Preview Round 7: Port Adelaide vs Brisbane Lions

Jun 12, 2012
20,451
65,048
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
We all love a good rivalry and I consider the Lions to be our first genuine nemesis in the AFL.

It's not a rivalry based on jealousy or territory, but one that has spawned from intense competition. From frustrating draws and top of the table duels. From Preliminary despair and Grand delirium.

And it all started a lot earlier than you might think.

Once upon a time there was a football club, forged in working class suburbia, who came flying out of the blocks and dominated their competition, winning 5 premierships in their first 17 years. The Fitzroy Football Club. Back then they were know as they Unbeatables, and they were, that is until they faced the soon-to-become Invincibles. Another club from across the border, another who had also achieved 5 premierships during the same period. You guessed it! The Port Adelaide Football Club. They hammered Fitzroy in the 1913 Champions of Australia match by a hefty 63 points, landing the first blow in a rivalry that would resume many years later.

Whilst the two clubs were comparably successful in their formative years, that was certainly not the case by the time 1997 rolled around. Port had flourished beyond all reasonable belief, winning more titles than any other club in the land, demanding their place in the national competition. Fitzroy on the other hand had floundered miserably, traversing the bottom of the ladder for decades, before finally having their withered corpse stitched to an interstate franchise. But nevertheless, this was a new beginning for both clubs, one that saw Port Adelaide and the now Brisbane Lions battle each other relentlessly in an entertaining and fiery race to the top.

A true modern day rivalry was forged.

Anyway, time to jump back in the DeLorean and get back to the present day. It's Round 7 and Port are 3-3, whilst Brisbane are 1-5. Sorry, someone set the damn clock to 2015, let's try that again. OK. Round 7, 2016, Port 3-3, Brisbane 1-5.

Right.

So it seems like a little bit of history repeating, but hopefully we learnt a bit from last year's debacle. We went into that game as clear favourites but for one reason or another they pulled our pants down and we got humiliated by 37 points. So we certainly shouldn't underestimate them this time around.

As we all know we've been wildly inconsistent so far this season, but this round has shown us a few things. Firstly, that we've got what it takes to turn it around, but also that our losses have been against 3 clubs who could very well be contending this year, so maybe we're not travelling as badly as first thought. However this weekend has also revealed that Brisbane are not as bad as their record suggests either, with their 5 losses being against the current top 4 and a rising Eagles outfit.

So what do we make of it all? Well, I'm not too sure to be honest. I feel like playing at home gives us an edge, but I am worried about the influence of Martin and some of their onballers such as Zorko, Rockliff, Hanley and co. I think they will prove to be more formible than Richmond were so we really need to be on our game. It's also hard to judge how competitive we will be when our final 22 is so far from being finalised. Will Gray and/or Wingard be back? Does Lobbe come back in?

There are lots of unknowns, but right now I'm feeling good about things and keen to see another chapter written in this rivalry, one that I think will give us a little bit of redemption.

Port by 37 pts.
 
after the Lions effort against the Swans I would be really happy to steal the 4 points

and yes, the Lions are not only a good club but our true nemesis spawned by our early 2000 match ups
 

Magus

Cancelled
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Dec 31, 2013
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Broken Hill playing in the curtain raiser, unfortunately I shan't be umpiring in it this year.
image.gif
 

Magus

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A lot more confident about this game being at AO rather than the Gabba. Would love to make up for the awful display of last year.
 

Coobk001

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 26, 2007
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We all love a good rivalry and I consider the Lions to be our first genuine nemesis in the AFL.

It's not a rivalry based on jealousy or territory, but one that has spawned from intense competition. From frustrating draws and top of the table duels. From Preliminary despair and Grand delirium.

And it all started a lot earlier than you might think.

Once upon a time there was a football club, forged in working class suburbia, who came flying out of the blocks and dominated their competition, winning 5 premierships in their first 17 years. The Fitzroy Football Club. Back then they were know as they Unbeatables, and they were, that is until they faced the soon-to-become Invincibles. Another club from across the border, another who had also achieved 5 premierships during the same period. You guessed it! The Port Adelaide Football Club. They hammered Fitzroy in the 1913 Champions of Australia match by a hefty 63 points, landing the first blow in a rivalry that would resume many years later.

Whilst the two clubs were comparably successful in their formative years, that was certainly not the case by the time 1997 rolled around. Port had flourished beyond all reasonable belief, winning more titles than any other club in the land, demanding their place in the national competition. Fitzroy on the other hand had floundered miserably, traversing the bottom of the ladder for decades, before finally having their withered corpse stitched to an interstate franchise. But nevertheless, this was a new beginning for both clubs, one that saw Port Adelaide and the now Brisbane Lions battle each other relentlessly in an entertaining and fiery race to the top.

A true modern day rivalry was forged.

Anyway, time to jump back in the DeLorean and get back to the present day. It's Round 7 and Port are 3-3, whilst Brisbane are 1-5. Sorry, someone set the damn clock to 2015, let's try that again. OK. Round 7, 2016, Port 3-3, Brisbane 1-5.

Right.

So it seems like a little bit of history repeating, but hopefully we learnt a bit from last year's debacle. We went into that game as clear favourites but for one reason or another they pulled our pants down and we got humiliated by 37 points. So we certainly shouldn't underestimate them this time around.

As we all know we've been wildly inconsistent so far this season, but this round has shown us a few things. Firstly, that we've got what it takes to turn it around, but also that our losses have been against 3 clubs who could very well be contending this year, so maybe we're not travelling as badly as first thought. However this weekend has also revealed that Brisbane are not as bad as their record suggests either, with their 5 losses being against the current top 4 and a rising Eagles outfit.

