Can We Pull A Port?

[SuburbanMe]

Hey guys,

I can't remember if we've had this posted before, probably have, but here goes again.

Since we're looking for a new coach, we're gonna do some more trading, and we have some very exciting talent, What are the realistic possibilities that we can pull a port and crack the finals next year?

A lot of people may say that with the lack of experience we currently have, coupled with more inexperience through the draft, that we won't have a chance, but looking at port, players like Jake Neade, Chad wingard, Ollie Wines, and a few others, have really shown that even though they may lack size and experience (jake Neade), they can be outright devastating.

With some good recruiting of both youth and seniority plus a good coach and stable admin, is it possible?


*Please be constructive, otherwise just don't post*

 

[DeeWong6996]

I know every year there is a club that makes a jump from the bottom of the ladder to play finals, but realistically I would be stoked we can climb to about 13/14th in 2014 with a new coach and an injection of young talent.

I have always said on paper, we don't have the second worst team in the AFL. It's just we are so poorly coached and have piss weak work ethic. This will take at least a few more preseasons to completely get out of our system and I don't so us winning more games than we lose, if we still choose when to go hard and switch on.

The new coach (which I think should be Choco) has some pieces to work with here. Contrary to popular belief, I don't think it's all doom and gloom. Below is the 22 assuming we don't land anyone special.

FB: Dunn, Frawley, Garland
HB: Grimes, McDonald, Terlich
C: Sylvia, N.Jones, M.Jones
HF: Watts, Dawes, Howe
FF: Hogan, Clark, Kent
R: Jamar, Viney, Trengove
I: McKenzie, Toumpas, Clisby
Sub: Blease

EMG: Gawn, Byrnes, Aish

That is not a bottom two side. Hopefully our playing group can start believe that and run out with a bit of confidence. They have nothing to lose after season 2013.

 

[DeeWong6996]

Pick 1 would do wonders, considering how keen clubs are to get their hands on Boyd. 2-3 more senior players added to that starting 22^ would really accelerate the rebuild.

I know its an unfavorable topic and we really shouldn't be asking for handouts, but after the season we have had, I say why the **** not. We have had every bad thing under the sun happen to us. We have been the laughing stock of the AFL for years now. And suddenly the prospect of a priority pick has had them all come out and call foul? They can all get ****ed

 

[Bluelegs]

No. We don't have a strong core midfield that just lack direction like port did.

 

[SuburbanMe]

Port recruited FOR their midfield, and Hinkley said magic words and pulled port out of the abyss, I don't see why we couldn't do the same.

Bluelegs - you say we don't have a strong core midfield, You don't think Nathan Jones, Jack Viney, and Colin Sylvia aren't a good start? Add to that Jimmy Magner, and that's alot of Bulldozing potentential. Add to that some pace on the outside and some belief in themselves, and I don't see why we can't do something special. We've got the forward line, we've got some depth at both ends too.

 

[Cannon82]

Can't see it happening. Our forward line and back line definitely aren't the worst. I would say our midfield is. Nathan Jones is a gun, Viney is going to be a gun, but the rest... not getting the job done. GWS have Callan Ward, Scully and some really, really good kids running through the middle (Whitfield, Coniglio, Treloar, Adams, etc). St Kilda have Jack Steven, Lenny Hayes, Montagna, Dal Santo, etc... although not for too much longer aside from Steven. Anyway, every other side in the comp can put together a better centre square combination, better midfield rotations and better depth players. Would hate to see how we go in the middle if Nathan Jones went down with a serious injury.

Thing about Port is that Hartlett has been pretty much permanently injured until this year, Wingard took a massive leap forward and Wines was ready made to step into AFL football. Add those guys to Kane Cornes, Brad Ebert and Travis Boak and you've already got 6 decent players to go through the middle. Then add in Broadbent, Monfries and Robbie Gray (another perma crock)... got us covered in spades whoever plays through the guts. The culture change and obviously the Liverpool fitness bloke they brought in worked wonders, but the talent was there to begin with. Got a mate who is a big Port fan who told me as much before the season started, and it's taken me a long time to come around. Jordie McKenzie would definitely not get a game for them.


So in summary, I reckon no chance at all. No rose tinted goggles or bitter pills, just the way I see it.

 

[Dory_77]

No. We don't have a strong core midfield that just lack direction like port did.

This. Really lack the midfield talent and depth of Port. That said though if Toumpas or Viney can have a season like Wingard that'd ease things a lot. Also I'm not sure Port ever suffered as many humiliating and demoralising years as we have lately. The confidence of the players is shot to pieces after some terrible on field and off field dramas of late.

 

[SuburbanMe]

So it seems like what we need is 2 seasoned mids (100-150 games) and a Very promising Younster?
Don't forget Pickles. He'll be right for the pre-season. Had a good start to the season.

 

[Cannon82]

So it seems like what we need is 2 seasoned mids (100-150 games) and a Very promising Younster?
Don't forget Pickles. He'll be right for the pre-season. Had a good start to the season.

Who and where are these two seasoned mids?

 

[SuburbanMe]

Who and where are these two seasoned mids?

free agency. Who's available? Who (out of that list), is worth us going for?

I have no idea who's up for FA.

 

[melbournemartin]

I know every year there is a club that makes a jump from the bottom of the ladder to play finals, but realistically I would be stoked we can climb to about 13/14th in 2014 with a new coach and an injection of young talent.

Not a good choice of words given the circumstances.

