Preview Port Adelaide v Richmond

[Janus]

Friday is a little late to wait for your preview Noobz0r

"I was thinking...if you don't want me mixing with Creed no more, we'll make out some other way, you know?"

"There's one thing I want you to do for me."

"What?"

"Come here..."

"What?"

"Win. Win!" - Rocky II

I don't care how. This game isn't about who has the better players, the better coach, the better tactics, skill level or any of that s**t. This game, as it always has been, is about who wants it more. Who is prepared to go the distance. That feeling you get when you're running and your heart is pumping battery acid instead of oxygen through your legs.

Lose this game, and the season is over. I'm not kidding either. Not because we can't win, but because the players have decided that they don't feel like running themselves into the ground so someone else can get the ball. They don't feel like pushing their limits and waking up sore the next day, because they don't really believe it's worth it. They aren't prepared to take a risk, because they are either scared or don't trust the people that surround them.

They don't believe they can win.

That's what made Port Adelaide in the past. That's what our turnaround was based on. It wasn't superior fitness, soft draws or any of that bullshit. It was being prepared to do what the other guy wouldn't, harder, for longer. Because we believed.

Richmond is the perfect opponent for us this week, because they will grind us into the dirt if we give them even a sniff of opportunity to do so. They will hate because we embarrassed them last year. A soft effort like that against West Coast or Brisbane will be met with harsh repercussions, on and off the field.

Show us you give a *, boys - about us and especially about each other.

 

[_VXV]

Talking to a mate last night who supports Richmond, he thinks we'll walk it in. Talk around his club is they're scarred by the Father's Day Massacre last year.
We have the match ups & the quality, do we have the grunt & self belief?
I think we do.
Let's get our season back on track.

 

[Papa G]

Actually agree the season will be lost if we can't win this game. They just don't want it enough. There are no excuses for this game. None.

 

[Jim Dixon]

Yeah I watched a bit of Richmond this year. I watched them beat up on Carlton, put in stinkers against Geelong and North Melbourne, but they played some good football against Collingwood last week. If we don't show up and play Port Adelaide football, then they'll beat us easily.

Because Richmond put in so many funny moments and have been the source of hilarity for the better part of thirty five years now, it's easy to forget that under the Hardwick/Williams regime they've played some very good football in the past few years.

Their midfield lacks the class for them to launch a proper flag challenge but they've got a good structured list so on their day they can beat anyone.

To be honest I'm dying to see us just put in an honest four quarter effort. I don't even care about the result- if we play four honest quarters and get beat by a better side, I can cop that. But I'll melt if we have any more of this half-arsed stuff we've had in the last two weeks.

I still think the season can be kick-started. We had a pretty bad slump last year but we flogged Carlton and then order was restored. The problem this year is we can't wait till we play Carlton to get things back on track. It starts on Sunday and all we need is four solid quarters of honest Port Adelaide football.

 

[Smartys Power]

Last week's loss must have absolutely destroyed Noobz0r.

 

[HaroldOliver]

I won’t talk about specific game day strategies or tactics of which I only have a superficial knowledge; I’ll leave that for experts like Janus.

Getting back to our winning ways requires a 100% effort across the board, for our players to actually live The Creed. Port Adelaide has to play as a team and get the non-negotiable basics right this week. We need to play brutal, contested football to put the Richmond front-runners on the back foot. This week I want our players to think of themselves as the hunters again, to execute the team defence first plan our coaches demand. We need to display a maniacal desperation, attack the ball and pressure the ball carrier 100% not just jog or corral and seemingly go through the motions to chase, but really attack the opposition and I want us tackle ferociously for the entire game. I want us to fight fire with fire, to do what our opponents have been doing to us in the last few weeks, to concentrate on each and every contest, and apply constant pressure on our opponents. Naturally then our players have to capitalise on the inevitable turnovers.

They Port players have to clean up their disposal efficiency – our handballs and kicks need to be constructive – to favour our players in contested situations. Disposals directed constructively to allow teammates to run onto the ball, not the half volleys at the feet or passes metres wide of the mark that have occurred frequently over the last couple of months. Less turnovers means less chasing with more energy conserved for the next contest. We appear to be unfit because our disposal efficiency and effectiveness is way down.

In my opinion, if our players play as a team, get the basics right, give their all and raise their disposal efficiency to a reasonable level Port Adelaide will win this most important, season-defining game.

 

[Marmozet]

This is line in the sand, turning point, season defining stuff this weekend!

 

[Enviable Tradition]

I'm worried.

I think just like Freo they will come out with a point to prove after last years finals.

If we play like we have recently we will get flogged and I just can't see us turning our form around quickly enough to win this one.

