Port Adelaide 2018

[Jim05]

I'm with ya Days, wish I'd put more on them prior to season .. Lots of things can change during the course of the season, but they appear to have the cattle, balance, and depth. All aboard the Power train!

Long way to go. They beat Sydney up there last year aswell and seem to match up well on them.

[daysofourlives]

I'm with ya Days, wish I'd put more on them prior to season .. Lots of things can change during the course of the season, but they appear to have the cattle, balance, and depth. All aboard the Power train!

Long way to go. They beat Sydney up there last year aswell and seem to match up well on them.

Mark today down in your diary, its the day that MCG team emerges from the pack to upset the Power gravy train
There, its not that hard to make a confident statement Booney. Its why we win them every 5 years

[Spargo]

I'm with ya Days, wish I'd put more on them prior to season .. Lots of things can change during the course of the season, but they appear to have the cattle, balance, and depth. All aboard the Power train!

Long way to go. They beat Sydney up there last year aswell and seem to match up well on them.

They were extremely lucky to be so close at halftime - Sydney should’ve been 6-7 goals up & out of sight.
Granted Port’s work rate lifted & their pressure worried Sydney out of it in the end - but sheesh, it’s only round 2 lads..

[Booney]

Wingard tight hamstring.

Thomas kicks 6 in the SANFL.

[LMA]

Wingard tight hamstring.

Thomas kicks 6 in the SANFL.

Very like for like, both appeal for frees any chance they get

[Jim05]

Wingard tight hamstring.

Thomas kicks 6 in the SANFL.

Play a kid. Why would you bring a cancer like Thomas into a side that appears to have good harmony

[carey]

Out- Chad Wingard (inj) Dan Houston (tough call)

In- Jake Neade, Billy Framton

Tough call on Dan but IMO especially against Brisbane Billy should play. Expose the lad

[Rik E Boy]

Wingard tight hamstring.

Thomas kicks 6 in the SANFL.

Thanks for cheering me up Boon. He's in and you know it.

regards,

REB

[Booney]

Wingard tight hamstring.

Thomas kicks 6 in the SANFL.

Thanks for cheering me up Boon. He's in and you know it.

regards,

REB

Yup.

[GWW]

My guess, Johnson (or Neade) to come in for Chad.

[Booney]

That's what I'm talking about!

If you watched the first quarter closely the writing was on the wall that Sydney were in for a big win over Port Adelaide. Dominating clearances, contested possession, I50's, tackles, all the KPI's that coaches and in particular Longmire use as a recipe for success. Win it in close, get it forward to Franklin one-on-one and the rest takes care of itself. During this first quarter Hartlett and DBJ showed some signs they were on for a good day at the office, opportunity was knocking on Port's defensive door regularly.

The second quarter much the same, Port somehow with holding back the onslaught as Franklin, Kennedy, Hennbery, Jack and McVeigh used their wise heads and bigger bodies to take control of the game. Port had Westhoff playing well for the second week running, he'd picked up where he left off last week, Boaky was leading from the front and at half time there's too many names to mention who were barely sighted. Watts, Wingard, Motlop, Ebert, Marshall all barely raised the statisticians pencil. That soon changed.

After half time Hinkley changed things up, Dixon went into the middle to use his big frame in the ruck and around the contest, Port went small up front with Boak bagging two in a minute, Ebert playing defensively on McVeigh, Wingard got a gift from Rampe ( it was almost as funny as his mustache ), Watts got a hand in on a couple of contests, Motlop bent one truly and all of a sudden Port were doing what Port do best. Winning it in the middle thanks to Wines who perhaps played his best individual game of his career and getting it forward to a potent attack. Robbie Gray was now in the game, getting his hands on the ball and applying pressure (10 tackles for the match, 6 in the 3rd quarter) and he was now having an influence.

Most pleasing was the touch and power shown by rapidly improving key forward Todd Marshall. A lead up mark and goal from 50 then out bodies Grundy on the line to take a clever mark and finish. Hinkley told Port fans last year it was worth exposing him in that final as he'll be something special. We see it, Ken.

