Opinion Changes vs Port

[King Elvis]

If you want someone to roll back as a loose man, make it LJ - use the guy who has a weapon that can set us up all day.

 

[Kraven]

I think you're all a bit harsh on Thommo's 2013. He was carrying an injury all year after all. I'll eat my words if he doesn't improve.

Just watch last time we met to see why I think Pup would be an important in for this match.

 

[Bailey01]

If you want someone to roll back as a loose man, make it LJ - use the guy who has a weapon that can set us up all day.

Goal kicking is better

 

[Golumless]

I think you're all a bit harsh on Thommo's 2013. He was carrying an injury all year after all. I'll eat my words if he doesn't improve.

Just watch last time we met to see why I think Pup would be an important in for this match.

Then he shouldn't of been playing, he was judged fit to play and deserves all the treatment he is getting.

We're about winning, not fairness, well we should be anyway.

 

[Tex200]

If you want someone to roll back as a loose man, make it LJ - use the guy who has a weapon that can set us up all day.

Agree he would be ideal

 

[Tex200]

Tsunami is a bit much... We just have to shut down Westhoff, especially when he goes forward. We have everyone else covered if we're switched on.

Yeah nah - I watched them v Essendon and v Carlton - I also saw it first hand in showdown last year. It's tsunami football and if we are not switched in to it they will blow us to pieces in 3 or 4 10 minute blocks.

 

[Kraven]

Then he shouldn't of been playing, he was judged fit to play and deserves all the treatment he is getting.

We're about winning, not fairness, well we should be anyway.

I don't think they had the guts to drop him. He should have had the surgery halfway through season, not the end.

 

[Ravenous Crow]

I swear Petrenko gets better and better every week he's not in the team.

 

[Golumless]

I don't think they had the guts to drop him. He should have had the surgery halfway through season, not the end.

I agree totally.

Should of dropped him and gave Lyons an extended run to see if we want to persist with him. We didn't and now... well nothings changed so far.

 

[dylan123]

Where does Martin fit in? He has potential outside, elite ball usage and deserves another go as a player hamstrung by opportunities. It's pointless playing him against the cats if he's just going to get dropped this week.

Exactly! Whilst he obviously didn't do as much as we would have liked, it's not the sort of role a player does well in week in week out, give him another game or two so we can finally make a call with him one way or another. Typical Adelaide problem really where we have these fringe guys who we never give them a real crack and we're left not knowing what they can provide to the side if anything at all.

Whilst Porps also failed to impress, surely his pre season performances has earned him a few games before he gets the axe. In the first pre season match against Port he managed to collect 12 touches and kick 1.1 in just a quarter of play before being subbed out with the ankle knock. He backed that up the following week with 21 disposals, kicked 1.2 and had 7 tackles against Carlton. His tackling in that game was what stood out to me the most, it was great. I believe he did alright against GWS as well although not sure on the stats for that game. I do recall reading some members on here saw him holding his shoulder a bit at the end so who knows whether that's put some doubt in his mind.

I guess you've got to determine whether he was able to look so good due to the opposition of an undermanned Port side (although Carlton's side was pretty strong) or if Geelong's midfielders were just too big for him (and a lot of the team for that matter) give how old/mature they are (not really much of an excuse for a senior player like Porps though) or if it was a mixture of both.

Again, neither were impressive but I'd like to see them both be given the chance to redeem themselves before we start swinging the axe.

How we make room for potential ins in Douglas and Laird, I'm not too sure and it might be one of these two guys, but I think it's hard to make a fair judgement of a player after a single game.

 

[GROTTO]

If you want someone to roll back as a loose man, make it LJ - use the guy who has a weapon that can set us up all day.

JPod has played successfully the swingman in defence, so I wouldnt be suprised to see him take up this role at least during some stage during the game.

Sando lost it in the box last week, when the dam broke and goals were flooded. He needs a plan B when this happens.

 

[King Elvis]

I agree totally.

Should of dropped him and gave Lyons an extended run to see if we want to persist with him. We didn't and now... well nothings changed so far.

Even better, we didn't see him off to surgery until mid way through the pre season.

 

[DangerSloane]

IMO even if Laird was unavailable Radar would not be selected this week, needs at least another gallop

I heard he was 'dominant' in the reserves game...

 

[DangerSloane]

JPod has played successfully the swingman in defence, so I wouldnt be suprised to see him take up this role at least during some stage during the game.

Sando lost it in the box last week, when the dam broke and goals were flooded. He needs a plan B when this happens.

Plan B doesnt work if your players are out on their feet.
We didnt have enough juice in the tank to compete in that last quarter.