 

[RossFC]

I hope when Ollie Wines returns he ends up destroying everything in his path.

 

[RossFC]

I will be looking closely at our forward structure and our team structure when Pittard takes the kickouts.

Monfries at full forward (and the sole man inside 50 when the ball is on the wing)
Broadbent and Krakouer with Ivan Maric ready to take a contested mark outside of our defensive 50 at kickouts

Schulz at full forward (with Monfries, Wingard and 1 of Ryder/Lobbe (and sometimes Hoff) inside 50 when the ball is on the wing)
Westhoff(or 1 of Ryder/Lobbe when Hoff is forward) and Trengove with Maric ready to take a contested mark outside of our defensive 50 at kickouts

 

[Smartys Power]

Unfortunately can't make it to cheer Kane on the ground for the 300th and final time due to my own footy but I'll certainly be there to cheer him off.

 

[PA88]

I'm worried.

I think just like Freo they will come out with a point to prove after last years finals.

If we play like we have recently we will get flogged and I just can't see us turning our form around quickly enough to win this one.

Very possible of course, judging by form. However I would be open to the notion of us beating them by even more than we did in the EF.

 

[Contested Marx]

our best is better than their best. however our '5% off' is not.

Good sides bounce back from this sort of slump, and I believe we are a good side (despite some possibly concerning selections).

 

[klem22]

50/50 ball game here imo.
Love to see some real signs of substantial improvement in all areas both on and off the field.

 

[Marmozet]

I'm worried.

I think just like Freo they will come out with a point to prove after last years finals.

If we play like we have recently we will get flogged and I just can't see us turning our form around quickly enough to win this one.

In 2013 we beat Collingwood in a final, then they got us back in 2014. We lost to Geelong in the 2013 finals but then got them back in 2014. 2014 we beat Freo in the finals, then they beat us this year. We lost to Hawthorn last year then we got them back on ANZAC Day this year.

Here's hoping that Richmond already took their revenge for last year in Albury.

 

[Spadge]

yeah agree on the 50/50 game which is why im so surprised that we are short priced favourites. So much so that i put money on Richmond @ $3.50 for an insurance bet.

If we bring anything remotely like we did last week we will lose comfortably. Not 1 Port supporter could say that they are comfortable that we will win this game.

 

[Ant Bear]

Noobz0r asleep at the wheel again

 

[*PAF]

Agree with Stanley_Park if we don't show up we will lose, but will add that even if we show up it's still not a given.
We are still not good enough to win all games if we show up, however our team is good enough to be a chance against anyone if we do show up.

 

[I_Love_Thee_V]

You guys should win im just hoping its a good game but id settle for a draw

 

[Willsy10]

Not confident. Take out the Elimination final of last year and Richmond over the last few years have been to us what Shane Warne was to Darryl Cullinan. I'm actually really worried about this one because if we lose this i can see our season spiraling out of control. 3 and 5 isn't all over red rover but I'm concerned about the psychological effect it could have on our players if after all the "line in the sand" type talk during the week and Kane 300th and final game we still can't get ourselves up for the win.

With so much on the line, we will fight this one to the death and will ourselves over the line by 8 points.

 

[simmo_bc]

I think you'll be able to tell in the first 30 seconds as to whether our on ballers are switched on or not.

My only concern is that the lads come out too hard, focusing too much on the body, after getting a bullocking during the week and drop off on the skills side and causing errors that can be turned over by Richmond. It can happen that easily these days.

As well as our midfield, our forward line has been our achillies heel so far in 2015. We've shown patches of having a fluid forward line however am looking forward to one of our smaller forwards kicking 3 or 4 this weekend.

A solid win would be a good result and is hopefully the platform for a prolonged period of wins.

 

[MrMeaner]

I'd like to return to being confident about each week's game - at least about the effort the team is going to put in.

 

[simmo_bc]

In 2013 we beat Collingwood in a final, then they got us back in 2014. We lost to Geelong in the 2013 finals but then got them back in 2014. 2014 we beat Freo in the finals, then they beat us this year. We lost to Hawthorn last year then we got them back on ANZAC Day this year.

Here's hoping that Richmond already took their revenge for last year in Albury.

haha good post, hope you are right!

 

[Coobk001]

I tipped Richmond.

Unfortunately there's no other option after the last 2 weeks. I hope we snap into form but we clearly have massive structural issues and midfield issues and they weren't addressed at the selection table last night, nor does it appear the club acknowledges or understands the structural issues. Which to me says we are in big trouble.

 

[mic59]

I was surprised at all cowvertiser tipsters, including the ones with non-Port leanings, tipping Port to win.