Port v GWS trial

[Macca19]

Dissapointed about Matty but sounds like we played pretty well. Good to get another run into our key players i guess.

 

[Power freak 2008]

Thinking about the match, it seems that Hamish Hartlett got a good workout from it. The traffic was generally one way in terms of possessions but there still was a lot of running so it was good for match fitness.

The players also were more comfortable because they knew they were only playing kids so they may have tended to play with a bit more flair. Hartlett at one period had a lot of the ball and nailed one of his trademark long kicks. Just the hitout he needs to get his confidence up and remind him of what he is capable of.

This type of game is less value to Kornes, Cassisi, Brogan, or Rodan because these type of players have played more games. Pittard, Irons, Hartlett, Broadbent and Oshea would have benefited enormously just from playing alongside the senior players.

 

[Russian]

Did D Stewart play ?

...I didnt hear him in the bits of the radio call I heard

Subbed on at half time and didn't do much.

Out of curioisty, where was the oval? I thought I would try and find it without looking it up, after heading to mallala and then back tracking, I found the Wilaston pub, but couldn't find hte oval, by then there was 5 mins left in the 2nd so I didn't bother.

There were many ways to get there but it's a fair way from the main road. If you drove another 50 metres past the pub towards Gawler and turned right, you would've started to see cars parked down that street, but if you came from Mallalla you should've turned right at the roundabout after crossing over (or is it under?) the Bypass and followed that road around until you found all the cars. Surely NAB can afford a couple of 'turn here' signs for these games?

 

[Natman]

I didn't really know what to make of the match - good bits of play, sloppy bits of play and downright bad bits, but overall the skill standard was not very good - just really inconsistent and in some way, not helped by the opposition and their friendly umpires - they picked on Mots a bit, and even though he has created his own reputation, it shouldn't excuse the umpires for being biased against him.

I did like Irons early and late in the game O'Shea just quietly, got a good number of possessions and took 2 really good marks by reading the ball well. He is a made backman with the way he floats across the HB line.

Pitts once again got a fair number of possies, but butchered a few - but to his credit when he made a mistake he followed up with some effort to correct it.

The cream in Gray, Boak and Hartlett stood out with D Stew, P Stew, Mots and Petters below par IMO and Rodan, Sal and Westy in and out of the game - too long out of the play for my liking.

Treggers didn't get a lot of the ball, but did jump well in the packs to spoil and Chappy got a lot of the ball deep and distributed well with Bobby only OK - doesn't take enough marks because his first instinct is to be negative and punch the ball away.

Hitchy did enough in one half to keep the pressure on Brett for the FP role.

Dom, Kornes and Pearce did as expected - a lot of possessions, but in particular Pearcey's disposal was very good and smart.

 

[Jakko]

I listened to it on and off, ok effort I suppose.

Its so encouraging to have boak hartlett and gray playing together, and in gray and hartlett's case their best pre seasons so far. They are the 3 guys that I hope play week in and week out together the most.

Fingers crossed for the trio.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

Lets not forget you can only beat whats out there.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Irons has a corked thigh/hip apparently.

****ing **** **** **** ****!

Am willing to personally massage it until it's better.

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

Good to see we kept them to only 6 goals... Not so inspiring that we barely beat them by more than what we beat Geelong!

Also really glad to hear Chad dominating in the SANFL forward line. And one poster had the gall to say he couldn't play as a forward!

 

[RonSon]

Listening to the Primus after match interview on the Port site he said we played one short in the second and last quarters "to get a bit more work into the players".

Which is interesting as we did well in both those quarters and it was the third when we were disappointing. It seems to point to a dropping off in intensity similar to when we have had big leads over the last few years and fallen away. Hope I'm not reading too much into it!

 

[Powerstufff]

Saw a snippet of a general sports report on TV this morning. Our game was reported for about 10 secs and the focus was Israel Folau getting towelled up by Jay Schulz. I see that report is not alone because while doing a search on Folau's name so I could spell it correctly I found Folau 'lost' but learning.
The interesting thing for me is that most of us would see it from the perspective of the website article, that Folau didn't do that well. But the TV clip had a much more +ve spin, that Schulzy is some sort of superstar.

 

[PatientMental]

Schulzy IS a superstar

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Our defence was good (and their forward line was shit), but they got it in there far too much thanks to our turnovers, goalkicking was ordinary and whatever today's forward line experiment was can be crossed off the list. If we play like that against Collingwood we'll lose by 10 goals.

Yep against both Geelong and GWS we got caught out too often when our defensive players pushed too far up the ground and when there was a bad turnover there was so much space and the opposition players streamed down so it was 1 v 3 or 1 v 4 or 2 v 4. If in both games some of the young Geelong players and GWS players had used the ball better, they could have kicked double the number of goals they did. But it both games, several times we were let off.

