Preview Changes & Preview for Semi Final 2 vs Hawthorn @AO

[jdeezy]

Hey Team Port, I’m struggling to find info about the Butters “injury”. Obviously we don’t want him to play as he’s a jet. Is there any inside info about that coming from your side?

We just lost Frost for the season with stress fractures in the foot which probably doesn’t look like much of a loss from the outside but it’s definitely made the hawthorn fraternity concerned as he is probably our strongest defender and provides a huge amount of rebound out of defence which is a big part of our formula. We don’t really have a replacement for him either. People are talking about Ethan Phillips who is 25 and played one senior game and is about to get delisted this off season or Jao Serong has been in great form in the VFL but is light and undersized and would get monstered one on one with a Dixon/Radagolea type.

Should be a great game and I’m not as confident as the media is suggesting we should be. Hopefully it’s a great contest whoever wins. Good luck.

I wouldn't worry, just play 17 on ground and Dixon and Rat still won't kick a goal.

Butters has been cleared off any damage to the ribs. I suspect Donuts will force him out there and he'll be ineffectual. Think Rozee being forced to play with a clear hammy and doing nothing but making it worse. Ken learns things from the losses, you see.

 

[Willsy10]

Yeah it’s not looking great, hawks deserve favouritism after how we played but I’m glad there aren’t too many supporters on here within the 4 walls with all the we are absolutely no chance nonsense, of course we are a chance. We just need to play well, it’s that simple, our best is good enough. We live to fight another week, so we need to fight.

Yeah I’m really pissed off about what happened on Thursday, the most angry I’ve ever been after a game. The lack of effort is the bit I just can’t get past but after 3 days of stewing on it I’m now ready to move on and I’m just hoping like hell we can turn it around.

What’s the old saying it’s never as good as it feels (+112 v Sydney) and it’s never as bad as it seems(-84 v Geelong).

I honestly don’t get the hawthorn hype either, yes they’re a very good young team but I think there are 3-4 sides more capable of winning the flag than they are. At this stage I see them as a rung below Sydney, gws and Geelong and maybe even Brisbane. And realistically us and hawks are the next two cabs off the rank. Hawks have had a good run since 0 and 5 but funnily enough there 4 losses all happened against the top 4 teams. We aren’t playing 07 Geelong here despite the media making us believe that’s the case.

They beat a dogs side that is a bit like us in their disparity between there best and worst, so It’s a hard read that game, I don’t think the dogs gave them much of a fight. They weren’t as poor as us but they did seem off, similar to how they were against the crows a few weeks back.

It feels similar to the gws semi last year where gws had a huge wave of momentum and we looked like a rabble and I think we went into that game reading the press too much and doubted ourselves. I hope we aren’t doing any of that and are just focused on playing to our best and winning.

The funny thing about that gws semi last year is despite all the gws momentum and good form and us limping into that game with zero confidence we weren’t actually that far off and if we could’ve kicked straight it could’ve been a different outcome despite many expecting us to get smashed. And I rate gws last year every bit as good as hawks this year and take out last Thursday we were looking in much better shape than last year.

So yes I do live in hope, it may be misguided but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.

And yes I’m going to be there flying the flag again, I can’t help myself. And I just want to see us win a final, I’m sick of losing these games.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Expat power]

i have strong feelings in my gut the week leading up to games, they are for the most part accurate.

I dare say i have a really good feeling about this game.

Did you pick us to get monstered by Geelong?

 

[Willsy10]

Did you pick us to get monstered by Geelong?

I had gastro last week so perhaps we should be trusting my gut.

I think we can win this.


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[Addy23]

i have strong feelings in my gut the week leading up to games, they are for the most part accurate.

I dare say i have a really good feeling about this game.

Well that's not fair, either way it's good for

Lose = Donuts gone
Win = Prelim + still chance Donuts goes

 

[Portmagpies36]

Yeah it’s not looking great, hawks deserve favouritism after how we played but I’m glad there aren’t too many supporters on here within the 4 walls with all the we are absolutely no chance nonsense, of course we are a chance. We just need to play well, it’s that simple, our best is good enough. We live to fight another week, so we need to fight.

Yeah I’m really pissed off about what happened on Thursday, the most angry I’ve ever been after a game. The lack of effort is the bit I just can’t get past but after 3 days of stewing on it I’m now ready to move on and I’m just hoping like hell we can turn it around.

