Review R14: Port v Sydney Review

It was classic Port Adelaide out there tonight. A player gets hit hard and it spurs you on to another level. Something Port Adelaide lived by through my time growing up watching the SANFL. You start something against Port Adelaide, be prepared for retribution both physically and on the scoreboard. Such a pity it was us acting like North Adelaide or Glenelg tonight, and not like the Port Adelaide that we know and love.

The effort was there for the most part but it was a similar story from the rest of the year for our negatives. Skills let us down all over the park, decision making wasn't much better. Won the hitouts but couldnt find our midfielders. Tall forwards that had no impact. We look and play exactly like a 12-16 side. Flashes of brilliance surrounded by frustration. 5-10 minutes of great play followed by 45 minutes of nothing. This is our level. This is what we have become this year.

There were parts to like about the game. I liked how we tried to play more direct than we have all year. Tried to play quick, long, direct football. Our defensive structures through 3 of the 4 quarters was very good. Lots to like about AhChee, Wingard, Colquhoun, Hartlett.

But, quite simply, if you can't kick, you can't expect to win games of football against top 4 teams. And at the moment, we can't kick.

PLAYER REVIEWS
The Best
Gray - Was a star in the midfield once again. A monster at the stoppages and regularly was able to get the ball inside 50. Bit wasteful in front of goal but its his consistency that makes him such a great player for Port Adelaide. Week in, week out, you know exactly what you are going to get. A rare thing at the moment.

Hartlett - I thought this was close to his best game for the season. A strong four quarter effort playing through the midfield and spending time behind the play at half back. Used his run and big kick to his advantage and was great with his use of the ball. This is the hammer we love.

Colquhoun - Really enjoyed his game tonight. Whether he was mopping up the play across half back or getting some clever clearances and hard ball gets at the stoppages, he did a lot of good and looked like a mature player out there. Needs to get stronger and find a yard of pace, but he hasn't really put a foot wrong since he came back into the side.

Wingard - Fell out of the game in the last but he had a great first half and ended up with another 3 goals. Skills were great and he was able to run rings around Nick Smith for much of the game. Just needed something from him in the last.

Krakouer - Another week, another strong effort from Krak. Strong down back, used it as well as ever and kicked 2 goals as well. A couple of disappointing defensive efforts in the first quarter, but outside of that, is one of our most consistent players and puts in solid efforts every week.

The Rest
Westhoff - One of his better games for the year. Seemed to have more to say up forward than he has in recent times. Still dropped back in the backline at times and did a good job at that. A bit lazy at times through the third quarter, but overall was a solid contributor.

Boak - A big last quarter didnt hide the fact that he was bitterly disappointing up util 3/4 time. Just couldnt find any space on Mitchell and was wasteful with his chances when he did manage to get the ball. Would have been the match winner in that last quarter had we managed to get up, but we need more from the Captain. No more 1 or 2 quarter efforts. We need four quarter Trav out there.

Pittard - Whilst I enjoy the fact he takes the game on, you just can't deny that he turns it over far too much. Can only hit targets with kicks <20m. If he isn't short kicking, then he's ever half volleying or booting it 10m over his teammates heads. Add in the constant slipping over and debatable defensive skills and he's gone backwards at a rate of knots this year. If he had any ability at all to hit targets with his longer kicks then he'd be a fine player. But there is no point in him just banging it as hard as possible straight to an opponent.

Wines - Very very ordinary. Looked ploddish, slow, poorly skilled and outside of the first quarter, unwilling to put his head over the ball. Worst game i've seen him play.

Ebert - At times very good, at times very poor. Workrate isn't the issue, but execution leaves a lot to be desired. Is the king of the half volley and quite simply, the only half volleys I want to see on grass at the moment is at Wimbledon. His skills let us down and kill momentum.

Ah Chee - There was a hell of a lot to like about Brendon's game tonight. The way he hunted the ball in packs was first class. His handballs are like bullets, strong, direct, fast and capable of doing damage. Knows how to evade a tackle. But, his foot skills let him down a lot. Just about every kick was either a helicopter or a turn over. His kicking is normally a lot better than that. Definitely something to work with and deserves to stay in the side for an extended period of time to see what he can do.

