by Booney » Mon Sep 07, 2020 10:53 am
The question must be asked, what is worse, telling people you support North or having to watch them every week?
For patches on Saturday night North successfully dragged Port Adelaide down to their level, granted it was with pressure around the ball and on the ball carrier but it wasn't going to be the case all night and ultimately Port opened North up in the third term kicking 6 goals on the way to a largely uninspiring 36 point win.
The first half was played mainly between the 50m arcs with both defensive units hardly allowing a F50 entry without some hard work before it, or, in a few cases some end to end transition from defensive 50 to attacking 50 when some time and space became available. North's back half held up well considering Port won the centre clearances 15-3, Tarrant and McKay earned their money and can hold their head high.
Ollie Wines in particular in fine form in the centre square. Wines has been in some really good form since coming back into the side in round two, he's averaging 20 touches, 4 tackles, 4 I50's and 5 clearances a week this year and most tellingly he's changed his game, he's doing far more of the basics right and isn't trying to hit pin point passes by foot. If not for the form of Boak and Butters in recent weeks I think Wines would be getting far more positive press.
In the third term the weight of numbers in the midfield took their toll, lead by Lycett in the ruck Boak, Wines, Rockliff and Powell-Pepper took over and with some quick centre square exits Tarrant and McKay didn't get across to help each other or fill space and Port's forwards had a purple patch. Dixon, Gray and Rozee all goaled while Wines chipped in with two rippers, one from outside 50 and another from a quick snap after shrugging off a couple of tackles.
I thought a couple of players stood out without being BOG, Hartlett was clean with ball in hand when plenty of others slipped and fumbled and Polec looked decidedly uninterested, on one occasion he could have buried Butters but stopped in his tracks.
The only challenge in the last term was staying awake as again the ball bounced from 50 to 50 and the final siren put North and the people subjected to watching the match out of their misery.
Boon's best - Boak, Wines, Rockliff, Lycett, Powell-Pepper, Hartlett, Polec.
Onto next week when hopefully we drum up 4 points against the Bombers.
PAFC. Forever.
LOOK OUT, WE'RE COMING!