolling, I can pick which is which.

10 days ago the system pushed a then top 4 side to play well and win by just 3 points. Last year it beat Hawthorn twice, no other coach managed that.

How many coaches managed to lose to Carlton and Brisbane last year?

regards,

REB

Further demonstrates it's not the system, but the way the players apply themselves to it.

It's the coaches job to create the systems but to also make sure players adhere to that system.
And that's not happening so Hinkley has to be held accountable.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

On another note, it pisses me off to hear people shit can Hinkley and the coaching staff.

Must be reading the review (or last 10 pages of the game day thread) on Big Footy.

[Booney]

I haven't been on Big Footy for about 5 years.

[Spargo]

I haven't been on Big Footy for about 5 years.

She's a different world over there...

[Sheik Yerbouti]

The reviews & game day threads are something else during & after a loss.
Had Hickley sacked ON THE SPOT 3 minutes into the last quarter, all of them just about.
I really want to meet these people, their a different breed.