Review Port defeat Umpires + Saints by 7 points

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There is clearly something not right with him. 65% TOG. Still got 26 touches. Might have to accept with his injuries, that is his limit.
Horrible oversight and a great manager has landed him 3 more years after this on our list. I really hope his contract is front loaded!
 

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Ross going on about the Dixon tackle/SPP goal. Maybe i'm mistaken, but I thought the umpire called not 15, as opposed to an early play on?
You’re right. Ross has no idea- should be in an old age home being tested for dementia. I’ve never heard him utter a sentence that made sense.
 
Horrible oversight and a great manager has landed him 3 more years after this on our list. I really hope his contract is front loaded!

50% kicking efficiency vs 55% for Butters who is regarded as an elite kick. It is no Suprise that Wine's best year fitness wise, his disposal was much better than usual. Had time to assess.
 
Really mature, composed performance against an in-form team who brought their own umpires. Even early, when the Saints led by 3 goals, the signs were good - our pressure was elite, the contested balls were competitive and our better players looked switched on. It was a little bit of disconnection with the forwards, and some fumbling and poor ball-handling that cost us. But once that was rectified, the clear game plan was to get the ball moving forward quickly and get it beyond the Saints heavy defensive line to some even contests, and the class of our forwards started to shine.

The will to run was excellent all night. Players like SPP, Dixon, Finlayson, JHF and Butters just ran themselves into the ground. The defence was good as a unit. Houston and Bergman gave great drive and used their powerful legs to enact the gameplan, and though Allir and McKenzie had poor marking nights, they didn't have any great worries containing the undersized Saints in the air. Williams was terrific, his composure was that of a 5 year pro, and Burton and Bergman matched Higgins and Butler for speed and aced them for size.

The midfielders were superb, and the reason we won the game was JHF, Butters and Boak continually winning a contested ball and busting out of congested situations to drive it forward. Teakle was slaughtered in ruck, and offered less than nothing around the ground, but Finny stood up again where and when it counted, dangerous in the air and on the ground when forward; competitive in the ruck and with a cameo of intercept marking prowess in the final minutes.

I thought we showed real character to hold the game up with a small lead in the final 6 minutes. Finlayson was brilliant, but the long clearing kicks of Bergman and Burton kept the Saints outside range and the mids kept the ball in tight with busy hands, strong bodies and awareness of their opponents Drew, Boak and Butters especially in that closing period showed the will to win that Hinkley teams have not often had.

PLAYERS

Powell-Pepper -
Typical grunt and power from Sam, showing his ability to stand in a tackle and get his hands or his feet free. Deserved his 2 goals, and gave every bit of himself as a gut-busting runner. 7/10

Burton - Had Butler mostly, and thrashed him foor the better part of the game. Too strong in the air, faster and more aware of game situations, he also played the distributor in the backline, choosing which of Bergman, Houston or McKenzie was best placed to hoof it over the defensive wall. 7/10

Houston - Excellent when given time to use his precision kicking. 22 disposals and 9 marks, and used most of them perfectly, but also showed a willingness to get down and dirty, which hasn't always been his trademark. 8/10

Duursma - Off injured from late in the first, and looks like a PCL, but his bravery did cost us a goal when he tried to carry on but found he couldn't run in defence. Looks like an extended period on the sidelines again, unfortunately. 2/10

Butters - Quiet early, and then became the firestarter in the second, with his competitiveness around stoppages and his spread, as well as some tough work in defence Probably in the best 3 on ground. 8.5/10

Boak - Turned back the clock again, rising to take over from the injured Duursma on the wing, and even attending some centre bounces. All night, he got involved like an inside mid, and despite the traditional missed set shot, his fantastic final term was a major reason that we won. 8/10

Finlayson - So full of admiration for this man, with all he is going through. To turn up weekly and give his all, whether forward, relief ruck or as a floating spare, he does everything that could be asked of him. Those final term intercept marks in the goalsquare were so cooly taken, and he was so much more competitive in ruck that Teakle. And then to also score a brace of goals...it was as good an all-round game as a Port player has produced under Hinkley. 9/10

McKenzie - Had Membrey, and was a good matchup for him in the air and on the ground despite conceding a couple of goals. Didn't have his best marking night, a lot of balls hit his hands and fell out, but was clearly looked for when we were kicking out, and used his powerful foot effectively. 6/10