What’s the old saying it’s never as good as it feels (+112 v Sydney) and it’s never as bad as it seems(-84 v Geelong).

I honestly don’t get the hawthorn hype either, yes they’re a very good young team but I think there are 3-4 sides more capable of winning the flag than they are. At this stage I see them as a rung below Sydney, gws and Geelong and maybe even Brisbane. And realistically us and hawks are the next two cabs off the rank. Hawks have had a good run since 0 and 5 but funnily enough there 4 losses all happened against the top 4 teams. We aren’t playing 07 Geelong here despite the media making us believe that’s the case.

They beat a dogs side that is a bit like us in their disparity between there best and worst, so It’s a hard read that game, I don’t think the dogs gave them much of a fight. They weren’t as poor as us but they did seem off, similar to how they were against the crows a few weeks back.

It feels similar to the gws semi last year where gws had a huge wave of momentum and we looked like a rabble and I think we went into that game reading the press too much and doubted ourselves. I hope we aren’t doing any of that and are just focused on playing to our best and winning.

The funny thing about that gws semi last year is despite all the gws momentum and good form and us limping into that game with zero confidence we weren’t actually that far off and if we could’ve kicked straight it could’ve been a different outcome despite many expecting us to get smashed. And I rate gws last year every bit as good as hawks this year and take out last Thursday we were looking in much better shape than last year.

So yes I do live in hope, it may be misguided but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.

And yes I’m going to be there flying the flag again, I can’t help myself. And I just want to see us win a final, I’m sick of losing these games.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Good on you for being positive but on the ground we lack resilience we lack mental strength and most of all lack leadership.
Esava Dixon and Georgiades 1 goal between them in 3 weeks.
Midfield yet to perform in a final.
Houston and Farrell not playing have exposed the backline big time.
Hawthorn with the nothing to lose attitude whilst we have the mother of all monkeys on our back.
It will need the biggest turn around by coaches and players of all time.

 

[avs]

Best bet is to actually keep Dixon in then. Definitely move Darcy up forward again. Get the 1 on 1 defence structure that had against essendon in 2nd quarter which pressured them too much and port took them apart.

Hawks back line relies on their intercepting primarily, so Weddle and Sicily. Frost will no doubt go to Dixon. They'll want Sicily to float mainly and run off his opponent to intercept any balls coming to Dixon whilst frost competes with him. Best bet they can try, is make Dixon more a decoy. Let him run further up the ground to compete in air of need be but take frost out and hopefully confuse the others. Will it work? Dunno. But there was a game Dixon played further up ground and actually created better forward access and contesting.

Sicily will possibly go to Marshall if he's in and Weddle to Georgiades. Maybe.

This is where the other forwards need to shine their craft and create leads.. need to keep their main interceptors further away from contention.

Sweet rucking against Meek should be fine IMO it's just up to the mids to do their work and work together.

Hopefully, they watch Hawks kick ins because they love clustering on one side and using running decoys whilst amon or impie run out and kick to a target that's got plenty of room alone.

Playing crooked Dixon is being 1 player short . Vissentini will be perfect because he is very mobile and contest well . Soldo is not too bad option either .

 

[avs]

So what we really need to do is:

- Stop this high press nonsense. Hawks will kick 200 points on us if we play that again. We didn't press that high in the last 6 rounds of H&A, so I have no idea why we went back to that against Cats.

- Hold our defenders back Aliir shouldn't be beaten by Dear and BZT shouldn't be beaten by Gunston in 1v1.

- Put Bergman on Moore, he's crucial in connecting their midfield and forward and has a big tank.

- this is left field and many will disagree but, I'd like to see Rozee at HB, Sinn on the Wing and Boak in the middle. Send McEntee to Mars and bring DBJ back forward. Boak cares and tries and won't shy away from contests especially early on.

- dropping the high press means our mids are actually in the middle of the ground rather than inside 50, which would create space. Have Marshall and Georgiades lead into that space while keeping Esava deep. Bombing it to him is an option but surround him with our smalls so when ball comes to ground it isn't an easy slingshot for Hawks.

Okay thanks for listening. I'm sorry to have wasted your time talking about something that won't happen on Friday.

Does Esava or Mcantee deserve their places in the side ? Sim and Viseentini should come in....

 

[avs]

I wouldn't be considering Soldo for a second.
It would be either Dante or Marshall.

Vissentini and Marshall both should come in for Esava and Marshall

 

[Dutchy5150]

We truly are a laughing stock of the competition.

