Review R20: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly vs. Port: Like taking candy from a baby

[Rotayjay]

Defense the past two weeks

Held Gold Coast goal less in the 1st and 2nd quarter.
Held the Power goal less in the 2nd and 4th quarters.

A whole game of goal less football in 2 weeks.

This is yet another thing we did in 2017 on the way to a granny. We blew sides away with high scores early in the season, had a few losses, and significantly tightened up our defence in the lead-up to finals.

I get it, a lot of people hate Squiggle it but it's only an indicator, and Squiggle has us zooming towards the defensive side of the graph and into the zone occupied by premiership teams.

 

[jenny61_99]

It seems like a tidal wave of momentum running the AFC’s way. I am a bit of a pessimist and am concerned about the back to back 6 day breaks and the heavy conditions for next week. Fingers crossed. As long as you take care of the two winnable and at least one of Hawthorn/Collingwood

I said Port would struggle on the second half as their legs would be heavy having played in those conditions (and lost) last week. To be fair, we didn’t look like it was a wet night for our lads at all.

 

[119others]

Any/all teams coached by Alastair Clarkson & Damien Hardwick? OK... not all thugs, but they certainly had more than their fair share of players who indulged in "unsociable football".

True but the game has become even softer since the Tiges flags. And so much softer than 10-15 years ago

Any coach focusing on mongrel rather than skills won’t last too long IMO

 

[119others]

AFL app has Curtin with 14 CBAs, that can't be right, can't it? I thought his first was the first of the 4th, there was only 8 goals in the 4th qtr.

I saw him in for a few in the third

 

[chazwazza]

https://fiveaa.com.au/podcast/fiveaa-football/42bae08c-7992-46ed-b610-d78924100173/2025-07-26/post-match-calls-showdown-58-round-20-2025

ANB interview 16 minutes in

 

[Cleric]

Let's see.
The good.
Thilthorpe winning the medal and just running all over Port was great.
Soligos best game of the year. Hopefully this form continues into the finals.
Peating played well.
Curtin continued his amazing form and is showing amazing consistency for a kid his age. I have no doubts he will be the number 1 kid in that draft. Wouldn't swap him with Harley Reid.
An all played well kinda game.
We didn't put the cue in the rack, we just kept smashing them.

The bad.
Max going off with a hamstring concern. Hopefully it was precautionary.
The weather was crazy. If Tasmania needed any motivation to have a roof on their new stadium, last week's game in Tassie and this one should see to that.

The Hilarious
Port are a rabble, and its great to see their fanbase all crying and making excuses.
It really shows the difference between the two teams talent wise. The only players I would take from their team would be Rozee, Butters, JHF and Georgiades.
Their cries of umpires being biased just keeps their claims of being Victims going.
Yeah guys, those free kicks you gave for high tackles was the difference last night.

 

[Cromulant]

Gee those 5AA are absolutely SAVAGE.

Torn apart

 

[jo172]

AFL app has Curtin with 14 CBAs, that can't be right, can't it? I thought his first was the first of the 4th, there was only 8 goals in the 4th qtr.

Feel like he was in there from the second half of the third?

 

[jenny61_99]

Be honest now, has the major complaint of me and others been when we’ve gone too slow and defensive rather than keep attacking to our lethal forward line?

When you admit the answer is yet, maybe you understand what I’ve been on about

Enjoying your footy yet?

 

[George CantStandYa]

Enjoying your footy yet?

For sure, I’m hoping it continues into the finals.

Unlike some others on here I’m not a theatre going supporter, I actually want to keep improving so we win a flag.

 

[FR0GGY]

That was fun... Do it again!

Unfortunately port won’t be playing finals. So won’t happen till next year

 

[119others]

Let's see.
The good.
Thilthorpe winning the medal and just running all over Port was great.
Soligos best game of the year. Hopefully this form continues into the finals.
Peating played well.
Curtin continued his amazing form and is showing amazing consistency for a kid his age. I have no doubts he will be the number 1 kid in that draft. Wouldn't swap him with Harley Reid.
An all played well kinda game.
We didn't put the cue in the rack, we just kept smashing them.

The bad.
Max going off with a hamstring concern. Hopefully it was precautionary.
The weather was crazy. If Tasmania needed any motivation to have a roof on their new stadium, last week's game in Tassie and this one should see to that.

The Hilarious
Port are a rabble, and its great to see their fanbase all crying and making excuses.
It really shows the difference between the two teams talent wise. The only players I would take from their team would be Rozee, Butters, JHF and Georgiades.
Their cries of umpires being biased just keeps their claims of being Victims going.
Yeah guys, those free kicks you gave for high tackles was the difference last night.

Watching the replay Maxy does his hammy when straining to kick with 16 to 17 mins left in the third. No idea really how to “read” these things in terms of hobbling and iced up. At worst hopefully a 2-3 week hammy as didn’t look at the more serious end.

Re 2023 draft, Curtin could certainly end up the best. There was talk about him being potentially the second rated player in that draft year. Certainly a true unicorn.

Added to 2020, TT surely will be the best player there without checking the draft again.

Let’s hope Draper also fulfils the chat that he was the number one rated youngster in the land at the start of his draft year.

Can’t complain about Rash but that top 4 in 2021 was extraordinary (JHF, Darcy, Callaghan and ND). That win late in the year clearly did cost us Callaghan…

The value of being crap,for a few years and having access to elite talent AND not buggering the pick

Re Powa fan base I love how many are turning on the entire club with some saying don’t trade for NWM now as their entire list is broken (which it really is besides a handful of elite players at the top. It’s similar to Blues)

 

[chazwazza]

Good
My genius move to buy a Porked Power loin roast yesterday, prepared to cook today after watching the replay and then listening to the 5AA post game over a Hither & Yon Grenache.
Cook proving he has a place in the team.
The Tex lives on.
Depth is being tested and seems to be proven for now.
The spread of talent and effort in recent weeks….there’s not many stand out efforts, it’s a total team balance.

No bad…Michaelanny injury but he’ll bounce back, next soldier up.

Ugly- the weather, well done to those that went and stayed

 

[ams4crows]

ANB interview 16 minutes in

Listening to ANB is amazing, who ever organised for him to come to Adelaide deserves a pay rise, amazing leadership.

 

[StonesThrow]

I'm confused how Butters got 34 disposals. Must have had a ton of cheapies because he had no influence on the game

Almost everything he was involved in either ended up in a score or a forward entry. He just had zero team mates to help him. He was pretty good last night.

 

[StonesThrow]

His brain fades to begin with were overblown and not much different today. He still concedes silly frees and just recently he dropped a piss easy uncontested mark.

I think people are more accepting of the errors now we're winning and focused too much on them while we were losing

He's really tightened up his game in the second half of the year. Rarely makes errors now and defensively more solid. Not giving away silly fees lately neither.

 

[Cromulant]

Almost everything he was involved in either ended up in a score or a forward entry. He just had zero team mates to help him. He was pretty good last night.

Yeah i gotta be honest, I thought he was the "best" of a real bad bunch

 

[StonesThrow]

I've always thought Michaelaney's kicking action looks to really stretch his hammies. He kicks really late and out in front of his body.

 

[Moonwatcher]

Collingwood know Keane is a hot head. They might see riling him up as a tactic come the finals.

 

[NSolis]

AFL app has Curtin with 14 CBAs, that can't be right, can't it? I thought his first was the first of the 4th, there was only 8 goals in the 4th qtr.

5 in the third and 9 in the last, which I guess is all of them in the final term.

 

[Cromulant]

Collingwood know Keane is a hot head. They might see riling him up as a tactic come the finals.

Don't see it myself, they'll have 21 other blokes to worry about.

 

[chazwazza]

Listening to ANB is amazing, who ever organised for him to come to Adelaide deserves a pay rise, amazing leadership.

When I hear ANB speak I can’t help but think of Sammy J

 

[The Smith Revolution]

Just adding to the commentary after reading all posts:

Crouch will be in the 23. Nicks values his hardness and thus he is involved. Berry knows this and is performing accordingly. This is what depth looks like.

Cook is growing. Starting to gain trust. Lovely

Murray is first 18 every day of the week. He is a big game player. People need to get their heads around that a little more.

I’ve been a big Laird critic but he was superb last night.

This team, is real. It is significantly better built for finals pressure than 2017.

Happy days and yes Hawks Fri night is the biggest game for the club in 7 years.

 

[Jars458]

Enjoying your footy yet?

Not until the job is done.

 

[jenny61_99]

Not until the job is done.

Well that’s just stupid.