Prediction Changes vs. Brisbane

[JimmyBeerCans]

He wasn't that brilliant in the Magpies though.

25 disposals

 

[OneGreatClub]

25 disposals

Funny, I didn't notice him lel. Must have been focusing too much on the young ones

 

[Ford Fairlane]

"It felt pretty lonely out there...."

Have we fallen in the hole again? How does an entire team drop their bundle at any given round of any year?

Yeah but every team in the top 8 has had a stinker this year. GWS against Adelaide; Adelaide against North; West Coast against Essendon; Essendon against Carlton and Adelaide; Richmond against Adelaide and Fremantle; Geelong against Gold Coast and so on.

Everyone talks about the evenness of the competition and then seems surprised when a team is really on in a given night and the other team is just 5% off you get a lopsided result. That's the nature of the competition this year. It was our turn this week. We were never going to escape what has happened to better teams than us this year.

Port's issue in away games is we are too timid in the opening of games. We are Nile crocodiles at Adelaide Oval this year and sleepy lizards on the road. We get jumped early but if teams don't put us away we do build in confidence and get back into games. Geelong couldn't put the score on the board and we turned that game into a titanic struggle. Essendon did and blew us into the weeds.

Also the hate on for Hartlett is a bit strong. He had a bad one but so did plenty of others. He has been serviceable this year but tbh he plays at the level of a good solid late second or early third round pick. There's no point setting a pick 4 standard to him because he will never be that. His body of work this year hasn't been that bad and he's hardly first up for being made an example of.

Pittard seems to completely have lost confidence, he's just been so fumbly this year. And so uninvolved in the game. Don't know what is going on there.

I've spent some time backing the selections of some of the fringe players but I think now we have a chance to look at some depth in the youngsters and ease them into some league action. I would definitely play Howard, Atley and Young this week with S Gray Ah Chee and Toumpas out. Neade could be a chance if Hartlett or Pittard get the attention of selectors. I seriously doubt Hartlett will, Pittard might be a bit more shaky. Someone has to make way at the back for Trengove. And stop playing Boak as a half forward, he doesn't have the pace and teams have already started to run a quick creative half back off him. Playing him there to give S Gray and Ah Chee more on ball time is lunacy.

 

[Magus]

Yeah but every team in the top 8 has had a stinker this year. GWS against Adelaide; Adelaide against North; West Coast against Essendon; Essendon against Carlton and Adelaide; Richmond against Adelaide and Fremantle; Geelong against Gold Coast and so on.

Everyone talks about the evenness of the competition and then seems surprised when a team is really on in a given night and the other team is just 5% off you get a lopsided result. That's the nature of the competition this year. It was our turn this week. We were never going to escape what has happened to better teams than us this year.

Port's issue in away games is we are too timid in the opening of games. We are Nile crocodiles at Adelaide Oval this year and sleepy lizards on the road. We get jumped early but if teams don't put us away we do build in confidence and get back into games. Geelong couldn't put the score on the board and we turned that game into a titanic struggle. Essendon did and blew us into the weeds.

Also the hate on for Hartlett is a bit strong. He had a bad one but so did plenty of others. He has been serviceable this year but tbh he plays at the level of a good solid late second or early third round pick. There's no point setting a pick 4 standard to him because he will never be that. His body of work this year hasn't been that bad and he's hardly first up for being made an example of.

Pittard seems to completely have lost confidence, he's just been so fumbly this year. And so uninvolved in the game. Don't know what is going on there.

I've spent some time backing the selections of some of the fringe players but I think now we have a chance to look at some depth in the youngsters and ease them into some league action. I would definitely play Howard, Atley and Young this week with S Gray Ah Chee and Toumpas out. Neade could be a chance if Hartlett or Pittard get the attention of selectors. I seriously doubt Hartlett will, Pittard might be a bit more shaky. Someone has to make way at the back for Trengove. And stop playing Boak as a half forward, he doesn't have the pace and teams have already started to run a quick creative half back off him. Playing him there to give S Gray and Ah Chee more on ball time is lunacy.

All valid points Ford but this team and certain individuals have a habit of these sorts of performances. It feels like Groundhog Day as a supporter.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

All valid points Ford but this team and certain individuals have a habit of these sorts of performances. It feels like Groundhog Day as a supporter.

True and it is up to them to produce performances that at least fend off those feelings - with the vigorousness of Sam Powell-Pepper

I think a result like Essendon in the context of competitive performances all year is the one we had to have to paraphrase PJK. The Bombers were definitely on last Saturday and we just couldn't match them. We weren't competitive enough in contested possession and they cut us up with clean takeaway and wide movement. Their leg speed is not really that much quicker than us but their quick ball movement cut us to pieces.

We have to bounce back. It's a no win game against Brisbane but there are a few coming up against wannabes and middle-trackers that will tell us more.

 

[bringbackbucky]

I'd start with a clean whiteboard this week. Forget about games played and what they are paid. Pick the most balanced, in-form side you can without a thought as to who is missing out. Do that and there is no way that a few of the so called 'name' players get a game.

Won't happen though. Hinkley puts too much emphasis on incumbency and experience. His reluctance to play the kids will be his undoing...

 

[1954]

Players have been getting picked on reputation and not performance for 2 years now. It's ******* shit really.

