Autopsy Port versus an actual football team

[Eric Blair]

From our vantage point in 532, a virtual birds eye view, it was clear that in the first quarter we were unprepared for the intensity of a finals game.

Players jogging with no intent, confused attack on the ball, not knowing who was going for what, no system, no structure, no idea.

Teams that make a prelim don’t just have 18 players all have a down game at once. It’s coaching. Pure and simple. The strategy going in to the game would have been thrown out in 3 mins but there was nothing to replace it. No counter plan to curb the Dogs manic attack on the ball. Unsurprising though, we’ve seen it before. Nothing is ever done to rectify it. Nothing will until Hinkley is gone.

Bulldogs players, with a ten goal lead in the third quarter, got a goal overturned by remonstrating with the umpires claiming the ball was touched. If it was or not doesn’t really matter but I started to think back about our players and how I cannot think of a time that our players have ever done that. Belligerently pushing for an advantage. We just don’t do it.

We seem to be hemmed in by a ‘righteous code’ that emanates from our head coach who is unwilling to make any comments about umpires or fixtures or scheduling or anything else that might be working against us. He is a company man and toes the company line. The company though is not the PAFC, its the AFL.

Trade Dixon.
Delist Motlop.
Sack Ken.

That’s for starters.

Unless this Christian Youth Camp is dismantled, our club is going nowhere.

couldnt have said it better myself. I was in the nosebleed section in 541 and the lack of movement and purpose was glaring. In contrast the bulldogs were slick and purposeful with their movement

we are going nowhere with this mediocrity as our coach

 

[Ford Fairlane]

And it was clearly never addressed. Just the droning mantra of “gotta work harder”, “gotta work harder”, while wiping the brow having got out of jail (Collingwood, Adelaide, Carlton, R23-Dogs) more often than not.

Clearly something is amiss. Is it preparation? Routine? Tactical? Personnel?

It can’t be a coincidence.

For two weeks everyone said Port can't let the Bulldogs get a good start. Supporters, the media, old ladies at bingo, kids playing on the swings, dogs howling at night to each other, ants on their way to a picnic.

And what did we do ... ?

 

[philthy05]

Can anyone answer this? Was I having pre game hallucinations? I hadn't drunk much at that point

Sounded normal at the ground

I noticed it on the broadcast also. Let me have another look.

Yeah ntua was weird on the broadcast for me too. I thought they skipped it, then kinda thought I heard it but sounded weird, then it stopped after only going for a short time.

might have ****ed up the microphones at the game.

 

[Del165198]

Just watched the first quarter again, because I wanted to hate-fap to it. Jeez we were bad. Just not switched on at all, anywhere on the ground.

- First goal in 50 seconds
- Boak then pulls out of a physical contest with Smith at the very next ball up
- Aliir kicking straight to an uncontested English after a mark.
- Houston losing his footing in the goalsquare against Vandermeer
- Gray out on the full
- Dixon nearly misses his foot with a snap shot that goes sideways
- Jonas bumping over Naughton 80m off the ball, which led to a 50m and a goal
- Jonas getting out marked by Mitch Hannan
- Houston getting out marked by Mitch Hannan
- Butters pulling out of a contest then falling over on the 50m which led to a goal
- Midfield nowhere
- Zero movement up field
- Drew starting on the bench
- Ladhams trying to mark the ball 3 times with his hands 3 feet apart
- DBJ losing his opponent 5 times
- Wrestle back control only to score 0.1 from 3 shots that should have been 2.1 at least
- Giving up 2 goals in the final minute after that to end the quarter

How?

Jonas had the chance to absolutely flatten Jason Johannsen. Instead Jonas ended up on the deck as JJ took the mark.

 

[rogerjames]

Where to from here?
We managed to lose more respect this year than this time last year. Watching yesterday and today im going to say it unpopular opinion but has to be said.

The game has gone past Robbie and Boak. Yes Boak still racks it up but watching Oliver/Petracca and tonight Bont/Libba/Macrae/Dunkley/Smith absoloutly sprint out of packs when we look so slow chasing tails behind our veterans confirmed it for me. These sub 190cm young beasts go against our sub 180cm players and guess who wins the contest? Yes rob and trav will always be club legends but we are at a point in time we cant turn to them anymore. It is no longer 2014.

