Review Round 21, 2024 vs Sydney

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Dunno how everyone else feels but last night was the first time the reaction moved from 'whatever, just playing out time til he's sacked' to 'maybe... just maybe' all year. It's ridiculous it takes a 19 goal win against the best team in the comp to get any sort of movement in the needle going, incite anything more than abject apathy, but that's where we are.

Let's see how it plays out I guess.

It was fun enough to watch, but I enjoyed GWS rolling over the hawfs in the last quarter more than any port game all year

We need to win a prelim before any sort of belief whatsoever can return for me
 
You understand that the head coach has a significant impact on culture, gameplan and performance, right?

We all want to win. We all want to be able to get excited by this team and we all want to be able to enjoy genuine hope that we can win the flag each year. Every single person posting here has probably spent thousands of hours and thousands of dollars supporting this club. The negativity comes from a place of deep, longstanding disappointment with how the club conducts itself that seemingly never ends.

We've had that hope crushed time and time again by this team under this coach where we don't stand up when it matters in September. People aren't robots, you can't just flick a switch and make them believe again after what we've been through for a decade.

Coming on this board and having a crack at people who are fed up after 12 long years of disappointment is completely misplaced anger. Get angry with the club for fostering this losing culture. Fos had some pretty clear instructions on what to do when your club is infested with losers.
Nuance is beyond some people.

12 wins, 11 losses or better:
Happy Lets Go GIF by SpongeBob SquarePants


11 wins, 12 losses or worse:
Mad Arthur GIF by MOODMAN
 

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You understand that the head coach has a significant impact on culture, gameplan and performance, right?

We all want to win. We all want to be able to get excited by this team and we all want to be able to enjoy genuine hope that we can win the flag each year. Every single person posting here has probably spent thousands of hours and thousands of dollars supporting this club. The negativity comes from a place of deep, longstanding disappointment with how the club conducts itself that seemingly never ends.

We've had that hope crushed time and time again by this team under this coach where we don't stand up when it matters in September. People aren't robots, you can't just flick a switch and make them believe again after what we've been through for a decade.

Coming on this board and having a crack at people who are fed up after 12 long years of disappointment is completely misplaced anger. Get angry with the club for fostering this losing culture. Fos had some pretty clear instructions on what to do when your club is infested with losers.
Don’t kid yourself, we like any other club have Bandwagon supporters and there is some on this forum.
 
I didn't say I wanted to drop a key forward, I was just responding to someone who was arguing that Marshall doesn't tackle.

Enviable Tradition said that Marshall could come in for Francis Evans and make us better. I tend to agree, especially if he's being used as a CHF linkman up the ground where his marking on the lead and excellent delivery can shine.
Ok thanks
 
Really interesting that since the match, a lot of the Victorian/national media talk has focused on how poor Sydney were with any favourable review of our performance being an afterthought. Understandably, commentators seem reluctant to put faith in us. Contrast this to the salivating over Brisbane’s win against the Saints and the Dogs’ over Melbourne. I completely get it and like it. It suits Hinkley’s mindset. We crumple under praise and expectation and perform much better when we have a chip on our shoulder.
 
Lol carn

Has kicked 3 goals in 2 weeks in games our forward line has had the best delivery from the midfield we’ve seen in Ken’s tenure.

If Todd kicked 1 goal 5 in a 112 point drubbing this board would have a car bomb in his driveway lol.

I actually think esava did pretty well, but find it pretty ironic he’s getting celebrated for a performance Todd would get slaughtered for on here.
He holds his position in aerial contests and takes big contested pack marks. Right now that appears significantly more valuable than Marshalls non-competitiveness in the same circumstances.
 
I have been sceptical about Esava from day dot. But on the last couple of weeks it is clear that his natural instinct and talent is to mark. He can clunk a ball. A rarity these days. He has size and good athleticism. He is not a natural defender. He needs to stay in the forward line. He takes pressure off Dixon too. I'm not a Todd hater but I just don't see who he replaces in the current set up.
It's early days but I think Port has stumbled on its best 22 for rest of this season. No room for Marshall for now. Forwards looked so much more potent and balanced with the 2 big boys. Georgiadis enjoying being the 3rd tall. Rioli was badly missed.
Defence looks much better balanced without Ratugolea. Alliir plays better on a tall. Lachie Jones and Bergman have covered the 3rd tall role nicely. Jones has been super impressive.
Unless someone is busting the door down in the SANFL, I'd be leaving the line up alone, if injuries, suspensions and form permit.
 