Hombsch - Played 15 minutes of the worst defensive work i've seen all year which allowed Sam Reid miles of space to put Sydney well in front. Thankfully, he turned up in the second half and it was back to the Jack we know. Strong defensively and good with the ball in his hands. But, that 15 minutes really turned the game in Sydneys favour after a good first quarter.

Impey - Defensively was great on Mcveigh and had a decent first half. Went to water after half time with some poor skills and constant falling over.

Schulz - That tackle was the hardest he's attacked something in 2 months. Once again just nowhere to be seen out there. Spent more time on a wing and at half back than he did inside 50. Missed an easy shot in the first quarter and that was close to the only time he touched the ball until the last. The holiday may do him the world of good.

Broadbent - Ordinary defensively, ordinary with the ball. Ordinary.

Lobbe - Plenty of hitouts, minimal to advantage and offered nothing around the ground, and less than nothing up forward. Struggling.

Stewart - Actually liked his game tonight. Was constantly busy and getting involved up on a wing and across half forward. One of our better performers across four quarters.

Ryder - Ruckwork was good. Offered almsot literally zero else.

Carlile - Thought defensively he was doing a good job until he was subbed out.

Monfries - Really shut Rhyce Shaw out of the play but needs to find a way to do something, anything else out there. It is pointless having a 100% negative player in our forward line in ou current state at the moment. We know how good he's been this year when attacking the play more. Let him off the leash Ken.

Jonas - I don't know what to say about Tommy. I really don't. I think its detrimental to his own confidence keeping him in the side any longer. 3 goals kicked on him, but that was probably the best part of his game. Either fell over, dropped the ball, got tackled and dropped the ball, or turned it over every single time he touched it. Is literally the most out of form player i've ever seen in football. Sad. Needs to be dropped to get some sort of confidence back.

Moore - Couple of neat efforts and questionable disposal. Want to see a full game next week.

POTY Votes
10
9
8
7 - Gray
6 - Hartlett, Colquhoun, Wingard, Krakouer
5 - Westhoff, Stewart, AhChee
4 - Carlile, Monfries
3 - Hombsch
2 - Ryder, Pittard, Ebert
1 - Lobbe, Boak, Wines, Impey, Broadbent
0 - Jonas, Moore, Schulz
 

LFC2010

Brownlow Medallist
Apr 28, 2010
21,473
23,687
Adelaide
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Liverpool, Boston Celtics
Fire away

The bad
The Midfield - Got absolutely dominated again by Sydney midfield
Sydney's number - Hannebery 34, JPK 33, Jack 26, Parker 26, Mitchell 22. plus 5 goals between them.

Jonas, again terrible (what's happened)... Pittard's composure under pressure again terrible.

The Good
Hombsch.
Krakouer.
Gray
Hoff
Wingard
 

Nemisis

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 27, 2012
5,599
7,130
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
It was classic Port Adelaide out there tonight. A player gets hit hard and it spurs you on to another level. Something Port Adelaide lived by through my time growing up watching the SANFL. You start something against Port Adelaide, be prepared for retribution both physically and on the scoreboard. Such a pity it was us acting like North Adelaide or Glenelg tonight, and not like the Port Adelaide that we know and love.

The effort was there for the most part but it was a similar story from the rest of the year for our negatives. Skills let us down all over the park, decision making wasn't much better. Won the hitouts but couldnt find our midfielders. Tall forwards that had no impact. We look and play exactly like a 12-16 side. Flashes of brilliance surrounded by frustration. 5-10 minutes of great play followed by 45 minutes of nothing. This is our level. This is what we have become this year.

There were parts to like about the game. I liked how we tried to play more direct than we have all year. Tried to play quick, long, direct football. Our defensive structures through 3 of the 4 quarters was very good. Lots to like about AhChee, Wingard, Colquhoun, Hartlett.

But, quite simply, if you can't kick, you can't expect to win games of football against top 4 teams. And at the moment, we can't kick.

PLAYER REVIEWS
The Best
Gray - Was a star in the midfield once again. A monster at the stoppages and regularly was able to get the ball inside 50. Bit wasteful in front of goal but its his consistency that makes him such a great player for Port Adelaide. Week in, week out, you know exactly what you are going to get. A rare thing at the moment.

Hartlett - I thought this was close to his best game for the season. A strong four quarter effort playing through the midfield and spending time behind the play at half back. Used his run and big kick to his advantage and was great with his use of the ball. This is the hammer we love.