Say what you like about Hinkley's game plan but it works, it creates I50's entries, repeat entries, and once the ball get's into Port's forward half it is tough to get it out. Port's mobile defenders push up to the middle of the ground, the opposition forwards go deep to help out the defense and when you get the ball and look up there's a Tom Tom wall in front of you, Clurey and Jonas the blokes who set up in the key spots behind the ball with Hartlett, DBJ and Houston ready to take it from them and deliver forward.

7 goals to 2 in the pressure cooker third quarter and Port are well on top.

The last quarter was just as intense, with a humid day having all the players drenched in sweat the ball became increasingly difficult to take one grab. Part of the reason Dixon remained on ball, it wasn't a day for clunking marks as a key forward, 3 of Franklin's goals coming from opportunistic ground balls, his snap to start the last quarter looping around on his left from 50 a Franklin Only. Nobody else kicks them. It was game on as the Swans kicked the first two of the last quarter. Wines was still standing strong, SPP although not getting much ball was wrecking packs, Robbie and Sam Gray both had moments in the last quarter, Jonas and Clurey built the wall and Doooogual Howard was stuck to Franklin getting the better of big Bud in a couple of crucial one-on-ones.

Hard not to get excited by the win, it was a demonstration of the flexibility Port now has at it's disposal. Clurey, Howard, Jonas play back, Hartlett and Houston look to run off them, DBJ shuts down the small forward.

From there the other 16 players can all pretty much either play forward or midfield and the opposition white board's must move at a manic rate as Hinkley rotates mids and forwards at will. I think this is Port's second best weapon behind our super impressive back 6 (7).

Boons best - Wines, Dixon, Westhoff, Boak, R.Gray, Jonas

[Booney]

Chad Wingard – hamstring soreness (assess)
Jimmy Toumpas – shoulder (assess)
Jasper Pittard – hamstring (1-2 weeks)
Paddy Ryder – Achilles tendon (4-5 weeks)
Matthew Broadbent – ankle (TBC)
Willem Drew – foot (TBC)
Cameron Hewett – shin (TBC)

[morell]

Where's Drew at?

Was impressed with his hands and work in close during a trial a cutla years back and has since disappeared...

[Lightning McQueen]

Where's Drew at?

Was impressed with his hands and work in close during a trial a cutla years back and has since disappeared...

Can't pencil him in just yet.

[The Bedge]

Out- Chad Wingard (inj) Dan Houston (tough call)

In- Jake Neade, Billy Framton

Tough call on Dan but IMO especially against Brisbane Billy should play. Expose the lad

Reasoning on the Houston call?

I'd prefer to see Frampton in for Wingard, then move Dixon back forward and have Gray, Gray, Rockliff, Motlop, Boak rotate through the HFF's.

[Booney]

Where's Drew at?

Was impressed with his hands and work in close during a trial a cutla years back and has since disappeared...

Behind Atley and Snelling who both played well in the SANFL on the weekend.

Had an injury interrupted end to 2017 too.

[Booney]

Out- Chad Wingard (inj) Dan Houston (tough call)

In- Jake Neade, Billy Framton

Tough call on Dan but IMO especially against Brisbane Billy should play. Expose the lad

If Wingard misses then it's Thomas or Neade who come in for him.

Stef Martin is big bodied, I can see us giving Dixon another role in the ruck and why not. He's as fit as he's ever been and with Brisbane playing a two tall front half we could possibly give Howard a run in the guts as well.

[The Bedge]

If Wingard misses then it's Thomas or Neade who come in for him.

If that's the case, then surely Thomas gets the nod - he's the most like-type player to Wingard?

[morell]

Out- Chad Wingard (inj) Dan Houston (tough call)

In- Jake Neade, Billy Framton

Tough call on Dan but IMO especially against Brisbane Billy should play. Expose the lad

Reasoning on the Houston call?

I'd prefer to see Frampton in for Wingard, then move Dixon back forward and have Gray, Gray, Rockliff, Motlop, Boak rotate through the HFF's.

This is what I'd do too

Dicko is too valuable to flog to death in the ruck against Brissy

[daysofourlives]

Prepared to lift the lid yet Boon and go out on a limb with a prermiership prediction?
Only undefeated team left. Won ugly, all boxes ticked now