Bergman - Continues to develop as a half-back, and had his best game of the year, perhaps of his career. Got a lot of his own ball, and made obvious choices to kick it as long as he could, as often as he could. Controlled his various opponents well, and was our second-best for netres gained. 7.5/10

Rioli - Scored a couple of goals, and generally played well at Dixon's feet all night, but the concern is still his unwillingness to engage in a contest, and on at least three occasions I saw him choose to run back towards goal rather than chase an opponent out. He relies on team-mates to win the ball, but leaves us one short in doing so. 3/10

Wines - Once again, in line with 2023 form, had a lot of handballs. Maybe it has something to do with the injury he is carrying, or perhaps it's an instruction to give it to better ball users like Rozee and JHF, but he is at least getting hold of the ball in packs again, even if he is not being as impactful as he can be. 6.5/10

Horne-Francis - Voted BOG, and it will be interesting to see how the umpires rated his performance on Brownlow night (I get the feeling this was one of those games when all votes go to the losing team). Burst out of packs aggressively, fought hard for the ball on the ground, chased and tackled like a dervish...the only downside was his delivery forward, which was a bit sketchy. But delivering everything we had hoped for and expected, and I can't wait to see what he becomes. 9.5/10

Rozee - Had Seb ross watching him closely, and though he won enough ball around packs, didn't have much time to showcase his exquisite skills. But he led us in tackles, and had a couple of the now-familiar WOW! moments. Has become a very consistent player, even his slower games are influential. 7/10

Allir - Was watched closely by Cordy most of the night, and was criminally underprotected by the officials. Several times was buffeted out of contests unfairly, and then the times that he could get ther, he was uncharacteristically off his game, and spilt marks he would usually take. But he kept his opponent invisible, and made sure that Marshall didn't exert any influence when resting forward. Did his job. 7/10

Dixon - Numbers cannot show his influence on this game. Clearly hobbled early, and trailed Howard to the first three forward entries, but stood tall in packs, and once he realised that his marking was off, started palming the ball to Rioli at his feet instead of trying to hang onto one. Fully deserved his two goals, and his presence in the forward 25 led directly to at least 4 others, with smothers and tackles despite his lack of mobility. I worry that he will be worn down by the load, but a 9 day break should be in his favour. 8/10

Williams - Fantastic, easily his best game at this level. Led us for metres gained on the night, which is testament to his mindset of punching through and over the walls, and just about every kick was penetrating and to advantage. Found his niche as a defensive flanker who can use the ball beautifully, and should have consolidated his position for the foreseeable future. 8.5/10

Bonner - Very little influence in 3 quarters of footy after coming on to replace Duursma. Should have kicked that goal in the third, and I thought it was indicative of his dwindling confidence that he missed, and all night he failed to get involved in defensive transition. 3/10

Teakle - Needs to go back to the SANFL and work on his handling, at the very least. I thought he jumped well against Marshall in ruck, but still got thrashed in the hitouts 28-18; however the most alarming issue was his fumbling and general lack of mobility around the ground. 2/10

Drew - Very effective, minded Steele at stoppages as the defensive sweeper, and stopped any Saints penetration forward of a contest. Not as much of the ball this week, but with 8 tackles and his defensive mindset, he is a vital cog in our midfield setup, and would almost be the hardest component to replace in there. Must be a dream to play with, he is the foot soldier every team needs. 7/10

Lord - Looked lost. Was brought in to play Charlie's role last week, but with Chuck back he had to play Marshall's role as a centre half-forward, and failed to impact marking contests or win the ball at ground level. Assuming Marshall returns next week, Ollie will be back to the SANFL, but I've enjoyed this brief look at him as a KPF prospect. 3/10

Byrne-Jones - Stood out early for his cleanness when everyone else struggled to adapt, and even though he didn't hit the scoreboard, looked the most competent of the high half-forwards with his attack on the ball and defensive nous. Seems to have symbiosis with SPP, and it's just as well he is relishing the defensive forward role, because Williams has stolen his backline spot. 6/10

Burgoyne - Just ok, didn't make any glaring errors but also didn't impact like I have seen him do last year. Seems to have lost strength, if anything, and was easily pushed off the ball in a couple of 1vs1 contests. Needs to do better and get stronger, I would prefer Lachie 9despite his shortcomings) on what I've seen this year. 4/10

McEntee - Looks quite solid and had a seviceable night. Booted a clever goal, and chased hard. Whether he's a better bet than Frankie Evans is debateable, but he has the position at the moment and is doing just enough to hold it, at least whilst we're winning. 4/10


It must be said that the coaching has been good in this winning run. The team looks happy and connected, the gameplans have been obviously adjusted to deal with different opponents and their styles, selections have been good and even inspired, and the move to the bench has exploited Hinkley's strength as a motivational coach.