Colquhoun - Really enjoyed his game tonight. Whether he was mopping up the play across half back or getting some clever clearances and hard ball gets at the stoppages, he did a lot of good and looked like a mature player out there. Needs to get stronger and find a yard of pace, but he hasn't really put a foot wrong since he came back into the side.

Wingard - Fell out of the game in the last but he had a great first half and ended up with another 3 goals. Skills were great and he was able to run rings around Nick Smith for much of the game. Just needed something from him in the last.

Krakouer - Another week, another strong effort from Krak. Strong down back, used it as well as ever and kicked 2 goals as well. A couple of disappointing defensive efforts in the first quarter, but outside of that, is one of our most consistent players and puts in solid efforts every week.

The Rest
Westhoff - One of his better games for the year. Seemed to have more to say up forward than he has in recent times. Still dropped back in the backline at times and did a good job at that. A bit lazy at times through the third quarter, but overall was a solid contributor.

Boak - A big last quarter didnt hide the fact that he was bitterly disappointing up util 3/4 time. Just couldnt find any space on Mitchell and was wasteful with his chances when he did manage to get the ball. Would have been the match winner in that last quarter had we managed to get up, but we need more from the Captain. No more 1 or 2 quarter efforts. We need four quarter Trav out there.

Pittard - Whilst I enjoy the fact he takes the game on, you just can't deny that he turns it over far too much. Can only hit targets with kicks <20m. If he isn't short kicking, then he's ever half volleying or booting it 10m over his teammates heads. Add in the constant slipping over and debatable defensive skills and he's gone backwards at a rate of knots this year. If he had any ability at all to hit targets with his longer kicks then he'd be a fine player. But there is no point in him just banging it as hard as possible straight to an opponent.

Wines - Very very ordinary. Looked ploddish, slow, poorly skilled and outside of the first quarter, unwilling to put his head over the ball. Worst game i've seen him play.

Ebert - At times very good, at times very poor. Workrate isn't the issue, but execution leaves a lot to be desired. Is the king of the half volley and quite simply, the only half volleys I want to see on grass at the moment is at Wimbledon. His skills let us down and kill momentum.

Ah Chee - There was a hell of a lot to like about Brendon's game tonight. The way he hunted the ball in packs was first class. His handballs are like bullets, strong, direct, fast and capable of doing damage. Knows how to evade a tackle. But, his foot skills let him down a lot. Just about every kick was either a helicopter or a turn over. His kicking is normally a lot better than that. Definitely something to work with and deserves to stay in the side for an extended period of time to see what he can do.

Hombsch - Played 15 minutes of the worst defensive work i've seen all year which allowed Sam Reid miles of space to put Sydney well in front. Thankfully, he turned up in the second half and it was back to the Jack we know. Strong defensively and good with the ball in his hands. But, that 15 minutes really turned the game in Sydneys favour after a good first quarter.

Impey - Defensively was great on Mcveigh and had a decent first half. Went to water after half time with some poor skills and constant falling over.

Schulz - That tackle was the hardest he's attacked something in 2 months. Once again just nowhere to be seen out there. Spent more time on a wing and at half back than he did inside 50. Missed an easy shot in the first quarter and that was close to the only time he touched the ball until the last. The holiday may do him the world of good.

Broadbent - Ordinary defensively, ordinary with the ball. Ordinary.

Lobbe - Plenty of hitouts, minimal to advantage and offered nothing around the ground, and less than nothing up forward. Struggling.

Stewart - Actually liked his game tonight. Was constantly busy and getting involved up on a wing and across half forward. One of our better performers across four quarters.

Ryder - Ruckwork was good. Offered almsot literally zero else.

Carlile - Thought defensively he was doing a good job until he was subbed out.

Monfries - Really shut Rhyce Shaw out of the play but needs to find a way to do something, anything else out there. It is pointless having a 100% negative player in our forward line in ou current state at the moment. We know how good he's been this year when attacking the play more. Let him off the leash Ken.

Jonas - I don't know what to say about Tommy. I really don't. I think its detrimental to his own confidence keeping him in the side any longer. 3 goals kicked on him, but that was probably the best part of his game. Either fell over, dropped the ball, got tackled and dropped the ball, or turned it over every single time he touched it. Is literally the most out of form player i've ever seen in football. Sad. Needs to be dropped to get some sort of confidence back.

