Review R18: Port v St Kilda review

[StuMan]

So we're still 12th, 6 points behind Geelong and Adelaide, 4 behind GWS and level with Collingwood. Of those teams, the only one with a better percentage is Collingwood.

Next week, we play the Bulldogs; Geelong play Sydney; Adelaide play Richmond; GWS play Essendon and Collingwood play Carlton. Assuming we win, I'd expect Geelong and Adelaide to lose and GWS and Collingwood to win, leaving us still 12th but only 4 points out of the eight.

Then, in round 20, we play GWS; Geelong play Hawthorn; Collingwood play Sydney and Adelaide play Essendon. Again assuming we beat GWS, and only Adelaide of our competitors win, we leap ahead of Geelong, Collingwood and GWS (depending on percentage)and into ninth, 2 points behind the Crows.

The last 3 rounds see us play Hawthorn, Gold Coast and Fremantle (who appear to have sewn up a top 2 spot this weekend);
Adelaide play Brisbane, West Coast and Geelong - call it two wins
Geelong play St Kilda Collingwood and Adelaide - also two wins
Collingwood play Richmond Geelong and Essendon - only 1 win
GWS play Sydney Carlton and Melbourne - probably two wins

So if the next fortnight goes as expected, if we win all three games we should make it, barring Adelaide upsetting both West Coast AND Geelong. If the Crows lose to both WC and the Cats, we could afford to drop another game unless Geelong win all three. And it may come down to percentage between us and GWS.

We need a lot of things to go our way to jump over four other clubs this late in the year, but if we get on a roll the next two weeks, we are still in the race.

 

[Muunky Tuunk Man]

So who was watching the pigeon down the southern end in the 3rd quarter? Bird had guts.

Yes Kickpuncher. For sheer courage we should sign it to a 10 year contract. Everyone around us was commenting about it.
I hope Hinkley uses it as part of the video footage to the players about being brave.

 

[PJ Power]

O'Shea looks back to some good intercepting form, and is going long and direct with the footy. He must be smelling the warmer September weather.

 

[FallingLiefs]

So we're still 12th, 6 points behind Geelong and Adelaide, 4 behind GWS and level with Collingwood. Of those teams, the only one with a better percentage is Collingwood.

Next week, we play the Bulldogs; Geelong play Sydney; Adelaide play Richmond; GWS play Essendon and Collingwood play Carlton. Assuming we win, I'd expect Geelong and Adelaide to lose and GWS and Collingwood to win, leaving us still 12th but only 4 points out of the eight.

Then, in round 20, we play GWS; Geelong play Hawthorn; Collingwood play Sydney and Adelaide play Essendon. Again assuming we beat GWS, and only Adelaide of our competitors win, we leap ahead of Geelong, Collingwood and GWS (depending on percentage)and into ninth, 2 points behind the Crows.

The last 3 rounds see us play Hawthorn, Gold Coast and Fremantle (who appear to have sewn up a top 2 spot this weekend);
Adelaide play Brisbane, West Coast and Geelong - call it two wins
Geelong play St Kilda Collingwood and Adelaide - also two wins
Collingwood play Richmond Geelong and Essendon - only 1 win
GWS play Sydney Carlton and Melbourne - probably two wins

So if the next fortnight goes as expected, if we win all three games we should make it, barring Adelaide upsetting both West Coast AND Geelong. If the Crows lose to both WC and the Cats, we could afford to drop another game unless Geelong win all three. And it may come down to percentage between us and GWS.

We need a lot of things to go our way to jump over four other clubs this late in the year, but if we get on a roll the next two weeks, we are still in the race.

Way I see it is Melb v north next week, pies v cats and cats v crows basically decide our fortune. If Melb beat North next week we can make it even by dropping a game. So get your Melbourne scarves and skipoles out, its norfing time.

 

[Jim Dixon]

Ok, well I enjoyed that. I've been asking for a four quarter effort all year (though to be fair round 1 was pretty close to a 4 quarter effort), and I finally got one.

Glad to see the underperforming fringe players stood up today. Moore, Young, Sam Gray, Colquhoon, Neade, they all put in a good shift today. It's a lot easier game when everyone's playing as a team.

I gotta say though that the skill levels remain deplorable. I know it was a bit cold and windy but that's a common feature of AFL grounds in July and August. Just got to do better then that. You know a top 4 side would have just sat out there, and waited for us to butcher the ball and then cash in.