 

[skoobydoo]

Plan B doesnt work if your players are out on their feet.
We didnt have enough juice in the tank to compete in that last quarter.

If you are correct, this is a real concern. After all it's the first game of the season and players should be jumping out of their skins! And particularly after we have had a pre-season that focused at least in part, on running out the last quarter and not losing tight games. But maybe a lot of it is mental, attitude and toughness?? After all, the coach among others, set the tone by referring to the game as 'the toughest road trip in the afl' ! It's just another friggin' game of football. Geelong don't have 19 men or special footballs or divine help etc! (OK I forgot that they do have the umpires )

 

[DangerSloane]

If you are correct, this is a real concern. After all it's the first game of the season and players should be jumping out of their skins! And particularly after we have had a pre-season that focused at least in part, on running out the last quarter and not losing tight games. But maybe a lot of it is mental, attitude and toughness?? After all, the coach among others, set the tone by referring to the game as 'the toughest road trip in the afl' ! It's just another friggin' game of football. Geelong don't have 19 men or special footballs or divine help etc! (OK I forgot that they do have the umpires )

Essentially I think we chased tail too much in the first half and spent too many tickets.
We allowed Geelong to dictate terms.

It is the toughest road trip in the AFL, and the umpires were awful (but didnt decide the game)

 

[Kickin_Goals]

Essentially I think we chased tail too much in the first half and spent too many tickets.
We allowed Geelong to dictate terms.

It is the toughest road trip in the AFL, and the umpires were awful (but didnt decide the game)

Don't think so, mid field was never really switched on, clearly just weren't adapting at all as if they were there would of been some teamwork. Just dropped their bundle late which so often happens when adelaide are prematurely in the lead, a lot of the time danger was taking a breather from being hit and while that was happening noone looked the least bit a danger of a clearance, mid field got slaughtered in every department in the last, especially in hit outs/HO to advantage. It was just horribly structured and if anyone got tired it was Sauce.
There certainly wasn't a lot of chasing being done most of the game.

 

[Tex200]

Essentially I think we chased tail too much in the first half and spent too many tickets.
We allowed Geelong to dictate terms.

It is the toughest road trip in the AFL, and the umpires were awful (but didnt decide the game)

We should have had some tickets at the start of the game when we gave up 3 goals before turning up.

 

[Tex200]

Don't think so, mid field was never really switched on, clearly just weren't adapting at all as if they were there would of been some teamwork. Just dropped their bundle late, a lot of the time danger was taking a breather from being hit and while that was happening noone looked the least bit a danger of a clearance, mid field got slaughtered in every department in the last, especially in hit outs/HO to advantage. It was just horribly structured and if anyone got tired it was Sauce.
There certainly wasn't a lot of chasing being done most of the game.

Actually looking at the stats and how badly we were beaten in the mid, it's amazing we were still in front in last quarter

 

[DangerSloane]

We should have had some tickets at the start of the game when we gave up 3 goals before turning up.

Exactly, chasing tails uses more energy than kicking goals.

 

[Wood_Duck]

Exactly, chasing tails uses more energy than kicking goals.

This was the exact point Sando was making. He was not at any point reflecting on our fitness. They are supremely confident about our fitness.

 

[azza77]

I really don't think fitness was the issue at all. We were simply outclassed and lost all confidence and mental stability. The players didn't look tired, they just looked in shock at what Geelong was doing to us, and like I said I think that affected us mentally more than anything.

Yeah Port have Burgess, whatever, who cares. Im confident we will be able to run out the game against Port and take it right to them. Players always find a little extra in games like this.

 

[DangerSloane]

This was the exact point Sando was making. He was not at any point reflecting on our fitness. They are supremely confident about our fitness.

I agree with that too, you can see we are back towards the 2012 fitness rather than the 2013.
We'll see this weekend though, true test.

 

[skoobydoo]

I really don't think fitness was the issue at all. We were simply outclassed and lost all confidence and mental stability. The players didn't look tired, they just looked in shock at what Geelong was doing to us, and like I said I think that affected us mentally more than anything.

Yeah Port have Burgess, whatever, who cares. Im confident we will be able to run out the game against Port and take it right to them. Players always find a little extra in games like this.

This mental, confidence thing is exactly what Sando wanted to address from last year where we allowed winning margins to slip and couldn't tough-out in the close games.

 

[azza77]

This mental, confidence thing is exactly what Sando wanted to address from last year where we allowed winning margins to slip and couldn't tough-out in the close games.

True, except that last year it was so difficult to be mentally tough when all our players were so tired physically. Now that we have a solid and improved fitness base, staying mentally tough and having the right mindset throughout all 4 quarters is the next step forward for the players.