Moore - Couple of neat efforts and questionable disposal. Want to see a full game next week.

POTY Votes
10
9
8
7 - Gray
6 - Hartlett, Colquhoun, Wingard, Krakouer
5 - Westhoff, Stewart, AhChee
4 - Carlile, Monfries
3 - Hombsch
2 - Ryder, Pittard, Ebert
1 - Lobbe, Boak, Wines, Impey, Broadbent
0 - Jonas, Moore, Schulz
Absolutely nailed it.
 
Cam Mooney summed it up beautifully, is 100% correct, in the war room when he said - Port just switch on and off too much. When they're in they're flying, but when they are out of it they look horrible, horrible football team and their turnovers tonight thru the middle of the ground were just really costly.
 

StrappingTape

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 29, 2012
6,170
7,226
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Outrun by a Sydney team down a player for a half, we are overcooked the players are completely ****ed and therefore the skills drop with it.

Thought Pittard was good, Ah Chee was great in close and it was great to see one of our midfielders actually pick up the ball first time nearly everytime, clean hands have become a rarity this year. Wingard was good, Hoff.. that's about it again the team felt flat and no spark and I put that down to some internal dysfunction that I'm levelling at the fitness and coaching staff.
 

El_Scorcho

Hall of Famer
Aug 21, 2007
31,570
98,415
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Aston Villa, San Antonio Spurs
Agree pretty much across the board Macca19

How many more poor games can the likes of Jonas, Schulz and Lobbe have? What are we really gaining at this minute by continuing to play them at AFL level?

Positives were Hartlett, Colquhoun and Ah Chee all playing well. Gray is a superstar, Wingard is very good. Krak is making me eat my words every week. Stewart had a more positive game as the late inclusion.

But we can't keep expecting anything to happen when a slew of our "best" players absolutely can't get near it and butcher it when they do.

Wield the axe, play the kids, punish some out of form players.
 
Apr 10, 2014
20,052
54,732
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Most frustrated and disgusted I've felt in a long time. At least in 2011 and 2012 you knew we were meant to be s**t so those sort of performances were to be expected, but it's so much worse in a season when we were talked up as a premiership contender.

We just need ONE more win for 2015 to technically be a better season than 2012 :(
 
Mar 9, 2014
2,903
6,919
Madelaide
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
When Paul Stewart, a fine clubman destined in most supporters' eyes to be a rookie listed player in 2016, off a 4 day break is one of your best players you know your team is a load of.....also rans.
I was confidently putting my family home on Schulz kicking that last minute goal because it meant f' all.
If I had $50 for every panic kick forward against Sydney I'd easily beat my weekly take home pay.
Tom Jonas is a shell of his former self WTF has happened?
I can't remember 1 Sydney turnover we punished, yet just about every one of ours was punished.
I could go on and on and on.
Not a positive review but an accurate one.
 
Last edited:
When we play quick instinctive footy we look good. But then we slide back into that hesitant, our head is too full of tactics football and we fall away again. And once we close in on a lead we get scared and go back to looking like we are trying remember too many tactics rather than taking the game on.

Then the desperate bombing kicks start.
 
  • Thread starter
  • Moderator
  • #14
The panic kicks dont bother me too much. You'll always get panic kicks from every team. Its the clear s**t kicks under minimal pressure due to laziness that did my head in tonight. 10-15 times players doing kicks off one step that didnt hit the target and put our team under ridiculous pressure. That isn't good enough. That isn't acceptable. That needs to be ironed out as soon as possible.
 
Sep 3, 2002
28,579
37,618
Adelaide
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
After a season of playing via row Z it's unsurprising we looked rusty trying to take the game on. Add in Jonas continuing us playing 17 on the ground for games and our woeful disposal - especially by foot - and that we got so close is a testament to our less experienced players along with Wingard and Gray. At least we can finally stop pretending finals are a chance and continue to put full games into Ah Chee, Hoon and hopefully next week a full game for Moore. And drop Lobbe for Harvey.
 
Jul 17, 2010
20,122
37,973
Adelaide
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
We literally played tonight with 0 effective ruckmen, we got crushed by a potato forward line and we have the worst defence in the AFL.

