Review R9: The Good, Bad and the Ugly vs. Port Adelaide

[Blue Red and Gold]

The fact we played pretty poorly, quiet games from some of our better players in Dawson, Rankine, Soligo and Neal Bullen and still managed a win can only be a good thing. Especially so when the A graders from Port, Butters, Rozee and Wines and to a lesser extend JHF all fired.

They played well, we played shit and they still couldnt win, they are cooked without Butters.

 

[davos44]

Saturday night they did

But what they had no answer for was Thilthorpe. If he had his kicking boots on, he should have had 5 or 6 goals on the night such was his complete dominance up forward. This is one that the coaching staff need to go back and really look hard at as on every metric as you say, we should have lost as our midfield didn't turn up and theirs did, but we found a way to win with a goliath up forward. Using Thilthorpe to his optimum and setting structures up to permit that should be a big big priority as he will buy us games we had no right to win otherwise and thats a huge bonus if we are serious about being a contender.

Winning while losing is a good asset to have when things turn nasty. The experience of being in a pressure cooker was hopefully invaluable to the playing group.

 

[crowcaine]

Saw a few birds flipped at Rankine by the crowd after the soccer goal.
Isn't that racist per Chris Davies/PAFC? (lol)
That club and their fans are hypocrites and victims at the same time.

 

[davos44]

The trouble with going defensive is that the mindset is to kill the contest rather than win it, and the opposition has the exact opposite goal to attack as they have nothing to lose.
Sure you can tough it out for the last 2-3 minutes but not for 12 which was almost half of the last quarter. We had the momentum and we meekly handed it back to them. Even Nicks now must know the tactic was wrong and I'd bet anything he'll never do that again.

It wont be every game that going defensive goes that awfully (or well?). If we are in the same position this week against Collingwood it will be interesting to see how the team reacts.

Did the team meekly hand back momentum and contest or did Nicks instruct them to lose those aspects continually to place the defence under pressure?

 

[cmndstab]

This is my question though - who is it? I don't think we want Walker or Fogarty doing it around the ground. Murray has done it before if he's in the team, but he's currently not and it would also cause some potential defensive issues. I believe the only other person on our list with AFL hitouts is Borlase.

ROB should be taking the vast majority for sure but he will be on the bench sometimes, so who is the best fit if we don't want it to be Thilthorpe? I'm not sure if Curtin can do it or not but it would certainly simplify things a lot if he's playing around the ball anyway.

At this stage, my answer is Thilthorpe. But I would do it only in the event that ROB needs a rest, rather than a structural change.

Realistically we should be aiming to bring in a superior ruckman to ROB, and then the equation may change based on how much TOG the new ruckman can withstand.

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

Ugly: The dumb 50m penalties the senior players in Laird and Tex gave away

 

[Coopers]

It was a truly odd game. Good to win it.

• We dominated the first 10 minutes of Q1 and Q4.
• Q3 was kinda even, with us getting on top towards the end of it.
• Port dominated the rest.
• Weirdness was:
  • An absolute spate of bullshit goals to port with weird bounces and hacks out of the packs going through, but then they missed like 5 (or more) easily gettable set shots or kicks on the run.
  • We got torched in the middle all game long, but balanced that by torching them in our forward line when we got it there. Domination from Filthy, and multiple absolute clutch moments from Rankine and Fog, both of those guys getting goals and creating them.
  • We gave away what 4x 50's?

Just an odd game. Any of those weirdo things don't happen and it's completely different. Not sure if port was lucky or unlucky to get so many freebie goals or to miss so many easy shots.

 

[Elder van Berlo]

I am no fan of ROB but the second ruck discussion shines a light on one thing he does bring to our team.

The ability to ruck for 90% of a game unchanged, which allows Thilthorpe to play key forward for all but about 3 mins a quarter.

Easy to underestimate how important (and rare) this is. Small sample size, but 1st ruck TOG from the weekend just gone:

ROB 92
Marshall 89
Witts 89
Xerri 89
Blicavs 86
Gawn 86
English 84
Grundy 84
Cameron 82
De Koning 82
Goldstein 82
Meek 82
Flynn 81
Visentini 81
Nankervis 80
McInerney 75
Briggs 72
Darcy 39 (injured)

Never really thought of it before, but ROB shouldering that load means RT plays his best and most damaging position for most of the game and reduces the fatigue/injury risk involved in rucking.

 

[GreyCrow]

I am no fan of ROB but the second ruck discussion shines a light on one thing he does bring to our team.

The ability to ruck for 90% of a game unchanged, which allows Thilthorpe to play key forward for all but about 3 mins a quarter.

Easy to underestimate how important (and rare) this is. Small sample size, but 1st ruck TOG from the weekend just gone:

ROB 92
Marshall 89
Witts 89
Xerri 89
Blicavs 86
Gawn 86
English 84
Grundy 84
Cameron 82
De Koning 82
Goldstein 82
Meek 82
Flynn 81
Visentini 81
Nankervis 80
McInerney 75
Briggs 72
Darcy 39 (injured)

Never really thought of it before, but ROB shouldering that load means RT plays his best and most damaging position for most of the game and reduces the fatigue/injury risk involved in rucking.