At the game I thought geez its going to take all season to get rid of some of the zone crap Williams had them playing for so many years. But on the drive home I thought of how many times our "forward press" from defenders saw us get caught out last year and wondered how much of that was attributable to Laidley?

 

[Power freak 2008]

Yep against both Geelong and GWS we got caught out too often when our defensive players pushed too far up the ground and when there was a bad turnover there was so much space and the opposition players streamed down so it was 1 v 3 or 1 v 4 or 2 v 4. If in both games some of the young Geelong players and GWS players had used the ball better, they could have kicked double the number of goals they did. But it both games, several times we were let off.

At the game I thought geez its going to take all season to get rid of some of the zone crap Williams had them playing for so many years. But on the drive home I thought of how many times our "forward press" from defenders saw us get caught out last year and wondered how much of that was attributable to Laidley?

That is the game these days. If you can break through quickly you get a clear shot at goal. First you have to move the ball quick but if you do you often get caught because we have pushed up. If you don't move quick our forwards and mids would have pushed back in a way tha every time you look up you see jumpers. We may as well accept that we will see a lot of that this year.

We have long been victims of this ploy and have struggled to contend with it. I thouhgt Geelong were lazy and should not have relied on that quick kick over the top. The Hoff was playing in between the Geelong Forwards and our zone. Our guys should have been picked up but they wanted us to blink and pull back some of the players from our forward press.

We will see how it plays out but remember. We rely on the forwards and the mids to run the other way so that they put pressure on the ball carrier as well as cover anybody trying to make a break up field. We will have to get better as the season goes on. This type of play actually relies on fitness, tackling and working as a team. I think it is a positive step forward.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

That is the game these days. If you can break through quickly you get a clear shot at goal. First you have to move the ball quick but if you do you often get caught because we have pushed up. If you don't move quick our forwards and mids would have pushed back in a way tha every time you look up you see jumpers. We may as well accept that we will see a lot of that this year.

We have long been victims of this ploy and have struggled to contend with it. I thouhgt Geelong were lazy and should not have relied on that quick kick over the top. The Hoff was playing in between the Geelong Forwards and our zone. Our guys should have been picked up but they wanted us to blink and pull back some of the players from our forward press.

We will see how it plays out but remember. We rely on the forwards and the mids to run the other way so that they put pressure on the ball carrier as well as cover anybody trying to make a break up field. We will have to get better as the season goes on. This type of play actually relies on fitness, tackling and working as a team. I think it is a positive step forward.

I agree. Getting caught out like that is just one of the risks of the forward press. It will happen to all teams a lt this year. If we are applying it well however for every time we get caught out there will be multiple forced turnover etc. resulting in goals to us.

I can't believe there are so many people in here wanting to draw negatives from a 95 point result (well acutally I can it's very predicatable).

I don't expect anyone to rant about how well we did because we were playing against kids but 95 points cannot be considered a bad thing, especially when Primus said in the post match presser that we deliberately played one less in the last 2 quarters to really challenge ourselves and our fitness.

 

[Asgardian]

Also really glad to hear Chad dominating in the SANFL forward line. And one poster had the gall to say he couldn't play as a forward!

It's not that he cannot play as a forward, it's more to with his poor conversion rate.

I believe we need to capitalize on our F50 entries

 

[240volt]

Missing out in the first round of that Mickey mouse round robin thing has not given the coaching staff much of a idea where we are right now.

We have been left to play a school boy team and a Geelong seconds side.
Our preparation for round 1 has been like climbing Mt Lofty as a warm up for Mt Everest.

 

[Spadge]

Good to see we kept them to only 6 goals... Not so inspiring that we barely beat them by more than what we beat Geelong!

its fair to mention that in the GWS game they played shortened quarters of 20 mins flat due to the heat = 80 mins total / 95 point win (1.1875 points per minute)
We really only played a bit under 3 quarters of a full game really

vs Geelong each quarter went for around 30 mins = 120 mins total

if we played a full game vs GWS at 1.1875 points per minute = 142.5 point win
looks a bit better now eh

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I can't believe there are so many people in here wanting to draw negatives from a 95 point result (well acutally I can it's very predicatable)..

It's hard to go about the positives because the good players weren't really test.

The game confirmed that if and Brogan stays fit and healthy and if Hartlett, Boak, Gray, Salopek, Rodan and Pearce play plenty of games this year (ie 18+ games each), especially together then if those players get time and space, we have a mid field that will cut sides up. But how often will our opponents give them all at one, that sort of time and space?

