Preview AFL Round 6 - Port Adelaide v Geelong, Adelaide Oval, Sunday 27 April

[Teriyakicat]

Previously I had thought losing a round 6 game after five good wins including knocking over the Hawks was no big deal, however I am inclined to think this game is more important than first thought. Knocking over a very good interstate away at their home is what you must do to be a genuine contender, also I am aware we will be playing Freo in Perth later in the season.

I will never forget 2007 when after beating Port in Adelaide, Freo in Perth then playing the Crows in Adelaide a few weeks later in a game I expected us to lose. When we won that we went to the top of the ladder and the hugs and smiles on the faces of the players and staff after the final siren was dazzling. I remember thinking "we can beat anyone anywhere, wait a minute, we can win a premiership! this year", I looked at the players and staff on the ground and the Geelong fans around and it occurred to me that I was not the only one thinking this. It was shortly after this Bomber Thomson mentioned something about a lid.

OK the Port game is not in the same universe but I reiterate that winning interstate games against good teams is important in the marathon of a successful season.

I agree. We don't have to absolutely slaughter PA but we have to do a few things- as you said, we have to be able to win away from home against a good team. We also have to be able to pull up after a short break, against a hard-hitting team, and win against a fast- moving team. No excuses because, if we look for them, these sorts of excuses are going to pop up all over the season and it will be easy to drop the bundle every time we hit a bump.
Last year when we had all of those 6-day turnarounds at the beginning of the season, we all thought we'd be happy to jag a couple of wins but were absolutely stoked to come out of it 4-0. There were no excuses then and, as Scotty said, we'd had all pre-season to plan for it.
(Getting off topic a little here- I wonder if that hard start to 2013 contributed to us being flat by the finals)
Not sure about Bomber's lid- had he lost the lid to his takeaway coffee?

 

[Teriyakicat]

We're actually stalling you guys and giving your coach all sorts of excuses while we try to widen the boundaries of Adelaide oval

Haha- you tricky buggers! Good plan! That will help your runners, won't it?

 

[Teriyakicat]

Same here. Scott said exactly the same thing - it's an oval with goalposts.

Better check those goalposts are still there at our end of the ground when the game starts. You never know, with these tricky Adelaide people!

 

[Big Tom 2013]

Any news on Mackie?

Only that he's out due to a hamstring injury. Not sure how long it will keep him out for though.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Ah, ok. So having Cox and Natanui hasn't helped West Coast in the past?

It's naive to compare those 2 to Simpson and HMac. Cox and Naitanui almost act as extra midfielder with their running ability as athletic prowess, the same can't be said for our 2 ruckman who are more your old passion type ruckman.

Amazing how quickly requirements shift depending on who we want in the team. I don't care who does and doesn't get games, Simpson and McIntosh should be playing together as often as possible (and yes both will be rested from time to time).

I agree with the last part, but I think this is the perfect week to rest Simpson, in a match where we require more run. Of course requirements shift accordingly to who we want in the team. You select a side based on your opponents, and in this case it's Port who have 1 ruckman and their strength lies with run and fitness. That's why I want an extra midfielder.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you about playing them together as often as possible, and they can be a strength against most sides, I just disagree with the ploy against Port, particularly with Blicavs in the side, who let's face it, doesn't win enough of the ball to be a major threat as yet. Playing all 3 against Port could spell disaster.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I still don't understand how leg speed beats ruck dominance?

Go grab yourself a few tapes of some Fremantle matches for your answer.

 

[meto]

It's naive to compare those 2 to Simpson and HMac. Cox and Naitanui almost act as extra midfielder with their running ability as athletic prowess, the same can't be said for our 2 ruckman who are more your old passion type ruckman.


I agree with the last part, but I think this is the perfect week to rest Simpson, in a match where we require more run. Of course requirements shift accordingly to who we want in the team. You select a side based on your opponents, and in this case it's Port who have 1 ruckman and their strength lies with run and fitness. That's why I want an extra midfielder.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you about playing them together as often as possible, and they can be a strength against most sides, I just disagree with the ploy against Port, particularly with Blicavs in the side, who let's face it, doesn't win enough of the ball to be a major threat as yet. Playing all 3 against Port could spell disaster.

Have you ever heard of playing to your strengths?.....don't fix it till it's broke?.....our rucks have been our resurgence this year and why we're 5 and 5.
Simpson is a bullock in the packs, we'd be mad to change anything...Maybe Varcoe, but that's about it!

 

[cynical]

Go grab yourself a few tapes of some Fremantle matches for your answer.

Last years qualifying final?

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Last years qualifying final?

A match in which Geelong played without a true ruckman.

 

[rooie]

A match in which Geelong played without a true ruckman.

surely proving that our desire for run (blitz) was totally outclassed by their ruck dominance.

 

[Partridge]

It's naive to compare those 2 to Simpson and HMac. Cox and Naitanui almost act as extra midfielder with their running ability as athletic prowess, the same can't be said for our 2 ruckman who are more your old passion type ruckman.

On Simpson I'd agree, although he's developing into a more than useful tap ruckman. He's averaging 4 less hitouts a game than Cox, and 7 more than Naitanui. No doubt he needs to increase the amount of disposals he gets. His workrate is good, and I'd say 6 tackles last week is awesome for a guy that size. He's not afraid to get his hands dirty.

McIntosh is the big surprise. He's averaging less hitouts than Simpson (15.4 to 19.4), but he is averaging as many touches as Cox (15.4 to 15.6), the same amount of marks (4.4), but more goals, more inside 50s, more contested possessions, than either Cox or Naitanui. He breaks even at worst with Cox, and smokes NicNat right now.