We have 3 good players a week. Westhoff, Gray, and Hombsch this week, i'd happily drop 18 others.

I'm actually sick of us saying our defenders are good we have 1 maybe 2 good defenders the rest are killing us in every way.
 

Robbie4PM

All Australian
May 18, 2015
836
1,004
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Just a couple comments on some players I have been critical of late and will continue to be


Boak: Another very ordinary performance by our captain. We lack leadership and he obviously is a major factor in this. He doesn't get the ball to team mates enough. Since it was said on “on the couch” that his disposal efficiency puts him ahead of Dangerfield as a player Boak has been absolutely awful with the ball. The fact that he is not worse than Dangerfield with the ball makes me want to cry. Every top midfielder is tagged, get over it and win some damn footy.

Jonas: I don't think I have enough expletives in my vocabulary to tell you guys what I think of Tom Jonas as an AFL footballer. I'd be disgusted with his skill level at SANFL standard. Not only is his skill level of that of a 12 year old that has seen the footy for the first time, he's also ridiculously slow and can't even defend. The amount of goals he costs our team is absolutely ridiculous. HOW ON EARTH IS HE STILL IN OUR TEAM AFTER 13 GAMES OF THIS GARBAGE. KEN YOU ARE ****ED IN THE HEAD.

Pittard: Another defender who consistently scores more for the opposition than actually stops with his defending. He's a liability down back and always has been. Move him on. Trade, drop i don’t care, don't want him in my team.

Schultz: Loved this guy since he came to the club. I hope he's rubbed out for 2 weeks because he deserves to be dropped and won't be. His attack on the footy is poor, his defending always is too close to him when he's on the lead. Never has any separation and is always spoilt

Lobbe: 1 Mark tonight, that sums it up for me. Just not good enough, looks like Jonas with his movement.


I won’t rip the younger guys or the ones new to the team because I don’t think they are our major issue. Every team bar Hawks and Sydney have some seriously weak players at the end of their 22 and we are no different, but our senior players are not playing up to the level they need to to be competitive in an AFL game.


We did not kick enough “easy” goals as I would call them when you get the clearance of run and hit the forward on the chest or find them out the back. Our goals are kicked from some freakish individual brilliance from a player and that is just not sustainable over four quarters of football. Forward line always wants the ball over the back and the forwards consistently kick it to the defender in front. Why don’t we just hit a player on a lead, how much easier is it to mark the ball on the lead rather than in a massive pack. Puzzles me our strategy going forward.
 

powerpowerpower

Team Captain
May 10, 2015
420
590
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Positives:
Ah Chee-loved the all in attack.
Wingard-thank fck for him.
Gray-side steps amazing.

Negatives:
Ill keep it short. Skills, gameplan, onfield leadership and the whole box.

Like it or not but Kenny will come under fire this week and rightly so. If it was any other coach you'd say the same thing.
 
Sep 3, 2002
28,579
37,618
Adelaide
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
The panic kicks dont bother me too much. You'll always get panic kicks from every team. Its the clear s**t kicks under minimal pressure due to laziness that did my head in tonight. 10-15 times players doing kicks off one step that didnt hit the target and put our team under ridiculous pressure. That isn't good enough. That isn't acceptable. That needs to be ironed out as soon as possible.
I hope you saved this after round 1 so you can just copy and paste it each round as it's been s**t disposal under minimal Pressure all year (along with its companion as dropping easy marks under little or no pressure).
 

El_Scorcho

Hall of Famer
Aug 21, 2007
31,570
98,415
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Aston Villa, San Antonio Spurs
When we play quick instinctive footy we look good. But then we slide back into that hesitant, our head is too full of tactics football and we fall away again. And once we close in on a lead we get scared and go back to looking like we are trying remember too many tactics rather than taking the game on.

Then the desperate bombing kicks start.

Yeah, see I think even with the quick, instinctive footy, we look $1,000,000 moving the ball through the corridor and sharing it around, but then we get 65m out, and we bomb it to a 2 on 3 at the hot spot.

We work the ball through really well and just throw our good work down the toilet by failing to take advantage of scrambling defenders and spotting up a target 30m out.

We are the worst side in the AFL at this. We just blaze away to a contest every time and it costs us shitloads of goals.
 
Back