Port Adelaide 2015 / 2016 Discussion

[Atto]

http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2016-02-25/hartlett-elevated-to-vicecaptain

Great call IMO. Hartlett is a good player and a even better bloke. I wish nothing but the best for him in his new role.

[Dudge]

http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2016-02-25/hartlett-elevated-to-vicecaptain

Great call IMO. Hartlett is a good player and a even better bloke. I wish nothing but the best for him in his new role.

Yeah I remember one of his earliest games, it was against against the Crows,  he was surrounded by a few Crows who were coming at him ( it was hbf or back pocket ) and Hamish took a step back, looked up and bang, hit someone on the chest in the center square. Just seem to have poise and time. I actually said in them days, this kid will win a Brownlow lol. Get some right and plenty wrong haha. Glad he signed to a long term contract. and deserves the VC

[PowerBug]

Sooooo, Ebert doesn't have to worry about that anymore. A chance to play a full season at 100+ SC perhaps? ;)

[powersuperkents]

http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2016-02-25/hartlett-elevated-to-vicecaptain

Great call IMO. Hartlett is a good player and a even better bloke. I wish nothing but the best for him in his new role.

+1 Fantastic news

Cannot think of any player who deserves it more (Wines would be my next selection in line)

and neither Lobbe nor Ebert deserved to retain it after some of their performances last season. I like both players a lot, but I think they lack the resilience that Hartlett displays

I'm really happy with this decision  :)

[powersuperkents]

Despite the easy draw, I don't see us making the 8  :-\

The team has become worse since 2014... We were fantastic in 2013, a revelation in 2014, disappointing in 2015, and just terrible so far this season.

We need an actual fullback - Carlisle is not good enough. We need a 188-192cm +90kg inside mid (think Patrick Cripps) because Wines cannot shoulder the load himself (it's just too much for one player). Most importantly, we need to change this flowering game plan, a few patches of good form is not good enough. We have the personnel to challenge for the top 4, but we remain loyal to a ridiculous brand of football that only worked when we were underdogs (now the only team it seems to actually work against is Hawthorn...).

It's really becoming a joke. The opposition just counters and chips it over our "defensive line" (watching our last two games I'm not sure whether these defenders are actually aware of the fact that they are defenders) and literally walk into the goals...

Hombsch has been fantastic (in all honesty, he's the only one who can call himself a defender in the line up). Pittard has been fantastic, but we must remember he is a rebounding defender (regardless he has been more effective at negating opponents than spud Carlisle). Broadbent has been debatable, however Pittard and Broadbent should be the only two players with a license to venture up the ground. Jonas is a shutdown defender, Impey is a shutdown defender, Carlisle is a shutdown defender, and Trengove is a shutdown defender.

Why the flower are they spending most of their time at the 50 meter line, rather than manning their direct opponents. Either the game plan needs to change, or personnel needs to change... The more realistic option is obvious...

Flowering Hinkley is very stubborn about this game plan, but in all honesty, it hasn't worked since 2014...  >:(

Today was the most helpless I've seen our side since 2012............... The Crows played well, while we were absolutely embarrassing (I would say it was our worst loss since the 07 Grand Final &, before that, the Semi Final Showdown loss in 2005). A flowering disgraceful performance, by everyone but Gray & Wines, that was an insult to all footy fans...  :'( 

[PowerBug]

Yep totally agree. It's laughable how our defenders are more interested in being part of the next attacking chain than doing what they actually paid to do. If Carlile, Trengove want to play in attack then I'm sure a Brisbane, Carlton, St. Kilda, Melbourne will take them. I couldn't give a toss who plays our lockdown roles, as long as the actually stick to that role! Follow their man to the toilet if they have to. Drop Jonas we are too tall in defence, play another mid sized runner or small lockdown or something (DBJ maybe can get a game).

We have a dodgy ruckman but he actually gets hitouts which is surprising, maybe if our mids start to learn to rove to his hitouts we might be better out of the centre. Polec was poor but gotta stick with him, we need speed and he brings that.


How I would lineup for Round 3:

Backs: Jarman Impey, Alipate Carlile, Jack Hombsch
Half Backs: Matthew Broadbent, Jackson Trengove, Jasper Pittard
Centre: Jared Polec, Sam Gray, Brad Ebert
Half Forward: Robbie Gray, Jay Schulz, Aaron Young
Forward: Chad Wingard, Charlie Dixon, Justin Westhoff
1st Ruck: Matthew Lobbe, Ollie Wines, Travis Boak
Interchange From: Brendan Ah Chee, Hamish Hartlett, Jimmy Toumpas, Darcy Byrne Jones, Karl Amon, Paul Stewart, Jake Neade

Carlile and Trengove are lockdown defenders which SHOULD be common knowledge. Hombsch plays on the 3rd tall, Impey on the best small. Broadbent plays loose at all times. You then have Pittard running down one wing and Polec down the other.

Sit Charlie Dixon at full forward with Chad Wingard. Park the two of them there for the majority of the game 2v2, we will win this contest 9/10 times either by Charlie using his body and winning, the ball spilling to the ground and Chad will always win, or by Chad taking Mark of the Millenium over Charlie Dixon. Schulz and Westhoff lead up the ground to isolate the other two and Schulz is great on the lead. Jake Neade can play but he's not in the best 18, Aaron Young played well enough (Despite being a potato at times) to be on the field as that medium forward type player. He also looked bigger than the 81kgs the Port website suggests, I like that.



I just hope we don't stuff up this Friday night, we need to come out and belt the Bombers to prove a point.

[powersuperkents]

That's a good point regarding Lobbe. He is winning a bit against the lower tier rucks but the only midfielders in our side that can actually contest are Wines and Gray (one of which is needed in the forward line just as much as the midfield). We rely too heavily on outside mids.

