PAFC 2026

[Booney]

5 maybe 6.

[carey]

Jacob Moss (head/neck) - concussion protocols
Harrison Ramm (ankle) - 3-4 weeks
Mani Liddy (groin) - 5-6 weeks
Esava Ratugolea (knee) - 5-7 weeks
Jack Lukosius (groin) - 6-8 weeks
Sam Powell-Pepper (knee) - 6-8 weeks
Connor Rozee (hamstring) - 11-13 weeks
Josh Sinn (shoulder) - 4-5 months
Ollie Lord (knee) - season
Ivan Soldo (knee) - season

None of them back any time soon, either.

Right from the start of the year, I knew our list wasn't great, however I thought if we could get a better run than last year with injuries we could push for the 8. Its last year all over again! When your list isn't great in terms of depth you simply cannot carry the above injuries.

We're a lock for bottom 4.

[Booney]

Right from the start of the year, I knew our list wasn't great, however I thought if we could get a better run than last year with injuries we could push for the 8.

This, 100%. I thought we'd be 8-12 wins with our best side on the park for the bulk of the year but we couldn't afford to lose talls.

Sweet, Visentini and Soldo the only rucks on the list. Georgiades, Whitlock and Lukosius forward. Zerk-Thatcher, Aliir, Ratugolea and Marshall back.

Moss and Ramm are developing.

[wenchbarwer]

Jacob Moss (head/neck) - concussion protocols
Harrison Ramm (ankle) - 3-4 weeks
Mani Liddy (groin) - 5-6 weeks
Esava Ratugolea (knee) - 5-7 weeks
Jack Lukosius (groin) - 6-8 weeks
Sam Powell-Pepper (knee) - 6-8 weeks
Connor Rozee (hamstring) - 11-13 weeks
Josh Sinn (shoulder) - 4-5 months
Ollie Lord (knee) - season
Ivan Soldo (knee) - season

None of them back any time soon, either.

Right from the start of the year, I knew our list wasn't great, however I thought if we could get a better run than last year with injuries we could push for the 8. Its last year all over again! When your list isn't great in terms of depth you simply cannot carry the above injuries.

We're a lock for bottom 4.

[Jim05]

We're a lock for bottom 4.

Richmond, Essendon, West Coast, Carlton and Port all “locks” for bottom 4.
Which unlucky club misses out

[Brodlach]

We're a lock for bottom 4.

Richmond, Essendon, West Coast, Carlton and Port all “locks” for bottom 4.
Which unlucky club misses out

West Coast have improved a bit, see if that continues

Port won’t finish bottom 4

[Lightning McQueen]

Jacob Moss (head/neck) - concussion protocols
Harrison Ramm (ankle) - 3-4 weeks
Mani Liddy (groin) - 5-6 weeks
Esava Ratugolea (knee) - 5-7 weeks
Jack Lukosius (groin) - 6-8 weeks
Sam Powell-Pepper (knee) - 6-8 weeks
Connor Rozee (hamstring) - 11-13 weeks
Josh Sinn (shoulder) - 4-5 months
Ollie Lord (knee) - season
Ivan Soldo (knee) - season

None of them back any time soon, either.

Right from the start of the year, I knew our list wasn't great, however I thought if we could get a better run than last year with injuries we could push for the 8. Its last year all over again! When your list isn't great in terms of depth you simply cannot carry the above injuries.

We're a lock for bottom 4.

You had more faith than I did, my brother and I stopped talking about footy because I thought we were a long way off the pack.

The top 5-6 sides are improving where the rest of the field are stagnant and will be for a few years.

[Armchair expert]

We're a lock for bottom 4.

Richmond, Essendon, West Coast, Carlton and Port all “locks” for bottom 4.
Which unlucky club misses out

Essendon aren't bottom 4 quality and you know it.

[Lightning McQueen]

We're a lock for bottom 4.

Richmond, Essendon, West Coast, Carlton and Port all “locks” for bottom 4.
Which unlucky club misses out

West Coast have improved a bit, see if that continues

Port won’t finish bottom 4

Who's finishing below them?

Port have five 50/50 games remaining.

Carl (H)
WC (A)
NM (H)
Melb (H)
Ess (A)

I'll back us to win 3-4 of them, Carlton will improve and string a few wins together, Eagles will push a couple of sides at home, North have some ticker and some decent kids who are developing nicely.

IMO we won't see the ridiculous upsets that we've had historically, there was often a scrubber team would knock off a top 4-5 team, it's not gonna happen this year, the divide between the top 5-6 and the bottom 4-5 is as big as I've seen.

[Lightning McQueen]

We're a lock for bottom 4.

Richmond, Essendon, West Coast, Carlton and Port all “locks” for bottom 4.
Which unlucky club misses out

Essendon aren't bottom 4 quality and you know it.