I see Broadbent as being significantly better and more consistent than Hartlett over several years, but if you told me one of them had been dropped and to guess which one, i'd put my house on it being Broadbent.

How many times in these threads have we had posts along the lines of "i'd drop Hartlett/Westhoff but I don't think the coaches will"

Agreed, we all know if one of Broadbent or Hartlett is dropped that the selectors will take the easy way out, and it will be the bloke with the lower profile.

This week's game is a golden opportunity for the selectors to make a statement, but like no doubt many I will be absolutely amazed if that happens, and once again all we see is a few token changes.

 

[Arsene Wenger]

Next month tells us where we are.

One would assume we will get the job done v Brisbane, but as many others have said, i am more intrigued about the attitude of the selection committee this week. Ken bangs on about rewarding SANFL form. At the same time, he has said the league team has been playing so well so its hard to make too many changes.

Here is your chance Ken. Even when we have been playing ok at league level, there have been several under performing players.

For me changes would be as follows:

Hartlett for Houston (if not Hartlett, the Pittard)
Toumpas* for Young
Atley for Ah Chee (Atley has now strung 3-4 very good games together) and Arch has shown he is just not quite up to it when it really matters.
Howard has to come in - i am not sure for who, but if it is Sam Gray, then we are prob too tall forward. Can we drop a clurey or Hombsch and send Trengove back?


* should never be seen again. I am sorry, but he is absolutely nowhere near the required level.

 

[240volt]

Just about every week i read drop hartlett. Im sure after every loss and even some wins this has been stated. It has not happened all year so i cant see any reason for it to start now. Best to get used to this line up apart from the odd change while Ken is in charge.

 

[port_adelaide_1870]

25 disposals

He was average

 

[Waspy79]

The footage of HH corralling ATW instead of actually putting some physical pressure and presence on him is one of the softest things I have seen on a footy field. And then that chase. For this act alone I would drop him.

 

[Waspy79]

OUT: Hartlett, Spray, Pittard, Toumpas
IN: Howard, Atley, Young, Houston, More than 75% TOG for all players

 

[chachi11]

Probably in the minority but I wouldn't bring Young in. He had a great game V traffic cones but want to see him back it up before bringing him back in.

Toumpas and S.Gray should be depth only, we have enough good young players in form that should be getting games before these two...sorry boys but our plodder quota is full.

 

[Arsene Wenger]

I am thinking there will finally be some blood this week. Not a huge amount, but enough to make us believe again.

 

[1954]

OUT: Hartlett, Spray, Pittard, Toumpas
IN: Howard, Atley, Young, Houston, More than 75% TOG for all players

I couldn't agree more with those changes, the dropping of Hartlett and Pittard is long overdue, and would/should send a strong message to the other serial under achievers, but I will be absolutely amazed if it happens.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

I am thinking there will finally be some blood this week. Not a huge amount, but enough to make us believe again.

In Arsene we trust

 

[Arsene Wenger]

In Arsene we trust

jeeezzz. Aint that an oxymoron....

 

[Ford Fairlane]

jeeezzz. Aint that an oxymoron....

I'm going to maintain the faith.

 

[PowerBaz]

This group has been very up down the last two years, thinking about it Ken looked pretty peeved post match, probably more so because they let down a pre season and ten weeks of solid work. I hope that mental fragility doesn't creep back in.

 

[ROBBBO]

I wanna drop a third of the team, this includes the skipper unfortunately, line in the sand moment

 

[Willsy10]

Atley and Howard should be definite in's. Atley has had an amazing month of footy and deserves a spot and Howard would clearly make us a better team. The good thing about Howard is that he has played solid down back and forward now since his return. His performance on the weekend may have been against a very poor oppo but was still very impressive. 24 touches, 11 marks and 8 goals!! Wowee.

I dunno about Young, he's already come back in after a really strong performance in the SANFL and let us down. Needs to string at least 3 good games in a row.

White, Neade, Palmer and Houston should come under consideration too.

Not sure exaclty who come out because it was a an all round crap performance on the weekend, with hardly any contributors at all. But i think it will be a nervous wait for Hartlett, Impey, Ah Chee, Toumpas, S Gray.

Even Boak should be nervous about selection night, he hasn't really been good this year but i think perhaps play him more through the middle before dropping him. Dropping the captain would be a massive statement but i'm going to back him in to respond.

 

[1954]

The footage of HH corralling ATW instead of actually putting some physical pressure and presence on him is one of the softest things I have seen on a footy field. And then that chase. For this act alone I would drop him.

Unfortunately Hartlett's non effort against ATW reminded me of a Surj v Chapman moment in the 2007 gf debacle, when Surj tried to corral the geebung player from way too far off him, and unsurprisingly got scorched.

I never wanted to be reminded of that debacle ever again, but unfortunately there are players in this group who are very capable of doing that, and too often.

 

[Zakk Wylde]

The footage of HH corralling ATW instead of actually putting some physical pressure and presence on him is one of the softest things I have seen on a footy field. And then that chase. For this act alone I would drop him.

This. If you know you're about to get burnt, give away the free and put a hit on whilst on the fence in the pocket.

Don't let him run into an open ****ing goal.

 

[Zakk Wylde]

jeeezzz. Aint that an oxymoron....

Overmars in for Hartlett.....

 

[AlbertonBloke]

All i know is if we keep gifting games to our "leaders" who aren't leading or performing consistently, we will always be mediocre.