I'm pretty sure Boak is an inside mid but I have not seen him in the contest once this season. I'm sure Ebert could play on the inside as well. It's got to be a lack of work ethic at this point (esp. considering Boak has been barely sighted apart from a goal or two, he really needs to step up). Hammer is another who can play the contested role well (he's usually pushed out of the role by Boak, Wines, & Gray). He's been too valuable across half-back though.

I see our personnel troubles getting worse before they get better  :-\ (I think Lobbe has lost all confidence since Ryder arrived - he was actually elite in 2014).

I just cannot stand the defence (besides Pittard, Hombsch, and to an extent Broadbent). Just shocking - absolutely horrible. Pittard has really been our best player this season so far but he receives little support from teammates (would be kicking at 95-99% if he wasn't under pressure every time he gets the ball - he's turning it over a lot less as well, and considering the fact he's received less support than previous seasons that's a good sign).

Yeah Bonner isn't ready yet so DBJ is probably the best option. I'm not sure what Jonas is doing half the time so he really needs to go - Carlisle and Trengove should really be on thin ice.

I think the man who really should be under pressure is Hinkley though - he needs to stop blaming the players with bs excuses about effort and change the game plan (I'm starting to doubt whether he actually has a plan B at this point). Hawthorn are a champion side because they are versatile and can alter their gameplan on a weekly basis. Port has been the most stubborn club besides Sydney & Freo, but the difference is Sydney have a system that is hard to emulate, takes years to train, and is successful at most times (more an overall club culture than a gameplan - they make champion players out of unfavourable draft picks). Conversely, Freo's strategy is easy for coaches to play against, however it's defensive (the point is not to concede) so it is significantly more effective than our strategy (which is 100% offensive). We aren't scoring enough so it's time to change.

I'm sick of the club faltering and then claiming 5 useless wins (like we did at the end of last season) and saying "we're primed for next season" - implying that the game plan works. I really doubt Hawthorn or Freo cared during those games (Freo rested all their players) and the other teams were in the same position as us. It doesn't work anymore and until that flowering game plan, which I'm guessing every coach in the AFL can now recite, changes, I know I'm going to be frustrated (Carlton, Melbourne, St Kilda, & GWS are all playing better football than us - we have gone from the most entertaining side to one of the least in the space of a year).  >:(

It's a tough time to be a Port supporter when it really shouldn't be considering some of the players we have in this team and knowing what they are capable of  :-\

[PowerBug]

Yeah I reckon they've got to change something up, being ultra attacking and just "backing the lads in" isn't working anymore. Get some defensive structures in place.

I noticed as well with the new interchange cap, what we should be seeing is the key players not being rotated as much. I remember a few years back where 4 of North's back 6 had 100% game time in one match, we should be heading back to those numbers with the new cap. Look at the first two games, Carlile 86 and 91, Trengove 83 and 81, Impey 76 and 80. Those numbers just are not good enough for lockdown defenders, I expect 90+ from the key backs each week. On the other side we had Talia 92, Lever 90 and last week Fisher 98, Dempster 93.

We stop our useless defenders from tiring themselves out on the offensive side of the ball, we let the mids go harder and thus use up more of the rotations like they should be!! On the positive side Pittard 87 and 89, Hombsch 88 and 89 and Lobbe 91 and 88 are three guys who I think have good TOG numbers :)

[Ricochet]

Jay Schulz...


Tom Brown from 7 News reported on Monday (i think) that Schulz's back injury was requiring surgery and could even end his career.
Now ruled out for this weekend

Anyone heard any more on it?

[PowerBug]

Nothing more than Hinkley saying that Hartlett, Schulz and Wingard won't play this Friday.

[Gigantor]

Good news for Cloke, Butcher will come in and take the mantle as worst shot on goal

[PowerBug]

Good news for Cloke, Butcher will come in and take the mantle as worst shot on goal

Nah expect Dougal to keep his spot over Butcher (At least that's what I hope happens).

Johnny did kick 4 for the Magpies though...

[powersuperkents]

Good news for Cloke, Butcher will come in and take the mantle as worst shot on goal

Nah expect Dougal to keep his spot over Butcher (At least that's what I hope happens).

Johnny did kick 4 for the Magpies though...

He's always a star in the SANFL though

It's obviously psychological and at this point I doubt he could ever develop the mindset to perform at AFL level. His second game still seems to be his best performance (by a mile)

[PowerBug]

Good news for Cloke, Butcher will come in and take the mantle as worst shot on goal

Nah expect Dougal to keep his spot over Butcher (At least that's what I hope happens).

Johnny did kick 4 for the Magpies though...

He's always a star in the SANFL though

It's obviously psychological and at this point I doubt he could ever develop the mindset to perform at AFL level. His second game still seems to be his best performance (by a mile)

I still remember Butcher's first kick in AFL was a set shot where he kicked the perfect drop punt and it sailed for a point. His next six scoring shots were all helicopters from all angles but also were all goals...

[Grazz]

Good news for Cloke, Butcher will come in and take the mantle as worst shot on goal

Nah expect Dougal to keep his spot over Butcher (At least that's what I hope happens).

Johnny did kick 4 for the Magpies though...

He's always a star in the SANFL though

It's obviously psychological and at this point I doubt he could ever develop the mindset to perform at AFL level. His second game still seems to be his best performance (by a mile)

Reminds me of a bloke called Scott Hodges, he was another that struggled with confidence when coming from the SANFL into an AFL side. It's all between the ears which can be a tougher problem to fix than just a flawed kicking action. Scotts issues wasn't his kicking but the problem is one in the same, confidence.