It's early days but I think Port has stumbled on its best 22 for rest of this season. No room for Marshall for now. Forwards looked so much more potent and balanced with the 2 big boys. Georgiadis enjoying being the 3rd tall. Rioli was badly missed.
Defence looks much better balanced without Ratugolea. Alliir plays better on a tall. Lachie Jones and Bergman have covered the 3rd tall role nicely. Jones has been super impressive.
Unless someone is busting the door down in the SANFL, I'd be leaving the line up alone, if injuries, suspensions and form permit.
I even think this is right down to Narkle as the sub.
 
I loved our game last night, had a great time there. At quarter time I just thought, make the most of it because Sydney are not going to play a whole game like that. Then, as the game wore on, I kept thinking we would take the foot off a bit late in the game and end up winning by about 60 points. But the things I loved most - every single player played with commitment and did the team things so well - the fact that even in the late stages of the last quarter when we were already 80+ points up, players were chasing and tackling like men possessed.

As great as that game was though, I'm still just looking week to week to see if we maintain it before I start thinking about what we may or may not do come finals. I will most definitely enjoy any more wins that we have, but I'm not thinking any further ahead.

And I still want Ken gone when this season finishes, however it happens.
 

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It’s impossible for me to dare to dream at this point, I did it in 2020 and 2021 and where did it get me? That being said, hard to imagine ending the year worse than 2-1 from the last 3 after two extremely surprising wins, and should finish somewhere from 3rd to 6th depending on other teams. Things seem to be clicking in the right way, but I’m not convinced anything will be different than previous years when it comes to finals.
In all honesty I’m still pretty disenchanted when it comes to the club. Too many ****wits telling me I’m not a true fan when I criticise things that deserve criticism has gotten to me a little bit and as such I walked away from that game mainly annoyed that I’d gotten my tip wrong (I’m near the pointy end of my comp and winner gets $550). In all honesty it kind of hurts. How can I not be overjoyed at a 112 point win against the ladder leaders? Is it just because I’m in disbelief at the result? Frankly I’m not sure. The fanbase that I’m supposed to identify with and be united with over a shared goal is fractured to a degree where I don’t even feel all that happy even at this result. I almost feel like I can’t be happy.
I’ve touched on it before, these feelings might come from a place of deeper mental struggles rather than the football situation, but as I’ve grown a little bit older I’ve placed less of an importance on the football results. But living in Melbourne and being something of a lone warrior since I don’t know many Port fans in amongst a sea of Collingwood and Carlton fans where I live, how can I not care about it?
In the unlikely event we could win a flag anytime soon, I truly hope I’m not so detached that I can’t even enjoy it but ****, when was the last time I cheered for a Port goal? Gather Round this year maybe? And only because I was surrounded by Port fans (Gather Round 23 and 24 are the only times I’ve seen Port in SA). It’s bleak.
Anyway, whatever happens I guess we’ll see. The odds aren’t in our favour with that campaigner in charge, so I can’t even begin to dream that this year will be different, I’m incapable of it.
 
It’s impossible for me to dare to dream at this point, I did it in 2020 and 2021 and where did it get me? That being said, hard to imagine ending the year worse than 2-1 from the last 3 after two extremely surprising wins, and should finish somewhere from 3rd to 6th depending on other teams. Things seem to be clicking in the right way, but I’m not convinced anything will be different than previous years when it comes to finals.
In all honesty I’m still pretty disenchanted when it comes to the club. Too many ****wits telling me I’m not a true fan when I criticise things that deserve criticism has gotten to me a little bit and as such I walked away from that game mainly annoyed that I’d gotten my tip wrong (I’m near the pointy end of my comp and winner gets $550). In all honesty it kind of hurts. How can I not be overjoyed at a 112 point win against the ladder leaders? Is it just because I’m in disbelief at the result? Frankly I’m not sure. The fanbase that I’m supposed to identify with and be united with over a shared goal is fractured to a degree where I don’t even feel all that happy even at this result. I almost feel like I can’t be happy.
I’ve touched on it before, these feelings might come from a place of deeper mental struggles rather than the football situation, but as I’ve grown a little bit older I’ve placed less of an importance on the football results. But living in Melbourne and being something of a lone warrior since I don’t know many Port fans in amongst a sea of Collingwood and Carlton fans where I live, how can I not care about it?
In the unlikely event we could win a flag anytime soon, I truly hope I’m not so detached that I can’t even enjoy it but ****, when was the last time I cheered for a Port goal? Gather Round this year maybe? And only because I was surrounded by Port fans (Gather Round 23 and 24 are the only times I’ve seen Port in SA). It’s bleak.
Anyway, whatever happens I guess we’ll see. The odds aren’t in our favour with that campaigner in charge, so I can’t even begin to dream that this year will be different, I’m incapable of it.
Living here in Adelaide I am able to get to all our games here, and I think it makes a huge amount of difference as far as getting enjoyment from these games. I am lucky that all the people that i sit near are long time supporters and very passionate and knowledgeable about the team and the games. They dish out criticism when it is deserved, we have sat through plenty of not so enjoyable games too, but appreciate the good times as well. I think it is a whole different experience when you have fellow supporters to celebrate with and commiserate with.
 
