Does Port go defensive too easily?

mic59

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Thread starter #1
I would have to say we do in some games when we are down or even sometimes before the start. In the 2002 round 7 game against Brisbane we didn't even seem to start it with the intention of winning, and certainly after Brisbane's quick 5-goal start we went into our shell. I know we stayed within 4 goals early in the last quarter but I never felt we were going to win. And last year in the preliminary final I felt this was going to ridiculous lengths. In the home and away you may want to protect percentage but what is the point of minimising the loss in an all-or-nothing final?
And the two pre-season games against Adelaide and Carlton come into this defensive category too. Both games we were more than 2 goals up early in the last quarter going to the scoring end. We should have run all over them but we prtected a lead and let them camp in our forward lines, which only gives them the chance of grabbing a loose ball and snapping a goal.
I can never understand why defensive play seems to be favored. If we stay forward, when the other team gets the ball they can only kick it to half back. If we defend, the other team can kick a goal or to an attacker in position. And if they do score with a run from the backs, at least they have had to make the effort to do it.
 

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PAfolwr

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#2
The biggest problem when we go defensive, (and we do quite a lot) is that we don't have any rebounding defenders. Our main two are Kingsley and Wilson. One that shouldn't really be in defence, and one that hasn't played for two years.
 

mic59

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Thread starter #3
Another point I should have made originally, and a very obvious one, is that when you go defensive you draw all the other teams defensive players into their attack. This makes it extremely difficult to get a free run to take the ball out as there are 3 or 4 players near to you. All you can do is handball and occasionally hoist up a hopeful kick, and the loose man cannot be set up as everyone has to be accountable. Sure it ties the other team up as well, but as I said if they get a loose kick it could be a shot on goal whereas all we can do is get the ball a bit further away.


THIS WAS MY THOUSANDTH POST!!!!!!

Actually my thousandth probably happened about 90 posts ago because there was that problem with the board where we lost some.
 

PAfolwr

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#6
Originally posted by portly
Defense is just a base for attack.
Disagree, and bigtime at that.

There's been a lot of talk about soccer here lately.
In soccer if Brazil have half a sniff, they're a 70-75% chance of winning the World Cup.
If a team like Italy have half a sniff, they could end up anywhere, including being knocked out in the first round.
Why? One attacks, the other worries about defense first. Big big difference in outcomes.
A team like Italy will not lose by much, or even draw a lot, but when you get to the knock out stages that all finals are it's all about winning. Nothing else matters.
 
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