So overall, we're currently equal top, albeit with comparatively poor percentage. Essendon will be a big test coming up, but they should be more fearful of us than vice versa. We are in there, fighting for a finals spot, and wins like this, and the ones against the Swans and Bulldogs, are likely to be the difference in September qualification. The trick is, can we do anything to raise ourselves above the level of Geelong, Melbourne, Brisbane or Collingwood? On evidence so far, I'd say not - we appear to be a team of battlers with some star power, but once an opposition match our strengths in contests and effort, I have seen nothing to convince me that we are a threat.
 
Real team effort tonight, good that Ken had a bit of a say about those cheating maggots.
It’s BS coaches can’t say bugger all without getting arse kicked from the AFL.
The only good thing is the more they screw us over the better we play.
 
Hard to enjoy these wins, since each one is bringing us a step closer to Koch doing what we know he's itching to do. We have wins like this every year, never ends up meaning anything. Such a frustrating game to watch, if our overall game was even 5% better we'd wipe the floor with that lot. I assume St Kilda must have been a lot better in their previous games, looked like two very average teams scrapping it out.

JHF, Butters, Boak, SPP, Finlayson all good. Dixon and Bergman had some good moments. Wines, DBJ, Lord, Burgoyne, Teakle, Bonner, McEntee poor. Could we stop wasting time with Bonner and McEntee, it's like playing two short.
 

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If anyone wants a genuine laugh at one of the biggest melts ive ever witnessed search ‘snaketef’ on twitter. This north turkey has had a full meltdown tonight.
Snakebaker innit?
 
Really mature, composed performance against an in-form team who brought their own umpires. Even early, when the Saints led by 3 goals, the signs were good - our pressure was elite, the contested balls were competitive and our better players looked switched on. It was a little bit of disconnection with the forwards, and some fumbling and poor ball-handling that cost us. But once that was rectified, the clear game plan was to get the ball moving forward quickly and get it beyond the Saints heavy defensive line to some even contests, and the class of our forwards started to shine.

The will to run was excellent all night. Players like SPP, Dixon, Finlayson, JHF and Butters just ran themselves into the ground. The defence was good as a unit. Houston and Bergman gave great drive and used their powerful legs to enact the gameplan, and though Allir and McKenzie had poor marking nights, they didn't have any great worries containing the undersized Saints in the air. Williams was terrific, his composure was that of a 5 year pro, and Burton and Bergman matched Higgins and Butler for speed and aced them for size.

The midfielders were superb, and the reason we won the game was JHF, Butters and Boak continually winning a contested ball and busting out of congested situations to drive it forward. Teakle was slaughtered in ruck, and offered less than nothing around the ground, but Finny stood up again where and when it counted, dangerous in the air and on the ground when forward; competitive in the ruck and with a cameo of intercept marking prowess in the final minutes.

I thought we showed real character to hold the game up with a small lead in the final 6 minutes. Finlayson was brilliant, but the long clearing kicks of Bergman and Burton kept the Saints outside range and the mids kept the ball in tight with busy hands, strong bodies and awareness of their opponents Drew, Boak and Butters especially in that closing period showed the will to win that Hinkley teams have not often had.

PLAYERS

Powell-Pepper -
Typical grunt and power from Sam, showing his ability to stand in a tackle and get his hands or his feet free. Deserved his 2 goals, and gave every bit of himself as a gut-busting runner. 7/10

Burton - Had Butler mostly, and thrashed him foor the better part of the game. Too strong in the air, faster and more aware of game situations, he also played the distributor in the backline, choosing which of Bergman, Houston or McKenzie was best placed to hoof it over the defensive wall. 7/10

Houston - Excellent when given time to use his precision kicking. 22 disposals and 9 marks, and used most of them perfectly, but also showed a willingness to get down and dirty, which hasn't always been his trademark. 8/10

Duursma - Off injured from late in the first, and looks like a PCL, but his bravery did cost us a goal when he tried to carry on but found he couldn't run in defence. Looks like an extended period on the sidelines again, unfortunately. 2/10

Butters - Quiet early, and then became the firestarter in the second, with his competitiveness around stoppages and his spread, as well as some tough work in defence Probably in the best 3 on ground. 8.5/10