Rozee is to us what Dale Thomas was to the pies. Drew and Wines are our only young mids then it falls off a cliff. SPP will probably get traded and doesnt have the cleanliness of a petracca or oliver.

Then our depth; Hartlett who should get traded Woodcock Frederick Farrell more sub 180cm players in the off season we will probably add Dawson which will help a tad and Jase Burgoyne a skinny flanker. Jones and Georgiades will get more games next year but im sure yet we are nowhere near competing for a genuine flag

Agree 100%

 

[yepits2020]

Clarko to Port Adelaide. Calling it now.

That why junior Burger chose us?

 

[Loyal2Port]

If Jonas had any respect, he would have given up the captaincy by the time they had made it down the race.

 

[PowerBaz]

Just watched the first quarter again, because I wanted to hate-fap to it. Jeez we were bad. Just not switched on at all, anywhere on the ground.

- First goal in 50 seconds
- Boak then pulls out of a physical contest with Smith at the very next ball up
- Aliir kicking straight to an uncontested English after a mark.
- Houston losing his footing in the goalsquare against Vandermeer
- Gray out on the full
- Dixon nearly misses his foot with a snap shot that goes sideways
- Jonas bumping over Naughton 80m off the ball, which led to a 50m and a goal
- Jonas getting out marked by Mitch Hannan
- Houston getting out marked by Mitch Hannan
- Butters pulling out of a contest then falling over on the 50m which led to a goal
- Midfield nowhere
- Zero movement up field
- Drew starting on the bench
- Ladhams trying to mark the ball 3 times with his hands 3 feet apart
- DBJ losing his opponent 5 times
- Wrestle back control only to score 0.1 from 3 shots that should have been 2.1 at least
- Giving up 2 goals in the final minute after that to end the quarter

How?

Expectation to win.

 

[snozulu]

As i said last night, he can go too.

I want bassett gone too

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

One more things before I check out. Someone needs to be held accountable for last night. It's not going to be the coach obviously, but someone has to.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

One more things before I check out. Someone needs to be held accountable for last night. It's not going to be the coach obviously, but someone has to.

Someones

 

[Interstater]

Can anyone answer this? Was I having pre game hallucinations? I hadn't drunk much at that point

Yeah ntua was weird on the broadcast for me too. I thought they skipped it, then kinda thought I heard it but sounded weird, then it stopped after only going for a short time.

might have f’ed up the microphones at the game.

It was edited on the fly.

 

[Marmozet]

Melbourne finished bottom 2 in 2019 after their Preliminary Final drubbing

 

[Incarnate]

 

[rogerjames]

I feel sorry for those that are still, after 9 years, riding the roller-coaster of emotions.

9 years and people haven't learnt.

I allowed myself to hope, but I never allowed myself to really invest the emotions and believe.

Luckily the game was over after 10 mins and there was zero emotion invested.



I just don't see where a flag is coming from for this group. This squad doesn't have the midfield talent, we're built around flankers who get shown up big time. There's gaps everywhere and players that just aren't good enough when the core isn't opening the game up for them.

Agree 100%. I also watched things unfold with little emotion. Seen it all before, what's the point.

 

[ibd77]

Just watched the first quarter again, because I wanted to hate-fap to it. Jeez we were bad. Just not switched on at all, anywhere on the ground.

- First goal in 50 seconds
- Boak then pulls out of a physical contest with Smith at the very next ball up
- Aliir kicking straight to an uncontested English after a mark.
- Houston losing his footing in the goalsquare against Vandermeer
- Gray out on the full
- Dixon nearly misses his foot with a snap shot that goes sideways
- Jonas bumping over Naughton 80m off the ball, which led to a 50m and a goal
- Jonas getting out marked by Mitch Hannan
- Houston getting out marked by Mitch Hannan
- Butters pulling out of a contest then falling over on the 50m which led to a goal
- Midfield nowhere
- Zero movement up field
- Drew starting on the bench
- Ladhams trying to mark the ball 3 times with his hands 3 feet apart
- DBJ losing his opponent 5 times
- Wrestle back control only to score 0.1 from 3 shots that should have been 2.1 at least
- Giving up 2 goals in the final minute after that to end the quarter

How?

