Mega Thread Port Forum 'General AFL Talk' Thread Part 3

[G3TWOTYAD3S3RV]

We could finish as low as 14th i reckon.

Hinkley in strife if this is the case

 

[Dylan8]

Go **** yourself

Being emotionally burned by the same players and coaches two years running absolutely entitles supporters to pessimism. No one wants the club to fail.

 

[Lagooner]

True, people forget that we lost Schulz and Ryder for nearly the whole year. Adding Ryder and Eddy would have improved last years team considerably.

I might've been a bit off with my 'Eddy supporting Dixon' comment though, it could very well be the other way around!

 

[TeeKray]

Melbourne journos are always going to err on the negative side when it comes to Port unless we give them really good reason not to (eg 2014). They don't know or care enough about us to look at any potential upside as they do for other bottom 10 teams like Melbourne, Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond, etc.

 

[Chrizzt]

Why do I get the feeling some here are almost wishing for failure

Because people have become so heavily invested in their own pessimistic attitudes towards Port that they'd be forced to acknowledge that they were misguided and ultimately poor supporters. So they'd rather have their own pessimism vindicated.

Being emotionally burned by the same players and coaches two years running absolutely entitles supporters to pessimism. No one wants the club to fail.

2 years, though srsly. We also had 2 very good years under Hinkley. Yeah I get that there was a whole load of shit between 2008 and 2013 that still stings but the aforementioned 2 good years has shown we are capable of moving past that so why not have a little more support in the current group?

 

[Dylan8]

2 years, though srsly. We also had 2 very good years under Hinkley. Yeah I get that there was a whole load of shit between 2008 and 2013 that still stings but the aforementioned 2 good years has shown we are capable of moving past that so why not have a little more support in the current group?

Mate if the last two years were the good ones, sure. But we regressed in 2015 and regressed again in 2016. It's a lot easier to believe in the closest linear trajectory and that is a downward one.

 

[Power Girl]

Im an optimist, we'll finish 6/7th.

Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk

I've been calling myself delusional but I much prefer optimist

Good must prevail over evil - so top 4

 

[Janus]

Those who hide behind the skirts of "realism" and bash players are both soft and mentally weak, taking the path of least resistance. People go on about how the Port Adelaide of the past wouldn't tolerate failure. Well the Port Adelaide supporters of the past wouldn't expect failure either. It was the supporters who had high expectations and believed that every year was a premiership year that drove Port Adelaide to greatness. Not this sad sack "realism" bullshit. How many people have ever been inspired by someone telling them they are shit, or that others are better?

Not everyone is going to get a gold star, but that doesn't mean you give up trying. No one rates us - good. You know who is supposed to rate us? People who call themselves supporters.

I'll say it again - you get the team you deserve.

 

[Established1870]

For us I'd say it's realistic to finish anywhere from 5th to 13th. Don't see us finishing any lower unless the players have given up on Ken and I don't see us finishing any higher unless certain players perform out of their skin this season (looking at you, Dixon).

I'll say it again - you get the team you deserve.

If Essendon don't finish at the bottom for the next 10 years then I don't believe this statement is true in any way.

 

[JAlexG]

I think our list is in a good spot. We've got some real competition for spots bar a few who will play every week simply because we don't have a 'like for like' replacement regardless of form.
Our back 6 though is going to give selection headaches week in week out. Have a bad game or 2 and could find yourself in the magoos in no time!
Some internal competition and hunger for spots is good.

 

[Rexie J]

Past performance doesn't necessarily relate to future performance.

(Think that's pinched from countless financial advisory stuff)

But it does have some relevance to the new footy season.

 

[Dylan8]

Those who hide behind the skirts of "realism" and bash players are both soft and mentally weak, taking the path of least resistance. People go on about how the Port Adelaide of the past wouldn't tolerate failure. Well the Port Adelaide supporters of the past wouldn't expect failure either. It was the supporters who had high expectations and believed that every year was a premiership year that drove Port Adelaide to greatness. Not this sad sack "realism" bullshit. How many people have ever been inspired by someone telling them they are shit, or that others are better?