Boak - Turned back the clock again, rising to take over from the injured Duursma on the wing, and even attending some centre bounces. All night, he got involved like an inside mid, and despite the traditional missed set shot, his fantastic final term was a major reason that we won. 8/10

Finlayson - So full of admiration for this man, with all he is going through. To turn up weekly and give his all, whether forward, relief ruck or as a floating spare, he does everything that could be asked of him. Those final term intercept marks in the goalsquare were so cooly taken, and he was so much more competitive in ruck that Teakle. And then to also score a brace of goals...it was as good an all-round game as a Port player has produced under Hinkley. 9/10

McKenzie - Had Membrey, and was a good matchup for him in the air and on the ground despite conceding a couple of goals. Didn't have his best marking night, a lot of balls hit his hands and fell out, but was clearly looked for when we were kicking out, and used his powerful foot effectively. 6/10

Bergman - Continues to develop as a half-back, and had his best game of the year, perhaps of his career. Got a lot of his own ball, and made obvious choices to kick it as long as he could, as often as he could. Controlled his various opponents well, and was our second-best for netres gained. 7.5/10

Rioli - Scored a couple of goals, and generally played well at Dixon's feet all night, but the concern is still his unwillingness to engage in a contest, and on at least three occasions I saw him choose to run back towards goal rather than chase an opponent out. He relies on team-mates to win the ball, but leaves us one short in doing so. 3/10

Wines - Once again, in line with 2023 form, had a lot of handballs. Maybe it has something to do with the injury he is carrying, or perhaps it's an instruction to give it to better ball users like Rozee and JHF, but he is at least getting hold of the ball in packs again, even if he is not being as impactful as he can be. 6.5/10

Horne-Francis - Voted BOG, and it will be interesting to see how the umpires rated his performance on Brownlow night (I get the feeling this was one of those games when all votes go to the losing team). Burst out of packs aggressively, fought hard for the ball on the ground, chased and tackled like a dervish...the only downside was his delivery forward, which was a bit sketchy. But delivering everything we had hoped for and expected, and I can't wait to see what he becomes. 9.5/10

Rozee - Had Seb ross watching him closely, and though he won enough ball around packs, didn't have much time to showcase his exquisite skills. But he led us in tackles, and had a couple of the now-familiar WOW! moments. Has become a very consistent player, even his slower games are influential. 7/10

Allir - Was watched closely by Cordy most of the night, and was criminally underprotected by the officials. Several times was buffeted out of contests unfairly, and then the times that he could get ther, he was uncharacteristically off his game, and spilt marks he would usually take. But he kept his opponent invisible, and made sure that Marshall didn't exert any influence when resting forward. Did his job. 7/10

Dixon - Numbers cannot show his influence on this game. Clearly hobbled early, and trailed Howard to the first three forward entries, but stood tall in packs, and once he realised that his marking was off, started palming the ball to Rioli at his feet instead of trying to hang onto one. Fully deserved his two goals, and his presence in the forward 25 led directly to at least 4 others, with smothers and tackles despite his lack of mobility. I worry that he will be worn down by the load, but a 9 day break should be in his favour. 8/10

Williams - Fantastic, easily his best game at this level. Led us for metres gained on the night, which is testament to his mindset of punching through and over the walls, and just about every kick was penetrating and to advantage. Found his niche as a defensive flanker who can use the ball beautifully, and should have consolidated his position for the foreseeable future. 8.5/10

Bonner - Very little influence in 3 quarters of footy after coming on to replace Duursma. Should have kicked that goal in the third, and I thought it was indicative of his dwindling confidence that he missed, and all night he failed to get involved in defensive transition. 3/10

Teakle - Needs to go back to the SANFL and work on his handling, at the very least. I thought he jumped well against Marshall in ruck, but still got thrashed in the hitouts 28-18; however the most alarming issue was his fumbling and general lack of mobility around the ground. 2/10

Drew - Very effective, minded Steele at stoppages as the defensive sweeper, and stopped any Saints penetration forward of a contest. Not as much of the ball this week, but with 8 tackles and his defensive mindset, he is a vital cog in our midfield setup, and would almost be the hardest component to replace in there. Must be a dream to play with, he is the foot soldier every team needs. 7/10

Lord - Looked lost. Was brought in to play Charlie's role last week, but with Chuck back he had to play Marshall's role as a centre half-forward, and failed to impact marking contests or win the ball at ground level. Assuming Marshall returns next week, Ollie will be back to the SANFL, but I've enjoyed this brief look at him as a KPF prospect. 3/10

