Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
LIVE: Port Adelaide v Carlton - 7:30PM Thu
Squiggle tips Port at 63% chance -- What's your tip? -- Team line-ups »
Weekly Prize - Join Any Time - Tip Round 12
The Golden Ticket - MCG and Marvel Medallion Club tickets and Corporate Box tickets at the Gabba, MCG and Marvel.
That press conference wow.
So Garcia was the sub prior to Libba being sick. He would have be in our top dozen players against the Saints. So what does this say about selection?
Apparently we did try something in the middle we sent Daniel to Serong but Daniel didn’t have a single centre bounce attendance? Serongs best asset is his clearance work so how does someone coming off the wing or HFF to take him post stoppage help?
What is the go with Bont’s kicking? A couple of howlers last week and then that shot last night is completely out of character. He appears out of form and his confidence is down.
Maybe - however standing upright he has missed a barn door at least 3 times in the last 2 weeks. I don’t think it is back/hip related.I don't think it's form, it's injury. His ability to bend down seems compromised.
Should be rested, and Beveridge's prematch should be:
"OK, you ****ers, Bont and Liber have been carrying you all year. So this week they're both out, and Jonesy is the sub. Let's see if any of the rest of you give a sh1t..."
As brilliant as Bont is his set shot kicking has always been the one flaw in his game. I passed comment to my mates as he was lining up last night that this was no certainty to go through and sure enough he missed.What is the go with Bont’s kicking? A couple of howlers last week and then that shot last night is completely out of character. He appears out of form and his confidence is down.
Unfortunately that shot was not at all unusual for Bont. We’ve seen him miss from such angles on numerous occasions.What is the go with Bont’s kicking? A couple of howlers last week and then that shot last night is completely out of character. He appears out of form and his confidence is down.
Suggest you get your vision checked. No way was Darcy better than English last night.I struggle to see how English topped the Ranking / DT points or whatever they are called.
He was from our worst and made a solid contribution as a midfielder but Sean Darcy was the best ruck on the ground and English was nowhere near being our best player.
There's an obvious moral in there. Stats are a useful adjunct and rating systems are amusing but nothing beats the eye-test.
Eyesight is fine thanks.Suggest you get your vision checked. No way was Darcy better than English last night.
I thought English was outstanding and covered the ground miles better than Darcy, influencing the game. He was marginally (not wholly) defeated in ruck contests and his goalkicking accuracy let him down a little, but he was one of our best.I struggle to see how English topped the Ranking / DT points or whatever they are called.
He was from our worst and made a solid contribution as a midfielder but Sean Darcy was the best ruck on the ground and English was nowhere near being our best player.
There's an obvious moral in there. Stats are a useful adjunct and rating systems are amusing but nothing beats the eye-test.
Caleb Daniel playing on Serong
I thought English was outstanding and covered the ground miles better than Darcy, influencing the game. He was marginally (not wholly) defeated in ruck contests and his goalkicking accuracy let him down a little, but he was one of our best.
6 clearances (2nd most for the team)
4 intercept possessions (equal 5th team)
372 metres gained (4th most in team, only the 3 running half backs had more)
Only 2 turnovers from 23 touches
11 contested ball
4FF vs 1FA
23 touches @ 74%
Sean Darcy was absolutely not best on ground for his inability to prevent English's influence on the game in general transition play like I outline above - English spent most of the game getting to the ball before Darcy could/did.
English getting out tapped marginally against the bloke who was probably the best pure tap ruckman over the last two years (even better than Gawn) is hard to win but not entirely unexpected.
English has become a whipping bou around here and I'm really not sure, given we all know the type of player he is by now, why the expectations are so unrealistic? He had an outstanding game if he was a midfielder with those stats. He competed as well as can be expected and probably better against a good tap ruck that has outtapped most the league.
Not really. Darcy was marginally better for them. I'd take English's overall game package over Darcy's 100 times out of 100.So you're essentially agreeing with dogwatch's comparison of their midfield and ruck work?
Freo are a lot like us. They will bring their A game against mediocre opposition after a week of negative press. Would not be surprised at all if they come out next week and stink it up. They did play very well last night though.My take on this game for what it’s worth.
1. It was a tough, high standard game where Freo, inspired after an embarrassing loss brought their A game.
2. The umpires turned in an old fashioned biased effort towards the home WA team in an interstate clash. This had a big impact on proceedings.
3. Despite the above, we played pretty well, stuck at it though ultimately came up short.
4. Had we kicked straighter, made a few less mistakes then we might still have gotten the chocolates over a good team with a strong interstate home ground advantage.
Points 1 to 4 mean that despite the loss there is no need to panic. We are playing ok, just keep tweaking and trying to improve each week.
5. Bulldog specific observations:
Daniel is down on confidence. Like Dale and Duryea he can get it back, but could do with some support right now.
Buku and Bramble both struggled under pressure last night and it was costly.
Keath is apparently playing well in the VFL, so could be time to bring him back.
Don’t forget we were without Libba and Marra, plus lost Cody early through injury.
Yeah we re-signed him early in the year. People said it was premature but seriously as if we wouldn’t have re-signed him when we got to 7-3 anyway. We looked like we were playing finals until the last few rounds.
I’ve always thought we focus too much on moving the ball via the wing . Two risky but well judged kicks through the middle & they cut us open .
I don’t want to see Harmes, Bramble, Baker, Lobb, Keath or Gardner get a run ahead of them unless they’re totally stinking it up.
Eyesight is fine thanks.
I repeat, Darcy was better as a ruckman. English was better as a midfielder.
Not really. Darcy was marginally better for them. I'd take English's overall game package over Darcy's 100 times out of 100.
Little to do with how English and Darcy played for their teams and more the midfielders themselves.If probably have preferred the game from the ruck that led to his team smashing the other in clearances, including a club record 17 for one player.