Yes, you've won one in a row.

[Brodlach]

For me
WC
Essendon
Carlton
Richmond


Believe me, I love to have Port in the bottom 4

Will be tough without Rozee for such a long period

[Trader]

Right from the start of the year, I knew our list wasn't great, however I thought if we could get a better run than last year with injuries we could push for the 8.

This, 100%. I thought we'd be 8-12 wins with our best side on the park for the bulk of the year but we couldn't afford to lose talls.

The frustrating part is that we know this has been their strategy for a while.
The club has been rolling the dice with the lack of depth and then when it hasn't worked the narrative is we are unlucky to get injuries, rather than acceptance that this was a deliberate decision by the club.

And no, I'm not saying this in hindsight, I've been saying it for a while.

March 2024 - in the Hinkley factor thread:

While I love the narrative that Hinkley stinks, it would only be fair to at least consider other explanations.

Could it be that in the front half of seasons, clubs have everyone available, but by the half way point, you have a number of players with injuries, or niggles, and that clubs with depth can cover the injured, and rest those with niggles to get right, where as sides without the adequate depth, either fall away completely, or continue to play players with niggles so they don't actually get better?

Port, Freo, Suns, these are sides that I would generally say lack the depth.

Port especially went through that period where we sold off anyone from 20-25 on our list in order to upgrade picks and try and acquire top end talent.
2016 - Impey, Ah Chee
2017 - Young, Austin,
2018 - pittard, polec, wingard, hombsch
2019 - frampton, howard, ryder

Now dont get me wrong, none are superstars, but they are the sort of depth players that can cover for injury etc.

So is our Hinkley factor high because hinkey fails when the whips get cracking, or is it high cause our club strategy is to sell the depth to try and obtain top end tallent, and this strategy leaves you wanting when injuries hit?\

(I'm happy to blame hinkley for this strategy as well if needed!).

July 2025 in the PAFC 2025 thread (page 60):

I understand where LM is coming from. Well, at least I agree with what I think his point is.

In a similar, but slightly different way, for mine, i feel the club has made a decision that having all your eggs in the top 23 is the best method. Having a balanced list is handy when you get injuries, but if you get injuries, you aint winning the flag anyway. So it feels to me, the club has had a strategy of attempting to get the strongest 23, and not really worrying about what that leaves on the list from 24-40.

This has meant, we've had a lack of development of kids who aren't already in the playing 23, and we've also looked to bring in guys who fit a gap in the starting team, even if that's meant moving on some depth from other areas on the field. This is the dreaded "missing puzzle piece" rolling joke we had for years.

These two strategies have meant we haven't had a lot of top end draft talent, other than the 2018 draft, and it has also meant we run out of depth when mid-season injuries hit.

I think our recycled players have been fairly average over this period:
Joe Richards
Jordan Sweet
Zerk-Thatcher
Ivan Soldo
Ratugolea
Rory Atkins
Quinton Narkle
Trent Dumont
Fantasia
Cam Sutcliff
Jack Trengove
Lindsey Thomas
Jack Watts
Sam Mayes
Steve Motlop
Toumpas

Don't get me wrong, there were a few winners:
Paddy Ryder, Lycett, Rockliff, Horne-Francis, Lukosius, Rioli and say McKenzie

But for the most part, I'd say 2/3s of those we've brought in in the last 10 years, have either failed, or clogged the list before being delisted within say 4 seasons.

[The Bedge]

March 2024 - in the Hinkley factor thread:

Port especially went through that period where we sold off anyone from 20-25 on our list in order to upgrade picks and try and acquire top end talent.
2016 - Impey, Ah Chee
2017 - Young, Austin,
2018 - pittard, polec, wingard, hombsch
2019 - frampton, howard, ryder

With the exception of Impey, you'd have to say in hindsight, none have been a real loss.

Frampton maybe? Has some reasonable games? Howard has really dropped off in recent years - is he even still playing?

[Trader]

I don't disagree.
Those names, especially 10 years on, don't really show a lot of quality.
They do however show that our strategy for a number of years has been to skimp on depth.

[saintal]

March 2024 - in the Hinkley factor thread:

Port especially went through that period where we sold off anyone from 20-25 on our list in order to upgrade picks and try and acquire top end talent.
2016 - Impey, Ah Chee
2017 - Young, Austin,
2018 - pittard, polec, wingard, hombsch
2019 - frampton, howard, ryder

With the exception of Impey, you'd have to say in hindsight, none have been a real loss.

Frampton maybe? Has some reasonable games? Howard has really dropped off in recent years - is he even still playing?

Perpetually injured, and just an average footballer at best. Not much going on between the ears at times.