Except for Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard. Man those guys are good. Bruce wanks on every week about bloody Cyril, well if Wingard played for bloody Hawthorn they'd be looking at a 22-0 season. He'd be close to 70 goals for the season with the silver service those Hawks would give him. I am so glad Chad is a homebody who likes basketball and probably doesn't know or care who Hawthorn are.

Robbie Gray just keeps on keeping on. I don't think he's been quite as good this year as he was in 2014 but still he's a genuine A grader and some of those clearances today were silk. I shudder to think where we'd be without him. Look at St. Kilda's David Armitage, an honest worker but quiet today, and compare him to Robbie Gray. That's the difference between good honest hard work and a star talent.

Nice to enjoy a good solid comfortable win without the squeaky bum time. Only negative was Ollie's shoulder going pop.

Carn the Pear!

 

[*PAF]

Ok, well I enjoyed that. I've been asking for a four quarter effort all year (though to be fair round 1 was pretty close to a 4 quarter effort), and I finally got one.

Glad to see the underperforming fringe players stood up today. Moore, Young, Sam Gray, Colquhoon, Neade, they all put in a good shift today. It's a lot easier game when everyone's playing as a team.

I gotta say though that the skill levels remain deplorable. I know it was a bit cold and windy but that's a common feature of AFL grounds in July and August. Just got to do better then that. You know a top 4 side would have just sat out there, and waited for us to butcher the ball and then cash in.

Except for Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard. Man those guys are good. Bruce wanks on every week about bloody Cyril, well if Wingard played for bloody Hawthorn they'd be looking at a 22-0 season. He'd be close to 70 goals for the season with the silver service those Hawks would give him. I am so glad Chad is a homebody who likes basketball and probably doesn't know or care who Hawthorn are.

Robbie Gray just keeps on keeping on. I don't think he's been quite as good this year as he was in 2014 but still he's a genuine A grader and some of those clearances today were silk. I shudder to think where we'd be without him. Look at St. Kilda's David Armitage, an honest worker but quiet today, and compare him to Robbie Gray. That's the difference between good honest hard work and a star talent.

Nice to enjoy a good solid comfortable win without the squeaky bum time. Only negative was Ollie's shoulder going pop.

Carn the Pear!

Good post but don't necessarily agree regarding the 4 quarter effort.
Had St Kilda been a better side they would have won the second quarter.

 

[charcolechaddy]

PORT ADELAIDE 4.5 8.5 12.7 17.10 (112)
ST KILDA 1.4 3.10 4.12 6.13 (49)

GOALS
Port Adelaide:
Wingard 4, White 2, Schulz 2, Neade 2, Westhoff 2, Moore, R. Gray, Lobbe, S. Gray, Ryder
St Kilda:
Montagna 2, Dunstan, Sinclair, Bruce, Membrey

BEST
Port Adelaide: R. Gray, Westhoff, Boak, Young, S. Gray, Wingard
St Kilda: Montagna, Steven, Newnes, Savage, Armitage, Geary

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Wines (shoulder)
St Kilda: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Sam Colquhoun replaced Ollie Wines at quarter-time
St Kilda: Tim Membrey replaced Billy Longer at half-time

Those bast are a little WTF!

Ummmh.
I had Hammer with Ebo as extremely disappointing.
Getting a gold pass for mine.
Mind you, we are not using him to his best - his boot is a weapon but we have him dancing around trying chip kicks and backwards handballs all day.

WTF hammers best game for the season by far. Did I read the score wrong yesterday because after reading this I swear we lost by 10 g

 

[RossFC]

afl.com.au suggested the scoreline 'flattered' the Power but personally, I never thought we lost control of the game.

We did have complete control, but St Kildas goal kicking was horrible. They could have been a lot closer than 10 goals down if it wasn't for that.

 

[simmo_bc]

So who was watching the pigeon down the southern end in the 3rd quarter? Bird had guts.

Felt sorry for the bugger, suspect it had eaten some sort of bait

 

[simmo_bc]

O'Shea looks back to some good intercepting form, and is going long and direct with the footy. He must be smelling the warmer September weather.

Atleast his trade currency is increasing, I can't see him around the club next year?

 

[Hellgood]

There's a lot to like about the Bulldogs, but they are just as susceptible as us in putting in a dud shift every month or so.

Atleast his trade currency is increasing, I can't see him around the club next year?

Why? His position in the side isn't secure, but he's more in than out at the moment.

 

[Steve Dore]

Ohhh and does my arse look fat in these pants.

My wife asked "Who's the guy in the pink jumper with Gav, Byron and Nicky?".