I was unaware that we were playing 17 when we had the wind and were kicking to the north or Barossa end. Good on the coaching staff for trying that.

The positive thing that stood out the most in the game, and is what we have to do all year, is get the ball in Hartlett's hand especially at centre bounces when he is either starting in the guts or on the wing. If we can do that our forwards are going to get the opportunity to kick plenty of goals. Or Hartlett himself is going to kick plenty of goals.

 

[Powerstufff]

Missing out in the first round of that Mickey mouse round robin thing has not given the coaching staff much of a idea where we are right now.......

So you are yet another super-hero footy fan who shows his credentials by dismissing the pre-season comp? Well newsflash for you and the club, that is what we had to do well in (and always will) to keep playing against the capable and motivated sides.

....Our preparation for round 1 has been like climbing Mt Lofty as a warm up for Mt Everest.

Just be grateful for us being able to climb Mt Lofty a couple of times, we didn't do that well against a couple of the minor Alps. We got the opposition we deserved.

 

[Peck]

Were we playing with 17 men the whole second half?

That's pretty funny.

 

[240volt]

So you are yet another super-hero footy fan who shows his credentials by dismissing the pre-season comp? Well newsflash for you and the club, that is what we had to do well in (and always will) to keep playing against the capable and motivated sides.

Just be grateful for us being able to climb Mt Lofty a couple of times, we didn't do that well against a couple of the minor Alps. We got the opposition we deserved.

We missed the preseason comp pal,that's what i meant by saying missing out at the start when they had this crazy format has not helped our coaching staff to see where we really are

Our entire preseason has been playing 2 games of crazyball 2 games of beating up on little kids and a game we found a way to loose against Richmond.
Over to you Jane for the 4 day forecast

 

[Adz2332]

Hey guys just giving you my take on the game.

Have to say a few things first..
1. the ground was excellent that they played on, really good for a suburbs oval.
2. GWS were pethietic, but we knew that would be the case
3. because of point 2 It made the bad things stand out more then the good things

Negs
- Motlops first 3 qrts. But on the positive his last was excellent! someone at 3qtr time must have reali had a crack at him. in the third he played team footy, kicked straight from set shots and showed why he should be in the team come round 1.

- Inaccurate kicking. The set shot kicking from everyone was terriable! We have a shot a chad cornes etc but the team itself was bad, bar schulz

- No forward line pressure. The ball was coming out just as fast as it came in. With a sub standered oppersition the ball should have been held in there.

- the forward line in general. What ever was tried this game didnt work. And i hope thats not how we will line up come round 1.

- Second ruck is a worry for the whole season i think now after seeing Giles carve it up... Shame he isnt still on our list! ( but i know why we got rid of him etc)

- Turnovers. Far FAR to many. Plus when we did turn it over they walzed into there forward line. Our defensive players pushed to far up the ground. Plus i dont believe players are as keen to run back as they are keen to stream forward... SOME players that is...

Positives

- Hamish Hartlett. Wow. His disposale by foot is the best by far in the team. And seeing him play like that easily better then Rich, IF we can keep him on the park

- Schulz. Great contested mark and the only accurate kick during the game.

- Motlops last qtr. Played team footy and if he plays like that he will play every game this season. (although my money is on he wont)

- Backline / defensive mids. Ok now i know GWS arent a great team but to keep them to such a low score is a bigger pos then us kicking a big score.

- Sal in the mid field / wing. Worked reali well... With him, boak, hartlett and grey running throu the mid looks reali good, exciting things to come.


All i can say is... Save your money and dont fly to melb round 1.........

 

[dav3]

Thomas's injury might not be as bad as first thought. Primus thinks he could be available for round 1.

link

link

Thomas Cleared of Injury

IN a miraculous turn of events, Matt Thomas has been cleared of serious injury following the weekend's match against GWS Giants.

Thomas hobbled from the ground in the early stages of Saturday's final NAB Challenge match for 2011.

The sideline diagnosis being that it would require further assessment, but that it was likely to sideline him for a significant period of time.

However, scans today revealed no complications with the plantar fascia in his right foot meaning he will be available for training on Friday in a closed session at Alberton Oval.

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

So the game footage is up...

...not sure where the criticism of Pittard comes from. I thought he was pretty good actually! A couple of bad clanger kicks aside, he's a ball magnet off the HBF and reads the play extremely well.

 

[powermacs]

So the game footage is up...

...not sure where the criticism of Pittard comes from. I thought he was pretty good actually! A couple of bad clanger kicks aside, he's a ball magnet off the HBF and reads the play extremely well.

Had a look last night and was thinking the same thing. Probably the same people who bag Moore.