[wenchbarwer]

March 2024 - in the Hinkley factor thread:

Port especially went through that period where we sold off anyone from 20-25 on our list in order to upgrade picks and try and acquire top end talent.
2016 - Impey, Ah Chee
2017 - Young, Austin,
2018 - pittard, polec, wingard, hombsch
2019 - frampton, howard, ryder

With the exception of Impey, you'd have to say in hindsight, none have been a real loss.

Frampton maybe? Has some reasonable games? Howard has really dropped off in recent years - is he even still playing?

Frampton plays a role for Collingwood because they lack tall defenders. Perfect place, perfect time.

[Lightning McQueen]

I understand where LM is coming from. Well, at least I agree with what I think his point is.

In a similar, but slightly different way, for mine, i feel the club has made a decision that having all your eggs in the top 23 is the best method. Having a balanced list is handy when you get injuries, but if you get injuries, you aint winning the flag anyway. So it feels to me, the club has had a strategy of attempting to get the strongest 23, and not really worrying about what that leaves on the list from 24-40.

This has meant, we've had a lack of development of kids who aren't already in the playing 23, and we've also looked to bring in guys who fit a gap in the starting team, even if that's meant moving on some depth from other areas on the field. This is the dreaded "missing puzzle piece" rolling joke we had for years.

These two strategies have meant we haven't had a lot of top end draft talent, other than the 2018 draft, and it has also meant we run out of depth when mid-season injuries hit.

I think our recycled players have been fairly average over this period:
Joe Richards
Jordan Sweet
Zerk-Thatcher
Ivan Soldo
Ratugolea
Rory Atkins
Quinton Narkle
Trent Dumont
Fantasia
Cam Sutcliff
Jack Trengove
Lindsey Thomas
Jack Watts
Sam Mayes
Steve Motlop
Toumpas

Don't get me wrong, there were a few winners:
Paddy Ryder, Lycett, Rockliff, Horne-Francis, Lukosius, Rioli and say McKenzie

But for the most part, I'd say 2/3s of those we've brought in in the last 10 years, have either failed, or clogged the list before being delisted within say 4 seasons.

Gee, that list as gotten smaller ovr the past 2 years.

[Booney]

T Cochrane - Hamstring 2-3 weeks

[Booney]

Annual leave and moving into a new job left me short on time to do reviews the last two weeks, but here we go....
I text my Mum at the 8 minute mark of the first quarter "Might be 50 goals" as Hawthorn blitzed Port Adelaide in the opening minutes in a thrilling contest that became the 5th 3 point margin game between these two clubs ( Hawthorn 4 wins to Port 1 ) as the Hawks held on to secure the 4 points.

Basically the first 4 goals went like this. Opening bounce, Hawthorn clearance, Hawthorn goal. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. It was a 4 goal pile on and Port's midfield was in disarray. After Mackinley and Durdin goaled before a clever snap from Butters we'd evened up and had the game moving in our direction. The Hawks added 3 more to hurt that momentum to lead by 26 at quarter time although anyone watching would have said Port were now, at least, in the game.

Credit here to Carr and his coaching staff. Late in the first quarter they'd have easily identified what was going wrong, lots. By quarter time they'd devised a plan to rectify it. At quarter time they delivered the message and the players understood and went and executed. Really pleasing half hour for the group.

What transpired in the second quarter was a 6 goal to nothing run that saw Berry open up mid centre, Bergman gets some fluidity into his game mid back and Drew, Butters and Wines got to work at the feet of Visentini and Sweet. This gave Horne-Francis and Whitlock space and time to operate and both showed what they're capable of. Whitlock with a clever snap and a strong mark further demonstrating that we've got one here people.

After the main break Watson again had a hot patch, Jones went up to impact a contest and left Watson at ground level to swoop and goal and then Watson ran into Jones and I'm not sure what Jones would do to avoid giving away the free kick. 4 goals Hawthorn and when Mackinlay got his second the Hawks captain gave away a stupid one and Sweet, with one he should have kicked but missed squared up the scores at three quarter time.

The last quarter was a ripper. With Port controlling the last hour with repeat stoppages and slow ball movement until options presented themselves the Hawks had to get their game going again, they did in patches but the last 30 minutes ( we had three 32 minute quarters , so much for shorter games ) was a real arm wrestle. Burgoyne put Port in front before first gamer McCabe slotted a fantastic goal from the boundary right on the 50m arc, Lewis added his third and Hawks had chances to bury Port, they didn't. Lachine Jones was on the fly to goal and with less than a minute to play Georgiades marked 35m out on a 45° angle.....the bit up the top where I tell you Hawthorn won paints the picture here.

Far from his fault but try telling him that.

While we're in the "transition" phase I'll not once cop "an honorable loss" but I'll acknowledge they do exist.

Boons best - Horne-Francis, Butters, Drew, Berry, Bergman, Carr and co*, Marshall.

[Jim05]

Butters won his appeal.
What a debacle all round