 

[PureFooty]

If I didn't know this club so well,then you could put forth a case for us to make decent in roads in 2014. However, it just doesn't seem possible, we may have a decent list, but if you look in more depth, we've got a decent forward line, and a reasonably decent back line, but no midfield. Our main two problems is ball use and fitness, and though fitness should improve, our ball use is a long way off AFL standard. We have to many mids and defenders who are atrocious users of the ball. The hard part is deciphering who is genuinely a terrible user, and who simply lacks confidence. This is what someone like Choco does best, no doubt 14' will be an interesting season, but there is zero chance, regardless of who our opponent is in round 1, that I'll go in withany confidence whatsoever. I've done it too many times, I'm going to go into the season thinking we will finish 18th, and if we do any better well that's a positive.

 

[Topkent]

As always it depends on the development of our b-c grade players
If trengove Strauss blease tapscott fitzy Nicholson watts toump viney and these guys become good afl players and one or two them become stars I.e watts trenners viney they we will improve a hell of alot

 

[mrmonkey]

I think the difference between us and port is the midfield. If we can can somehow find some good experience midfielders who know how to win. then add some more through drafting, I think we can climb the ladder quicker than the doom and gloom 5 years.

 

[Tulip]

As always it depends on the development of our b-c grade players
If trengove Strauss blease tapscott fitzy Nicholson watts toump viney and these guys become good afl players and one or two them become stars I.e watts trenners viney they we will improve a hell of alot

When was the last time we even had a star? You could put a case forward for Jones or Frawley, other than that Neitz?

Need someone to develop then right.

 

[Topkent]

When was the last time we even had a star? You could put a case forward for Jones or Frawley, other than that Neitz?

Need someone to develop then right.

Frawley was on the verge of becoming a star , and then maybe neita but your going back to wowy, farmer or even swarter.. We need players to become the better players in there position in the afl

 

[ponsdale]

When was the last time we even had a star? You could put a case forward for Jones or Frawley, other than that Neitz?

Need someone to develop then right.

Jamar and Frawley were both All Australian in 2010.

 

[SuburbanMe]

Jamar and Frawley were both All Australian in 2010.

I took SSF's post as him saying that both of jones and frawley were our stars. Did I take that incorrectly?

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

If we get everything spot on; Bring in a couple of solid players through trade, draft the best mid and get their pre-season right so they can have an impact... Blease, Watts, Trenners all get a big kick from a new coach (and Tappy, Strauss, etc) - then we could be vying for 11th-8th... MAYBE.

 

[00Stinger]

I think we could, but I doubt it. A lot would need to go right for us to move up like Port. A movement like Gold Coast this year or Brisbane last year is more realistic.

Say that Frawley gets back to peak form, Garland plays like he did this year, McDonald keeps up his natural improvement and Grimes goes back to a HBF and plays like we know he can. Our backline would be of good quality.

Say Clark and Dawes get a whole injury free season together we have a very good FF/CHF combination. Throw in Hogan playing the third tall and Watts and Howe causing match up problems for opposition teams. All of a sudden our forward line looks very dangerous.

We need Jones to improve again, while the rapid improvement and regaining of confidence by Trengove and Toumpass make our midfield look a lot better. If Viney has his natural improvement and Sylvia keeps up his work rate like this year and we look a hell of a lot more dangerous.

Add in Jamar, Gawn & Fitzpatrick in the ruck and we look fairly good.

We don't look that bad on paper, they just need a massive ****ing boost in confidence and a shitload of luck

 

[jhong]

We would first have to transfer the P.A culture into our club . Anyone who has played in a team that has been smashed week after week will know how the team will be feeling right now. Getting this team into a positive state of mind for next season will be a huge job for all at the club , and while getting in some quality midfielders is a no brainer , i think its the quality of the coaching staff that is priority number one before we can hope to do a "Port " .

 

[rhaz]

Who and where are these two seasoned mids?

They don't exist. Well, not for us to get anyway. Unless a player pops up and cites homesickness at the end of the year, I seriously doubt we're going to get any good mids in trades.

 

[thetank]

The improvement needs to come from the engine room - we lack developed quality in the core, and we lack depth in the core midfield.

Core:
- Nathan Jones is probably as good as he can get, a B+ midfielder working his guts out.
- Trengove, Viney, Toumpas, (Aish) - need to get to at least B+ level, if not A-grade, in a hurry.
- Sylvia and Grimes rotate through a little bit, but are B-graders.

Fringe players:
- McKenzie unfortunately is the Dennis Rodman of AFL, strictly defence. C grader at best.
- Blease and Strauss - C or D graders at present, B-grade potential.
- Evans, Kent, M. Jones - C or D graders.

 

[Dory_77]

free agency. Who's available? Who (out of that list), is worth us going for?

I have no idea who's up for FA.

Cross, Mitchell, Dal Santo, Thomas, Thompson (lol), Carrazzo, Corey, Cornes?
Unfortunately we aren't likely to land a big name or anyone who's more than a short term fix. If we could throw some big bucks at Mitchell and maybe give Cross another year or two that would help things immensely in the midfield for next season and ease the load on the young guys. However I can't see Mitchell leaving Hawthorn (unless Buddy resigns for a squillion bucks and he is squeezed out).

 

[ponsdale]

I took SSF's post as him saying that both of jones and frawley were our stars. Did I take that incorrectly?

SSF asked:

When was the last time we even had a star?

All Australian would be a clear definition of a "star" and Jamar (who wasn't mentioned) and Frawley both qualified in 2010.

Yes, you could mount a case for Jones too, but with less objective measures.