The team or the supporters???

 

[Janey]

Yeah it’s not looking great, hawks deserve favouritism after how we played but I’m glad there aren’t too many supporters on here within the 4 walls with all the we are absolutely no chance nonsense, of course we are a chance. We just need to play well, it’s that simple, our best is good enough. We live to fight another week, so we need to fight.

Yeah I’m really pissed off about what happened on Thursday, the most angry I’ve ever been after a game. The lack of effort is the bit I just can’t get past but after 3 days of stewing on it I’m now ready to move on and I’m just hoping like hell we can turn it around.

What’s the old saying it’s never as good as it feels (+112 v Sydney) and it’s never as bad as it seems(-84 v Geelong).

I honestly don’t get the hawthorn hype either, yes they’re a very good young team but I think there are 3-4 sides more capable of winning the flag than they are. At this stage I see them as a rung below Sydney, gws and Geelong and maybe even Brisbane. And realistically us and hawks are the next two cabs off the rank. Hawks have had a good run since 0 and 5 but funnily enough there 4 losses all happened against the top 4 teams. We aren’t playing 07 Geelong here despite the media making us believe that’s the case.

They beat a dogs side that is a bit like us in their disparity between there best and worst, so It’s a hard read that game, I don’t think the dogs gave them much of a fight. They weren’t as poor as us but they did seem off, similar to how they were against the crows a few weeks back.

It feels similar to the gws semi last year where gws had a huge wave of momentum and we looked like a rabble and I think we went into that game reading the press too much and doubted ourselves. I hope we aren’t doing any of that and are just focused on playing to our best and winning.

The funny thing about that gws semi last year is despite all the gws momentum and good form and us limping into that game with zero confidence we weren’t actually that far off and if we could’ve kicked straight it could’ve been a different outcome despite many expecting us to get smashed. And I rate gws last year every bit as good as hawks this year and take out last Thursday we were looking in much better shape than last year.

So yes I do live in hope, it may be misguided but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.

And yes I’m going to be there flying the flag again, I can’t help myself. And I just want to see us win a final, I’m sick of losing these games.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

With the best will in the world, I can’t see us getting over the Hawks. But, I'll be there, just in case

 

[JimmyBC]

The team or the supporters???

Seriously?

 

[TeeKray]

Winning this would arguably take the most extraordinary performance in our entire AFL history. It just isn't happening.

 

[Addy23]

Does Esava or Mcantee deserve their places in the side ? Sim and Viseentini should come in....

McEntee no, I'd bring in Sinn for him and push DBJ back up forward.

Esava, in an ideal world I'd say no if we have the depth. I wouldn't mind Visentini tbh but I'd say if that was the case then we need to have him as the deepest forward and surround him with our small forwards while Marshall and Georgiades lead into space. This would also mean we give up on the terrible tactic of high press which I'm all for. Dixon is the worse of the 2 and I'd bring in Marshall for him. I think Esava up forward has shown more than what Lord has in SANFL this year. I think Visentini is a better set shot kick than Lord or Esava lol

 

[GremioPower]

Don't get Twitter - it's a toilet now Musk owns it. Should be wiped from the earth.

[crying in Brazilian]

 

[GremioPower]

Can he be our coach?

No Twitter. Who? What did he say?

 

[GremioPower]

Reverse results have been happening for Port since 2014.

This is so weird.

2014
RIC - R17, l; EF, w
FRE - R23, l; SF, w
HAW - R10, w; PF, l
2017
WCT - R16, w; EF, l (OT)
2020
GEE - R12, l; QF, w
RIC - R11, w; PF, l
2021
GEE - R13, l; QF, w
FOO - R23, w; PF, l
2023
BRI - R1, w; QF, l
GWS - R22, w; SF, l
2024
GEE - R9, w; QF, l

11 times in a row.

 

[ClintEastwood]

Yeah it’s not looking great, hawks deserve favouritism after how we played but I’m glad there aren’t too many supporters on here within the 4 walls with all the we are absolutely no chance nonsense, of course we are a chance. We just need to play well, it’s that simple, our best is good enough. We live to fight another week, so we need to fight.

Yeah I’m really pissed off about what happened on Thursday, the most angry I’ve ever been after a game. The lack of effort is the bit I just can’t get past but after 3 days of stewing on it I’m now ready to move on and I’m just hoping like hell we can turn it around.

