Opinion End The Negativity

[*PAF]

Yeah we had lots of posts about having great kids in 2013.

Lot of frickin good that did hey?

Niw that is not a negative post it is a fact.

 

[jack_black16]

Forgetting who is coach for a minute. I want an answer to the question: Do people feel like we will improve next year. