I've only watched a handful of Port Adelaide games this season, and what i've seen in almost every game is the same problems. Here are my thoughts.
1) At any stoppage, the opposition simply handball out the back of the pack, where they have 2-4 free players, who handball between each other and kick it clear with ease. Surely someone on the coaching staff has picked up how often it happens. If we keep losing the ball out the back of the pack, make sure those players are marked up. I'm not talking about centre bounces, but any other stoppage, it's always the same story.
2) The ease with which opposition players run through the middle of the ground and into the forward 50. As soon as we lose the ball, our players immediately begin sprinting back to get numbers into the defensive 50. Nobody ever tries to just try win the ball back immediately. We are always at least one, if not more, players down. The amount of times opponents walk into our 50 with nobody near them is sickening. There's always one of our defenders who then leaves their man, runs at the player, gets handballed over the top for an easy goal. Happens FAR too often. Instead of sprinting back to position when we lose the ball, how about the players try and get into smart positions and put pressure on the man right away? We do it every now and then for small periods and it works well.
3) Our stupidity at marking contests. We seem to lose pack marking contests all the time. Two on two, both our tall and small go up for the ball, ball hits the deck, leaving their small waiting and easily running off. One example yesterday was Cassisi and Cornes contesting the same high ball against two Melbourne blokes. The Melbourne player stayed down, and went off with the ball. Against the Eagles, the amount of times all our defenders jumped for the same ball, leaving the likes of Le Cras and Nicoski to crumb without pressure was appalling.
4) Our players tackle like 5 year old school girls. The ease at which teams shrug our tackles, or even sidestep our players is embarrassing. Our players are like training cones sometimes, or when they do get a tackle in, the opponents are able to shrug it off. Yes, we have some good tacklers, but there is still LOTS of room for improvement.
5) We have no forward structure. Infact, often we have no forwards. What I fail to understand, is how we are always undermanned in defence and midfield, and still only be playing two men up forward. So many times it feels like we are playing with 3-4 players less than the opponents. Our players are clearly getting 'lost' moving between thirds.
1) At any stoppage, the opposition simply handball out the back of the pack, where they have 2-4 free players, who handball between each other and kick it clear with ease. Surely someone on the coaching staff has picked up how often it happens. If we keep losing the ball out the back of the pack, make sure those players are marked up. I'm not talking about centre bounces, but any other stoppage, it's always the same story.
2) The ease with which opposition players run through the middle of the ground and into the forward 50. As soon as we lose the ball, our players immediately begin sprinting back to get numbers into the defensive 50. Nobody ever tries to just try win the ball back immediately. We are always at least one, if not more, players down. The amount of times opponents walk into our 50 with nobody near them is sickening. There's always one of our defenders who then leaves their man, runs at the player, gets handballed over the top for an easy goal. Happens FAR too often. Instead of sprinting back to position when we lose the ball, how about the players try and get into smart positions and put pressure on the man right away? We do it every now and then for small periods and it works well.
3) Our stupidity at marking contests. We seem to lose pack marking contests all the time. Two on two, both our tall and small go up for the ball, ball hits the deck, leaving their small waiting and easily running off. One example yesterday was Cassisi and Cornes contesting the same high ball against two Melbourne blokes. The Melbourne player stayed down, and went off with the ball. Against the Eagles, the amount of times all our defenders jumped for the same ball, leaving the likes of Le Cras and Nicoski to crumb without pressure was appalling.
4) Our players tackle like 5 year old school girls. The ease at which teams shrug our tackles, or even sidestep our players is embarrassing. Our players are like training cones sometimes, or when they do get a tackle in, the opponents are able to shrug it off. Yes, we have some good tacklers, but there is still LOTS of room for improvement.
5) We have no forward structure. Infact, often we have no forwards. What I fail to understand, is how we are always undermanned in defence and midfield, and still only be playing two men up forward. So many times it feels like we are playing with 3-4 players less than the opponents. Our players are clearly getting 'lost' moving between thirds.