"We are a young developing list" Ken Hinckley since 2013.

We will never see ultimate success with Hinckley at the helm and reminance of a good bloke culture since 2007.

This club needs to rediscover it's mongrel, it's anger, it's ability to fight and scratch any game they play. The hunger to beat your direct opponent at all costs.

 

[Coobk001]

Agree 100%. I also watched things unfold with little emotion. Seen it all before, what's the point.

I just felt numb.

I'm sure I'm not the only one?

10 mins in I knew we'd lost and i saw some people that cried after the game but I just didn't feel that. I just felt numb. I feel I've been desensitised to it all and I just felt numb and depressed that this didn't just mean a loss, it showed clearly that this group can't win a flag, and that we're not just talking about a loss but a long term struggle of maybe 5-10 years to recycle this group and get to the point where we might be a flag shot.

 

[JimmyBC]

I just felt numb.

I'm sure I'm not the only one?

10 mins in I knew we'd lost and i saw some people that cried after the game but I just didn't feel that. I just felt numb. I feel I've been desensitised to it all and I just felt numb and depressed that this didn't just mean a loss, it showed clearly that this group can't win a flag, and that we're not just talking about a loss but a long term struggle of maybe 5-10 years to recycle this group and get to the point where we might be a flag shot.

Sack the coach, cull the 30 & overs the rest could be saved I don't think the mental rot is set in the younger blokes on the list.

 

[PJ Power]

I wonder whether the Bulldogs go on to dominate us for the next ten years the way Geelong did. Eerily similar matchups when comparing the results of our three matches against Geelong in 2007 and Bulldogs in 2021.
Their list isn’t going to regress but rather get ridiculously stronger (Ugle-Hagen, Darcy). Ours is going to hit a post-Boak, -Gray, -Dixon, -Jonas bump.
We might be their bunnies for a while now.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

Those performances are very common for a Hinkley coached team when up against a decent team.

kill the game in the first quarter. That game was over in 5 minutes.

Id love to see our first quarter wins and % vs top 4 teams. Can someone ask Swampy?

Even moreso 1st half of the first quarter.

It would be ugly.

On SM-G975F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Incarnate]

 

[Interstater]

I just felt numb.

I'm sure I'm not the only one?

10 mins in I knew we'd lost and i saw some people that cried after the game but I just didn't feel that. I just felt numb. I feel I've been desensitised to it all and I just felt numb and depressed that this didn't just mean a loss, it showed clearly that this group can't win a flag, and that we're not just talking about a loss but a long term struggle of maybe 5-10 years to recycle this group and get to the point where we might be a flag shot.

I was the same, was numb last night, but today I'm angry.
If there is no responsibility taken then I have no choice but to walk away until there is.

Ken simply cannot coach this side again, Jonas cannot captain this side again, and there are senior players that should not be given another contract.

I'm not endorsing this cycle of shit again.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

I will never forgive this playing group for dishing up that level of intensity and effort.
In a home prelim.
With a full list.
With 2 weeks off.
deplorable.

 

[rogerjames]

No one can ever talk me into Hinkley after tonights game, complete failure as a big game coach, has to move on. Go get Clarko. Hinkley's a dud.....

Always has been. Been waiting since half way thru 2015 for the club to dispose of him. Made a lot of money out of being a father figure.

 

[x_les_x]

I wonder whether the Bulldogs go on to dominate us for the next ten years the way Geelong did. Eerily similar matchups when comparing the results of our three matches against Geelong in 2007 and Bulldogs in 2021.
Their list isn’t going to regress but rather get ridiculously stronger (Ugle-Hagen, Darcy). Ours is going to hit a post-Boak, -Gray, -Dixon, -Jonas bump.
We might be their bunnies for a while now.

If not doggies we will be brisbane's bunnies which has already happened. Nowhere near their level as the games pretty much been over at quarter time the last three times weve met especislly after the meme that was terrorising lachie neale.

No one can handle cameron and his speed similar to what betts did to us early in his crows career. Omac has the height to outruck everyone on our list except perhaps the great white hope which is sam hayes. Their small midfielders are rungs above ours