We played easily the best game of any team in the entire season, so you would think we would get a huge mention in the “9 things we learned” article on the AFL site… nope, of course not. Only team mentioned about our game was Sydney.
 
Really interesting that since the match, a lot of the Victorian/national media talk has focused on how poor Sydney were with any favourable review of our performance being an afterthought. Understandably, commentators seem reluctant to put faith in us. Contrast this to the salivating over Brisbane’s win against the Saints and the Dogs’ over Melbourne. I completely get it and like it. It suits Hinkley’s mindset. We crumple under praise and expectation and perform much better when we have a chip on our shoulder.

I heard they only had 12 hours off between games.
 
It's early days but I think Port has stumbled on its best 22 for rest of this season. No room for Marshall for now. Forwards looked so much more potent and balanced with the 2 big boys. Georgiadis enjoying being the 3rd tall. Rioli was badly missed.
Defence looks much better balanced without Ratugolea. Alliir plays better on a tall. Lachie Jones and Bergman have covered the 3rd tall role nicely. Jones has been super impressive.
Unless someone is busting the door down in the SANFL, I'd be leaving the line up alone, if injuries, suspensions and form permit.
I’d take Dylan Williams over lachie Jones. He’s ball handling, overhead mark,decision making and foot skills are better BUT Dylan is alot slower.
 
The team played to their roles really well, played more 1 on 1, the right level of aggression, played for each other, tackled, hunted, ran and had a level of unselfishness that had me excited.

There seemed to be a fair whack of leading and players hitting them up big time.
Francis Evan's first goal was a lead from stoppage from Butters and I haven't seen that type of lead for a while, weird too, considering it was a small like Evans but it looked good.
We also played more through CHF and competed for the ball in that area.

There were a couple of marks from Georgiades and Ratugolea that were highlights but I'm going to go Ollie Wines ripping the ball out of hands of a Swannie in IIRC the first quarter. Just a great lot of power close in, in the contest, see ball, get ball. I'd also put in the Sweet goal in the goal square. Just kept the ball alive with great pressure from the big guy.
 
We played easily the best game of any team in the entire season, so you would think we would get a huge mention in the “9 things we learned” article on the AFL site… nope, of course not. Only team mentioned about our game was Sydney.
Happened the week before - Carlton was the only team mentioned
 
Then I don’t understand the comparison of tackles. I think Marshall coming in for a small will ruin the structure. I would love to know stats on getting to contests, as Evans at least gets to them. Also, who is quicker. Marshall as a sub lacks flexibility. Rats going back means one of our backline goes out. Who?

Lovely dilemma to have!
There is no way Rats goes back. Lord should be extremely worried. I know its early, but to paraphrase Choco 'CHF should be Esavas to lose'. He should be made to practice set shots every day of the preseason because it is his noticeable weakness but otherwise he provides more power and mobility up forward than any other forward we have. Mitch and he seem to be working off each other really well.

Marshall should be playing SANFL until he shows he is prepared to compete hard. Non negotiable. Hopefully a full preseason will see him come back better next season. Until then Dixon is looking good as a decoy/KPF with much less attention on him.

Obviously that was a route but that was the best our forward line has looked all season. And no Philthy it was not just because of the delivery from the midfield its because we had 3 talls competing and demanding the ball and creating space and opportunities for our smalls.
 
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I’d take Dylan Williams over lachie Jones. He’s ball handling, overhead mark,decision making and foot skills are better BUT Dylan is alot slower.
Lachie Jones can actually get from contest to contest and can keep up with forwards on a lead. Once the ball gets out the back Dyl Will may as well be sitting in the stands as his lack of pace makes him a spectator.
 
Lachie Jones can actually get from contest to contest and can keep up with forwards on a lead. Once the ball gets out the back Dyl Will may as well be sitting in the stands as his lack of pace makes him a spectator.
Until the last few weeks, Lachie was running between contests, misjudging the flight of the ball, going up instead of staying down, over running the ball etc.
Im not sure what has actually just happened, but he now looks a completely different player. His composure and reading of the play has been A1
 

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Review Round 21, 2024 vs Sydney

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