Preview 2024 Semi Final : Port v Hawks, AO 7:10pm Friday 13th Sept

[Hawkers Hero]

The issue we have is the mckenzie and ward are more effective playing mid than they are on the wing or at hff. Where as finn plays those roles well. Do you go for talent in less than optimal positions or pick the best player for that role?

Isn't that literally the argument the AA selectors used for Daicos over Mass?

I believe (as with AA) you pick the less talented guy who knows the position and would stick with Finn / Harry as much as I love Frenchie. Similarly, injury and structure depending, I would say Ward should be the guy dropped for Day.

 

[KermitJagger]

Yeah...I'm still confident for this week, and the Syds aren't really going to kill us with talls.

If we make it to a Cats GF...how about throw Nash onto Cameron!

Honestly if we make it to a Cats GF I would just prefer we didn't concede 60 inside 50s like last time.

 

[Ka Norkers]

it's not Sicily, Meek, Newcombe, Scrimma or Moore.
I love Frosty, but his absence, this week at least, isn't going to determine the outcome of the match, and it seems Sportsbet agrees.
whoever comes in, our best case scenario is that he settles into the back six and is comfortable down there come GF day.

 

[theiaofseed]

Frost, Blanck, Jaith, Mackenzie, Day, and Lewis

Injury list of our best 22 is getting up there.

 

[mustang]

Serong has been named one of the Emergencies in our last 6 games maybe more.

 

[I wanna pash Nash]

Could see them going either way. Easy slots in and doesn't require a huge restructure. Luckily his only game was Port at AO so couldn't ask for more exposure than that.

Serong is the better player though and has performed much better than Easy at Boxhill.

An interesting case of keeping structure vs getting talent in.

Personally I'd feel better just slotting Easy in, you don't want to change a good thing anymore than you need too.

 

[Siri]

To play devil's advocate for the Phillips doubters ... his only game was against Port Adelaide in South Australia & most of us were very happy with his output.

 

[Hawk Hawkins]

If Port plays Dixon can we replace Frost with a potato, just to make it even?

 

[scrim reaper]

It’s wild to me how we have a coach and team that mentions predictability every chance they get and thrives off cohesion and clearly defined roles, in which they are able to maximise their weapons…

Then we lose a player in which we have a like for like replacement (although the second stringer is obviously not as good, spoiler alert, no shit, that’s how these things work) and people suggest a replacement that requires a major structural shift.

It’s not is Serong better than Phillips, it’s is Serong better at the Frost role than Phillips?

 

[satan1]

I don't get the "Huge restructure" comments on whether one selects Phillips or Serong.

We have one of the most dynamic rolling backlines in AFL history, I'm sure either will slot in fine.

 

[Billyc]

I'm not worried about Port's talls.

I think we will miss Frost if we make it past Friday.

I agree. To an extent we have benefitted from our perceived weakness against tall forwards with sides loading up with talls and expecting them to kick a winning score. Tall forwards can rarely go with our defenders the other way. I wouldn’t be surprised if we just bring CJ in, put Weddle in key defence and play Russian roulette with our running backs. If their forwards don’t mark it, our blokes will be off and running.

 

[Ka Norkers]

haha, HH agree.
Charlie looks like a 55yo trying to play super rules

 

[drewand]

Dixon and Ratogolea were useless v Cats. One would have been dropped but they will play three talls (also Georgiadis) again.
Serong has to play. He has been in good form.
V Swans we might not need Serong. Hopefully Day is ready by then.

Lets try and win against Port first

 

[rei154]

Our path forward involves
Port: KPF stocks are baron
Sydney: three talls similar to Footscray but without the track record

Against these two, I'm not quite as fussed- I don't think we need the gorilla, we just need someone to lock down

Against Geelong/GWS in a granny I'd be concerned.
Against Brisbane... not so much.

Serong or DGB for mine.

 

[Ka Norkers]

simply bring CJ in is good in theory, but need to look beyond this week.

 

[SSSSSS]

I prefer Phillips as that anchor defender over Serong.

He's a massive down grade on Frost though but it at least helps keep our structure with Scrim and Sicily taking on #2 and #3.

 

[KermitJagger]

I don't get the "Huge restructure" comments on whether one selects Phillips or Serong.

We have one of the most dynamic rolling backlines in AFL history, I'm sure either will slot in fine.

We do have a dynamic backline but we still use Frost as an anchor. Someone needs to play that role and Serong doesn't.

 

[Flamin Joe]

I wonder what those who were against getting Battle/Barrass or didn't see the need for them are thinking now? One injury to a KPD and we are down to two relatively inexperienced defenders being our options when the stakes couldn't be higher.

How great would it be to have either up our sleeve right now?

 

[seysearles]

Who are Ports talls?

Dixon Georgiades Radagolea

I’m pretty sure that between Scrimshaw Sicily Weddle and Serong we can cover them.

 

[excitingnews]

Maybe we could get away with bringing in serong if Sicily wasn’t down to one shoulder, but we’re pretty bare bones now and if we do make the grand final we’re probably going to need Phillips to play on a monster kpf

 

[Sturty]

THE BIG EASY COME ON DOWN.

 

[SSSSSS]

Maybe this is finally the year for Roughy2CHB

 

[burger09]

Georgiadies was one Port player who looked good against the cats.
Ratagalea and Dixon aren't Wayne Carey but they are huge men.
As always, it will come down to limiting quality supply. Much like Friday Night.
We smashed them at the source and Hok ball was unstoppable.

 

[SammyC]

serong can’t play the anchor FB. We’d need someone like scrimshaw or even sicily to play it & that robs a strength.

Phillips plays the role at box hill, need to back him in. if we get the rest of our game right it won’t hurt us much against port, even against the swans should we progress.

what an opportunity.

 

[SA HAWK]

Frosty a huge loss he had been very solid this year.