What’s the old saying it’s never as good as it feels (+112 v Sydney) and it’s never as bad as it seems(-84 v Geelong).

I honestly don’t get the hawthorn hype either, yes they’re a very good young team but I think there are 3-4 sides more capable of winning the flag than they are. At this stage I see them as a rung below Sydney, gws and Geelong and maybe even Brisbane. And realistically us and hawks are the next two cabs off the rank. Hawks have had a good run since 0 and 5 but funnily enough there 4 losses all happened against the top 4 teams. We aren’t playing 07 Geelong here despite the media making us believe that’s the case.

They beat a dogs side that is a bit like us in their disparity between there best and worst, so It’s a hard read that game, I don’t think the dogs gave them much of a fight. They weren’t as poor as us but they did seem off, similar to how they were against the crows a few weeks back.

It feels similar to the gws semi last year where gws had a huge wave of momentum and we looked like a rabble and I think we went into that game reading the press too much and doubted ourselves. I hope we aren’t doing any of that and are just focused on playing to our best and winning.

The funny thing about that gws semi last year is despite all the gws momentum and good form and us limping into that game with zero confidence we weren’t actually that far off and if we could’ve kicked straight it could’ve been a different outcome despite many expecting us to get smashed. And I rate gws last year every bit as good as hawks this year and take out last Thursday we were looking in much better shape than last year.

So yes I do live in hope, it may be misguided but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.

And yes I’m going to be there flying the flag again, I can’t help myself. And I just want to see us win a final, I’m sick of losing these games.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Of course it's possible to win any game. But we just don't do finals. Here's our last 5:

2024
QF    F    Geel  54       138    L    -84 (14 goal loss)

2023
QF    F    Bris 75        123    L    -48 (8 goal loss)   
SF    F    GWS  70        93     L    -23 (4 goal loss)

2021
QF    F    Geel  86       43     W    43 (7 goal win)
PF    F     WB   45       116    L    -71 (12 goal loss)

Pretty horrific reading. A lot of us thought maybe something was different this year.

But it's just not. Worst loss of them all.

 

[GremioPower]

Of course it's possible to win any game. But we just don't do finals. Here's our last 5:

2024
QF    F    Geel  54       138    L    -84 (14 goal loss)

2023
QF    F    Bris 75        123    L    -48 (8 goal loss)  
SF    F    GWS  70        93     L    -23 (4 goal loss)

2021
QF    F    Geel  86       43     W    43 (7 goal win)
PF    F     WB   45       116    L    -71 (12 goal loss)

Pretty horrific reading. A lot of us thought maybe something was different this year.

But it's just not. Worst loss of them all.

Our percentages in the last 4 losses:
38.8%
61%
75.3%
39.1%

 

[RossFC]

I still don't know how we beat Hawthorn last time, we were bloody pathetic all game bar the last 24 seconds.

 

[GremioPower]

I still don't know how we beat Hawthorn last time, we were bloody pathetic all game bar the last 24 seconds.

They parked the bus after being 41 points up. We took control of the game, and they couldn’t beat our press. Then, we got lucky at the end.

 

[Expat power]

With the best will in the world, I can’t see us getting over the Hawks. But, I'll be there, just in case

Yep me too, and by the time I’ve paid for the family and a couple of extras I’ll be $650 poorer.

 

[EskimoPAFC]

The team or the supporters???

Its probably split on IQ I would think.

Anyone with an IQ over 80 would say the club is a laughing stock and the supporters deserve better.

Those with an IQ under 80 would say "hurrr durr gerard whately told me the port fans r mean to ken even with his home and away record".

 

[davesnothere]

Houston and Farrell are massive outs, they cut teams up with their disposal DBJ could not hit a barn door.
Lose the midfield your finished.

Houston last time we played was absolutely massive. Day was also equally massive for the Hawks.

It cancels out.

 

[davesnothere]

I'd consider Soldo but it'd be to play ruck not forward.

I'm for Sweet but you simply can't play badly in finals and not pay a price.

Problem is Soldo has played 1 full sanfl game 2 weeks ago and that was his 1st full hit out in nearly 2 months.

Soldo wouldn't run out a final on the preparation he's had leading up to now.

Sweet and Meek match up ok physically and don't play a dissimilar game. Meek marginally ahead on clearances and hit outs to advantage but thats with Will Day playing.

Think Sweet is lucky Dante hasn't earned the trust to play in a final but he's still the best option.