Also means a 2nd ruck - as in back in my day - is no longer feasible UNLESS they bring something else ie forward craft

 

[PeterSalt]

Coaches votes - no surprises here

Coaches' votes, R9: Four perfect 10s, new leader emerges

The coaches' votes for the round nine games are in

www.afl.com.au

 

[BRL121]

Coaches votes - no surprises here

View attachment 2312483

Coaches' votes, R9: Four perfect 10s, new leader emerges

The coaches' votes for the round nine games are in

www.afl.com.au

Already discussed.

 

[Ham]

What is this 1 CBA for Walker? I missed that

 

[Ham]

This is my question though - who is it? I don't think we want Walker or Fogarty doing it around the ground. Murray has done it before if he's in the team, but he's currently not and it would also cause some potential defensive issues. I believe the only other person on our list with AFL hitouts is Borlase.

ROB should be taking the vast majority for sure but he will be on the bench sometimes, so who is the best fit if we don't want it to be Thilthorpe? I'm not sure if Curtin can do it or not but it would certainly simplify things a lot if he's playing around the ball anyway.

I saw Nicks had a radio interview this morning where I think King asked him about an alternative to Thilthorpe doing second ruck and Curtin was who Nicks suggested as our ‘third’ but that he’s young.

 

[Mattrox]

Nicks just sits there confused when an opposition midfield gets on top. Same thing happened against Freo.

He never tries to mix it up or if he does, only when a game is completely lost and unrecoverable (eg giving Keays a burst in the middle in the Freo game).

For example, why not switch Keays or Rachelle with Dawson for 10 minutes in the 2nd or 3rd quarter to help Dawson break the Bergman tag and get one of those guys in the game which has worked in the past?

Does Nicks actually forget these moves are available to him under the stress of game day?

Being stubborn in the belief that your plan is good is the undoing of many AFL coaches.

 

[George CantStandYa]

I find it very amusing that Kane "first person ever investigated for staging" Cornes, of all people, is complaining about players staging.

He must have hated Robbie Gray, Wanganeen.

Of the current team, Rozee, Butters, JHF and DBJ must be pure scum.

 

[Crow till I die]

He must have hated Robbie Gray, Wanganeen.

Of the current team, Rozee, Butters, JHF and DBJ must be pure scum.

of course, Kane is a born again non smoker so to speak

 

[ABAB]

The fact we played pretty poorly, quiet games from some of our better players in Dawson, Rankine, Soligo and Neal Bullen and still managed a win can only be a good thing. Especially so when the A graders from Port, Butters, Rozee and Wines and to a lesser extend JHF all fired.

They played well, we played shit and they still couldnt win, they are cooked without Butters.

A lot of our players were down compared to their's, even DBJ and Finnalyson looked good for them.

 

[PeterSalt]

Goal of the year - get on Izak

Goal of the Year - AFL.com.au

Watch the nominees each round, vote for your favourite goal and register to go into the running to win the major prize of $5,000!

www.afl.com.au

 

[GROTTO]

Goal of the year - get on Izak

Goal of the Year - AFL.com.au

Watch the nominees each round, vote for your favourite goal and register to go into the running to win the major prize of $5,000!

www.afl.com.au

I probably have selective memory on this, has Port ever won goal of the year?

IIRC vaguely remember in the 2010s being upset that a Port player won it?

 

[cmndstab]

It was a truly odd game. Good to win it.

Just on this, I've heard a bunch of commentary around how it was a "fantastic" game, or a "real showcase" of footy. Obviously, it was close and still alive as a contest until the very end, which helps. And there were a couple of big moments, such as Rankine's goal or Keane's mark. But my impression on the night was that it was a pretty poor contest overall. Is that just me being a grumpy supporter and wanting a better showing?

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

I probably have selective memory on this, has Port ever won goal of the year?

IIRC vaguely remember in the 2010s being upset that a Port player won it?

Matt White in 2014.



Great run, but Bont was robbed.

 

[cmndstab]

Good run, but Bont was robbed.

Not bad for a first-year player!

He'll probably develop into a fine little player


Edit: Speaking of Bontempelli, it's interesting to note that he came runner-up in the Rising Star that year, losing by a single vote to Lewis Taylor (who?)

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Not bad for a first-year player!

He'll probably develop into a fine little player


Edit: Speaking of Bontempelli, it's interesting to note that he came runner-up in the Rising Star that year, losing by a single vote to Lewis Taylor (who?)

There was a period of genuinely ordinary rising star winners. Lewis Taylor and Rhys Palmer leap to mind.

It confirmed to me that the Vic pundits don't really watch the interstate clubs. They saw their stats and figured they must be good.

 

[cmndstab]

There was a period of genuinely ordinary rising star winners. Lewis Taylor and Rhys Palmer leap to mind.

It confirmed to me that the Vic pundits don't really watch the interstate clubs. They saw their stats and figured they must be good.

Joel Selwood winning it the year before Rhys Palmer and the year after Danyle Pearce... how can those three players be three consecutive winners of the same award?

 

[NSolis]

There was a period of genuinely ordinary rising star winners. Lewis Taylor and Rhys Palmer leap to mind.

It confirmed to me that the Vic pundits don't really watch the interstate clubs. They saw their stats and figured they must be good.

I actually expected a few more misses among Rising Star winners when I went to check just now, but for the most part they all had good careers. Palmer, Taylor and Stephenson probably the least successful.