 

[raptalia]

Way I see it is Melb v north next week, pies v cats and cats v crows basically decide our fortune. If Melb beat North next week we can make it even by dropping a game. So get your Melbourne scarves and skipoles out, its norfing time.

I admire your optimism FL but if you use the AFL predictor we would really have to win every game. Going by ladder positions and logical winners if we drop one game we will finish 9th. As I cannot see us beating Hawthorn in Melbourne it really comes down to this week against the Bulldogs then beating Freo at home and banking on an upset or two. At finals finish is possible but unlikely.

 

[FishingRick04]

We are very likely to win all but Hawks. We can beat the Hawks if we are focused. Richmond showed us how.

We are fighting Crows and Geelong. They will drop games we could be 2 points behind them next week and it's game on and pressure can do funny things. Look what it did to us this year.

 

[Kingfish73]

Missed most of game mustering kids for auskick. But pleasing to get a 10 goal win. Wingard close to a lock for AA. Star that boy

 

[tribey]

Missed most of game mustering kids for auskick. But pleasing to get a 10 goal win. Wingard close to a lock for AA. Star that boy

Is a lock. There's have to be some vintage Kevin Bartlettesque boobery to deny the only player in the league averaging 20+ disposals & 2+ goals a half-forward flank.

 

[Doctor Feel]

Lol, roo on radio "port were okay i guess." Ditts goes "10 goal win. I'm happy with that." Roo replies "you are happy with how they played...alright." in a sarcastic tone.

Captain campaigner.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Because Adelaide really taught Sydney a lesson. Well a lesson in how to find form for the opposition.

 

[BIG MATTY WHITE]

Lol, roo on radio "port were okay i guess." Ditts goes "10 goal win. I'm happy with that." Roo replies "you are happy with how they played...alright." in a sarcastic tone.

Captain campaigner.

I used to like roo as a commentator...

I thought he was pretty fair in his assessments ....but yesterday he sounded bitter

 

[Ford Fairlane]

I was so hoping Macca19 would put Sam Gray in his top 5. Port website had no such hesitation.

 

[1954]

Frustrating game to watch at times due to the regular sloppy disposal and/or poor decision making when a team mate was in the clear, and arguably another 8-10 shots on goal could have gone begging because of that, but regardless, a 10 goal win is a 10 goal win.

Good to see the first 4 qtr effort since round 1, and also good to see some of the more maligned players, eg Sam Gray, Moore, Young and the Hoon take steps towards becoming regular first 22 players.

I still have some reservations about all 4, particularly the Hoon, who built his footy rep as an out there waiting for it very wide linkman at the ponderosa, and often with no opponent in the same post code, but he has been too easily tagged out of a number of games now he is at the Maggies.
While it is highly unlikely he will cop a close tag at AFL level I believe he still needs to add another string to his bow to cement a suceesful career at the Power.

Another of the oft maligned players in Cam O'Shea has now played a couple of fairly decent games, as opposed to the bloke he replaced in TJ, who has been an absolute liability in the Pettigrew mould all season, and has since done literally sfa in his 2 games with the Maggies.
While it could be argued that Cam got AFLgames by default, the position he now occupies in defence could be his to keep if he can perform at yesterday's level consistently.

 

[Macca19]

I was so hoping Macca19 would put Sam Gray in his top 5. Port website had no such hesitation.

Thought about it

 

[finbarr]

Lol, roo on radio "port were okay i guess." Ditts goes "10 goal win. I'm happy with that." Roo replies "you are happy with how they played...alright." in a sarcastic tone.

Captain campaigner.

His boys haven't beaten a top 8 side since Round 1. And that was North Melbourne, whose top 8 credentials are questionable. Given their draw they should have wrapped up a top 8 spot by now let alone be sitting in the 8 right now. Roo should just shut up.

 

[R_Gray_Jnr_Jnr]

After today's game, if anyone isn't on the 'Get Sam Day' Train/Wagon, you're delusional. We needed a Big, Athletic Forward to demand the Pill down the line, September football is won in Rubbish conditions.

Charlie Dixon - Give him whatever he wants. Also let's get the South Aussie Matt Sharemburg back home.

 

[Port 2004]

Lol, roo on radio "port were okay i guess." Ditts goes "10 goal win. I'm happy with that." Roo replies "you are happy with how they played...alright." in a sarcastic tone.

Captain campaigner.

At least we didn't lose by 10 goals like the other mob did. Even with another soft draw they still are not in the 8. Maybe the whiny mouth breather should keep his comments to himself.