I agree with the last part, but I think this is the perfect week to rest Simpson, in a match where we require more run. Of course requirements shift accordingly to who we want in the team. You select a side based on your opponents, and in this case it's Port who have 1 ruckman and their strength lies with run and fitness. That's why I want an extra midfielder.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you about playing them together as often as possible, and they can be a strength against most sides, I just disagree with the ploy against Port, particularly with Blicavs in the side, who let's face it, doesn't win enough of the ball to be a major threat as yet. Playing all 3 against Port could spell disaster.

Good explanation. We're almost on the same page, to me because the bye is only 2 weeks away I'd give Simpson and McIntosh their break then. And it's simple for me, if you need to take out a big guy drop Blicavs. Running ability as you say doesn't mean a lot without the ball. But we'll wait and see.

Good post.

 

[vinum coupe]

Good explanation. We're almost on the same page, to me because the bye is only 2 weeks away I'd give Simpson and McIntosh their break then. And it's simple for me, if you need to take out a big guy drop Blicavs. Running ability as you say doesn't mean a lot without the ball. But we'll wait and see.

Good post.

And that's the double edged sword for me Partridge.
You've mentioned that the two rucks are a massive asset. And you have mentioned how poorly we managed our list last year.

Surely you have to find ways to protect an asset? Whilst still winning games.
IF they believe that the 2 rucks are the difference in winning or losing this week then play them.

But I'd actually prefer risking a game here or there during the year than risking running them into the ground.
The problem we have is still CHF.

I honestly think that if we had someone tearing it apart (at CHF) in the VFL that we'd have a lot more flexibility when it comes to resting rucks.
If we dropped a ruck this week and brought in a runner we'd pretty much have no CHF.

Did I just talk myself out of it? lol

 

[Pollywaffle]

I think it's a bit harder than that. Just ask Tom Hawkins or Josh Walker.

or Mark Blake
I guess I really meant 'Pinch hitting' in the ruck, as opposed to a dedicated and accomplished ruckman whose work cannot be underestimated Ottens , Cox, Sandilands et al ( and dare I say, H Mac- --touch wood )

 

[Boultzboi]

Joel Selwood has never played in a losing side against Port Adelaide he's 11 from 11

 

[chadwingard]

smells of desperation putting Motlop in and you guys havnt got Chapman this time to save your skins

 

[you pick one]

Did I just talk myself out of it? lol

I hope so I'd keep them going with the bye only a couple of weeks off,they seem to me to be sharing the load evenly,leave one out and the other has to should the extra work load with the occasional chop out from not even what I'd call a part timer,no I like this formula.Any thought of leaving one out IMO should be in the last 1/3 of the season not now.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Port struggled to get over West Coast. Weagles should have beaten them if they kicked strait.

We have a fit Hawk and number 1 rucks as well as no Angus for them.

Should win this and I think comfortably too..

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

smells of desperation putting Motlop in and you guys havnt got Chapman this time to save your skins

You'd have a good point if we where the exact same team from finals last year, but we're not.

 

[winty]

smells of desperation putting Motlop in and you guys havnt got Chapman this time to save your skins

Just as well we've got a proper ruck division and a fit full forward to compensate for the loss of Chapman then, isn't it?

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

smells of desperation putting Motlop in and you guys havnt got Chapman this time to save your skins

Desperate times sitting 5-0.

 

[you pick one]

Just as well we've got a proper ruck division and a fit full forward to compensate for the loss of Chapman then, isn't it?

And a much more intense game plan to go with it.

 

[BIGANT]

Big ramifications for both side's I think, with whomever win's. The cat's confidence will be even more sky high if we can be the first side to win in the beautiful new AO and against another contender . Port, on the other hand this is the start of a "big4" games ahead for them....start there campaign w a win against the cats, they will have huge amounts of confidence looking ahead. Port very much are like us, they are compiling a talented deep midfield. If we can slightly get on top up forward n contain there fwds, it's gonna be one hell of a battle in the midfield. Looking fwd to it big time, whilst a long time cat's supporter n member, so happy and proud to see these cats on my home deck in AO

 

[Jon Douglas]

If the bye is 2 games away stay with the 2 ruck system we have at present ad both get a week off then. Then we manage them later in the season against some weaker teams - playing Simpson and Blitz and then HMac and Blitz. That will work against Saints, GWS, Doggies, Carlton, etc.

We need to beat Port to put a gap between ourselves and them in the top four push. We will lose a game this year for sure so we just need to make sure we beat our main rivals and that will help us make top 4.

Mackie may not come back until after the bye and then he has a decent rest as well.

The League is our oyster if we beat Port and then Richmond and then take a bye.

 

[steady2]

The order is slightly out. We beat Port in Adelaide, then Adelaide in Adelaide within 3 weeks of each other (I think we beat St.Kilda in between). Fremantle in Perth wasn't until very late in the season.

Yeah I wasn't being too pedantic about the absolute order, actually we beat Fremantle at home and then played in Adelaide twice in 3 weeks as you pointed out. At the time I thought winning in Adelaide is tough, winning in Adelaide twice in a season - very tough, twice in 3 weeks I thought near impossible, hence the second win produced extraordinary thoughts about our possibilities for the rest of the season, to which I followed the line and my lid on. Twelve months later I stupidly took it off.

 

[iameviljez]

smells of desperation putting Motlop in and you guys havnt got Chapman this time to save your skins

Go win a premiership and then tell us how desperate we really are.