So what do we make of it all? Well, I'm not too sure to be honest. I feel like playing at home gives us an edge, but I am worried about the influence of Martin and some of their onballers such as Zorko, Rockliff, Hanley and co. I think they will prove to be more formible than Richmond were so we really need to be on our game. It's also hard to judge how competitive we will be when our final 22 is so far from being finalised. Will Gray and/or Wingard be back? Does Lobbe come back in?

There are lots of unknowns, but right now I'm feeling good about things and keen to see another chapter written in this rivalry, one that I think will give us a little bit of redemption.

Port by 37 pts.
Great preview.

Only thing I'd say about the challenge we face this week is that Brisbane on their day can really get their mosquito fleet buzzing big time around the contested ball (as we saw last year) and if they do get up and going we'll be in big trouble. However break even in there and or beat them and it's ours to lose.

I think Port by 13 in a really tight tough battle.
 

Magpiespower

Cancelled
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Dec 16, 2004
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Sure as s**t won't take 'em lightly this year!

Grind out another so-ugly-it's-pretty win.

By whatever margin...
 

x_les_x

Premiership Player
Nov 2, 2012
3,027
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AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Expecting a really close game with various lead changes throughout. Is beams due back this round?

Nevertheless i do worry about stefan martin. Massive unit excellant ruckman even better around the ground known to rack up 20 possies+ while still getting hit outs. Dougal will probably get overwhelmed but hopefully he does enough like last night
 

mic59

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Don't know whether the Lobbe question has been answered for us at the Peter Motley Oval today with his injury. I wasn't there, was anyone there aware whether it seemed serious? Until we know whether Chad or Robbie will come back we can't say too much about this.
Brisbane up until this week were looking one of the bottom 4, they had lost by 64, 69, 53, 34 and won one by 13. Then they lost to Sydney at the SCG by 3 and arguably should have won. They have a better ruck than Richmond, but they only have one which may be to our advantage. Shutting down Zorko and Hanley will take us a long way to winning this.
 
Aug 16, 2009
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I'd have Doogs basically tagging Martin. He doesn't really worry me in the ruck but he's basically another midfielder with the amount of ball he can rack up. If Dougal can keep him from taking too many marks around the ground, it'll go a long way towards getting us the win.

Dougs will just give him one in the chops
 
Dougs will just give him one in the chops

That worked out well for the last guy.

Imagine if we had Ryder out all year, Lobbe out for 10 and Doogs out for five. Next option is Jake Neade on Brendon Ah Chee's shoulders.
 

TheZork

Club Legend
Apr 11, 2014
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Melbourne
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Brisbane Lions
Ripper preview and good luck for the game, Wingard will be back I assume?

Don't know whether the Lobbe question has been answered for us at the Peter Motley Oval today with his injury. I wasn't there, was anyone there aware whether it seemed serious? Until we know whether Chad or Robbie will come back we can't say too much about this.
Brisbane up until this week were looking one of the bottom 4, they had lost by 64, 69, 53, 34 and won one by 13. Then they lost to Sydney at the SCG by 3 and arguably should have won. They have a better ruck than Richmond, but they only have one which may be to our advantage. Shutting down Zorko and Hanley will take us a long way to winning this.

(Sorry but couldn't resist after reading this comment :D) To be fair the 5 sides that we've lost to are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th on the ladder and are likely to stay there for the rest of the year, we also played the eagles in perth and geelong at simmonds which never helps. Still, I'm never confident when playing away as we're not the same side as we are at the Gabba.
 

TheBeardAmigos

Brownlow Medallist
May 15, 2013
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Ripper preview and good luck for the game, Wingard will be back I assume?



(Sorry but couldn't resist after reading this comment :D) To be fair the 5 sides that we've lost to are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th on the ladder and are likely to stay there for the rest of the year, we also played the eagles in perth and geelong at simmonds which never helps. Still, I'm never confident when playing away as we're not the same side as we are at the Gabba.
we didnt play the Cats at simonds. it was a home game
 

mic59

Brownlow Medallist
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Ripper preview and good luck for the game, Wingard will be back I assume?

(Sorry but couldn't resist after reading this comment :D) To be fair the 5 sides that we've lost to are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th on the ladder and are likely to stay there for the rest of the year, we also played the eagles in perth and geelong at simmonds which never helps. Still, I'm never confident when playing away as we're not the same side as we are at the Gabba.

Knew about North and the Bulldogs but was not immediately aware of the others. Sounds like draws are still at the mercy of the AFL, doesn't it? The draw is done on the 6/6/6 basis for the year but you're starting your season with 4 teams that finished the 2015 finals in the top 6.
 

TheZork

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Apr 11, 2014
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Knew about North and the Bulldogs but was not immediately aware of the others. Sounds like draws are still at the mercy of the AFL, doesn't it? The draw is done on the 6/6/6 basis for the year but you're starting your season with 4 teams that finished the 2015 finals in the top 6.
Yeah its a bit ridiculous that a side that finished 17th have the Swans, Eagles, Roos, Cats and Dogs in the first 6 rounds, but what can you do, the Melbourne teams basically run the AFL.
 
Sep 25, 2013
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AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Perhaps it is like this every year but it seems like the competition is far more even and that you have to be at your best to win.

If we are at our best, I think the Lions will be too inexperienced and have been cruelled by injuries. But as we have seen, it's really a matter of which Port team shows up.

Sounds like Lobbe and Gray won't be coming back in. Wingard should hopefully come in. Doesn't look like any of the twos will push for a spot. Maybe Clurey for Stewart.

Port by 40.
 

R_Gray_Jnr_Jnr

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May 12, 2015
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Tipping a shocking crowd this weekend. What a joke of a timeslot for a footy game.. abooooooo!!!
 
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