Byrne-Jones - Stood out early for his cleanness when everyone else struggled to adapt, and even though he didn't hit the scoreboard, looked the most competent of the high half-forwards with his attack on the ball and defensive nous. Seems to have symbiosis with SPP, and it's just as well he is relishing the defensive forward role, because Williams has stolen his backline spot. 6/10

Burgoyne - Just ok, didn't make any glaring errors but also didn't impact like I have seen him do last year. Seems to have lost strength, if anything, and was easily pushed off the ball in a couple of 1vs1 contests. Needs to do better and get stronger, I would prefer Lachie 9despite his shortcomings) on what I've seen this year. 4/10

McEntee - Looks quite solid and had a seviceable night. Booted a clever goal, and chased hard. Whether he's a better bet than Frankie Evans is debateable, but he has the position at the moment and is doing just enough to hold it, at least whilst we're winning. 4/10


It must be said that the coaching has been good in this winning run. The team looks happy and connected, the gameplans have been obviously adjusted to deal with different opponents and their styles, selections have been good and even inspired, and the move to the bench has exploited Hinkley's strength as a motivational coach.

So overall, we're currently equal top, albeit with comparatively poor percentage. Essendon will be a big test coming up, but they should be more fearful of us than vice versa. We are in there, fighting for a finals spot, and wins like this, and the ones against the Swans and Bulldogs, are likely to be the difference in September qualification. The trick is, can we do anything to raise ourselves above the level of Geelong, Melbourne, Brisbane or Collingwood? On evidence so far, I'd say not - we appear to be a team of battlers with some star power, but once an opposition match our strengths in contests and effort, I have seen nothing to convince me that we are a threat.
Great review. Bump Dixon up to a 9/10 for playing 100% gametime, and McEntee 5/10 for a pass mark, and I can't disagree with much else.
 
Snakebaker innit?
Its this flog, feel free to jump online and get stuck in. Also whilst your at it SamFaff is another that needs a good roasting. Feel free to go to town on these two clowns who have done nothing but be absolute pigs towards JHF.
 

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Also, Jack Higgins is reaching Shuey/Michael Walters levels of floggery with his shrugging and playing for frees - one of the few things an umpire got right tonight was to ignore the twat!
 
Its this flog, feel free to jump online and get stuck in. Also whilst your at it SamFaff is another that needs a good roasting. Feel free to go to town on these two clowns who have done nothing but be absolute pigs towards JHF.
Lol ill be giving that shit a miss. Would rather not engage with people who huff glue.
 
A great win where the team was handicapped by horrible officiating and carrying 1-3 passengers.

Boak, Finlayson, and JHF played fantastic games. Special shouts to Bergman and Williams being good defensively allowing Houston and Burton freedom to roam.

Essendon will be a challenge - but this team looks like its lifting to these types of sides.

Any further injuries and we're really scraping it in terms of quality. What other team is worse for having their captain and most experienced ruck in the side?

The middle of the year is yet to come and that seems to be the hardest part of each year for most seasons under Hinkley. Lets see where this ride takes us.
 
A Port Adelaide football performance the team should be proud of. That was a game of football I truly enjoyed, even allowing for the stomach clenching last few minutes.

They knuckled down to a head to head battle with the Saints, prepared to play tough contested football all over the ground.

And they kept at it for 4 quarters. Even the first quarter we were competitive but some poor decision making, fumbles and umpiring hurt us.

As the game wore on our run and connection improved and our pressure with and without the ball was as good as you could ask for.

Getting the ball into the hands of precision kicks really opened up the Saints on several occasions. Houston, Horne Francis, Dylan Williams, Burton split open the Saints with some ripping passes.

And not for the first time this year, we hit back in the last quarter when the tide seemed to be turning against us.

Among all the great performances tonight, and allowing for JHF being my best on ground, Travis Boak is the one I would give a call out to. Early on I feared he looked a step behind the play, but as the game wore on he turned on a vintage Boak performance and was fantastic. Thanks for the slap upside of the head Trav, I deserved it 😋😎

Kenny, I don't know how much influence Josh Carr is having, this game had his fingerprints all over it, but enjoy it. That's deserved.

Tredders, you're still right and have turned around this season since your comments. One man's noise is another man's Springsteen 😉
 

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Review Port defeat Umpires + Saints by 7 points

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