Not everyone is going to get a gold star, but that doesn't mean you give up trying. No one rates us - good. You know who is supposed to rate us? People who call themselves supporters.

I'll say it again - you get the team you deserve.

This is suuuuuuuch garbage it's actually hard to respond to.

These players failed when the training wheels were taken off and high expectation were bestowed on them in 2015. Well funded football program, two years under a purportedly world class fitness regime, external expectation. "Oh, you mean there's no excuse and we seriously have to start contending now?"

I think it's fine that the supporters know when the team and the coaches aren't good enough so we can demand change instead of being happy meandering with the same personnel who fail to represent the club at the high standard we expect.

What do you wanna do, have everyone hold hands and sing kumbaya at the next open training? Far out. "Soft and mentally weak" is closing your eyes and shouting EVERYTHING IS OK WE'RE ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD I BELIEEEEVE as we bravely go down against a famously potent Carlton outfit.

 

[Doctor Feel]

Well, the Adele stage ****ed the oval as bad as we thought. This is happening right now one week from the kick off of the AFL season:

 

[Papa G]

Wowan Connerwy has picked us to finish 16th. Even funnier he's picked the Crers to miss the 8.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...-afl-season-final-ladder-20170316-guzkfk.html

 

[PatientMental]

Well, the Adele stage ****** the oval as bad as we thought. This is happening right now one week from the kick off of the AFL season:

View attachment 346653

I think i heard somewhere they were going to replace the middle no matter what happened this summer.

 

[Steve Dore]

Wowan Connerwy has picked us to finish 16th. Even funnier he's picked the Crers to miss the 8.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...-afl-season-final-ladder-20170316-guzkfk.html

Your new nickname is "Perth"

 

[Lou Zyffer]

Glad we aren't on AO for 16 days.

Well except for the SCG.

Hopefully lots of warm days to bed that new turf down.

 

[bomberclifford]

We'll make the 8.
We'll win a final.

Q: Have we improved our depth since last season?
A: Yes. Frampton, SPP and possibly Bonner are all good to go in an emergency and Houston, Atley, Johnson, Lobbe, Monfries, White provide good just outside of 22 support.

Q: Have we brought in any marquee players since last season?
A: Not really but we've done that in the previous two years.

Q: Have we got replacements for the players that we've lost/dropped form?
A: Schulz with Eddy, Lobbe with Ryder, Alipate with Clurey.

Q: Do we have any major injuries?
A: Dougal Howard and Jasper Pittard. Both can be covered and both will return this season.

 

[Papa G]

Your new nickname is "Perth"

Am I a bit behind on this? In my defence I have been drinking.

 

[Coobk001]

The only flaw in people thinking we will finish bottom 4 is that they totally underestimate our depth. Our list is as strong as it has ever been and the Magpies should be favs to take out the SANFL flag. That alone makes a huge difference in a 28 week season.

Additionally we've proven time and time again that our problem isn't that we are bad, it is that we just aren't that good. We are absolutely stuck in that middle bracket of teams and will contend for finals, but we are almost 0 chance of competing for the top 4 and we are simply put just too good not to win 8-10 games minimum if we had the worst season imaginable.

So whilst the pundits want to over rate how bad we are, the reality is we are ok, but as fans we want to be great, not just ok, and that is the defining feature of our supporter bases disappointment, because none of us truly know when or if we can actually rise to that top 4 level, and if we have any chance of a flag during the cycle for this playing list.

 

[Steve Dore]

Am I a bit behind on this? In my defence I have been drinking.

That's a perfectly acceptable excuse ...... in moderation of course

 

[Doctor Feel]

Holy shit.

Bruce McAvaney reveals he is battling leukaemia

BRUCE McAvaney, Australia’s leading sportscaster, has cancer.

McAvaney, turning 64 this year, revealed to The Advertiser he was fighting leukaemia. But the Seven Network stalwart was quick to point out he was “living a complete life”.

“It is quite strange to say I have leukaemia because I feel well,” McAvaney said, although he did say the illness was partly behind his decision to quit calling the Australian Open tennis.

“Look it could be very serious,” he said of the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia, or CLL, a type of blood cancer. “It could jump out of the ground at any moment. I don’t expect it will. But I’m living a complete life with no restrictions.”

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...a/news-story/887cf3f3aa8a2e92d31c58f5218728aa

 

[Papa G]

The only flaw in people thinking we will finish bottom 4 is that they totally underestimate our depth. Our list is as strong as it has ever been and the Magpies should be favs to take out the SANFL flag. That alone makes a huge difference in a 28 week season.

Additionally we've proven time and time again that our problem isn't that we are bad, it is that we just aren't that good. We are absolutely stuck in that middle bracket of teams and will contend for finals, but we are almost 0 chance of competing for the top 4 and we are simply put just too good not to win 8-10 games minimum if we had the worst season imaginable.

So whilst the pundits want to over rate how bad we are, the reality is we are ok, but as fans we want to be great, not just ok, and that is the defining feature of our supporter bases disappointment, because none of us truly know when or if we can actually rise to that top 4 level, and if we have any chance of a flag during the cycle for this playing list.

Yeah we were still a shot for the 8 last year whilst playing terribly and decimated by key postion injuries to mainly key position players. In our first month we were an inexplicable. rabble too. Unless Hinkley has completely lost the players, we are a stronger side this year. Last year gave some invaluable experience to some fringe players as well.

 

[Steve Dore]

Holy shit.

Bruce McAvaney reveals he is battling leukaemia

BRUCE McAvaney, Australia’s leading sportscaster, has cancer.

McAvaney, turning 64 this year, revealed to The Advertiser he was fighting leukaemia. But the Seven Network stalwart was quick to point out he was “living a complete life”.

“It is quite strange to say I have leukaemia because I feel well,” McAvaney said, although he did say the illness was partly behind his decision to quit calling the Australian Open tennis.

“Look it could be very serious,” he said of the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia, or CLL, a type of blood cancer. “It could jump out of the ground at any moment. I don’t expect it will. But I’m living a complete life with no restrictions.”

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...a/news-story/887cf3f3aa8a2e92d31c58f5218728aa

Link
"In Australia, the five year survival rate for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia is around 79%"

Treatment

• watchful waiting
• radiation therapy
• chemotherapy (chemotherapy with stem cell transplant is being tested in clinical trials)
• surgery (removal of spleen)
• monoclonal antibody therapy.

 

[El_Scorcho]

Those who hide behind the skirts of "realism" and bash players are both soft and mentally weak, taking the path of least resistance. People go on about how the Port Adelaide of the past wouldn't tolerate failure. Well the Port Adelaide supporters of the past wouldn't expect failure either. It was the supporters who had high expectations and believed that every year was a premiership year that drove Port Adelaide to greatness. Not this sad sack "realism" bullshit. How many people have ever been inspired by someone telling them they are shit, or that others are better?

Not everyone is going to get a gold star, but that doesn't mean you give up trying. No one rates us - good. You know who is supposed to rate us? People who call themselves supporters.

I'll say it again - you get the team you deserve.

**** off.

You're talking about people who pay for expensive memberships and turned up every week over the last 2 years and turned up every week over the Primus years.

At the end of 2014 I had as as flag favourites for 2015 because Hinkley seemed like a magical coach and we had enormous momentum.

At the end of 2015 I saw our down season as an aberration that would be corrected with an adjustment to our gameplan, improved form and an easy draw.

Football supporters most certainly don't usually get the team they deserve. Being overly positive and ignoring the last 2 seasons of regression doesn't make you a better supporter than anyone and if the coaches have the same total lack of criticism that you have, it would probably explain why they didn't fix any of our obvious gameplan and ball movement issues in the 15/16 offseason.

I expect us to be better than last season and I expect us to make the 8, but we won't achieve any real success while we have gameplan issues that are incompatible with real success. If the coaches have made some adjustments then we have as much talent as anyone and should contend.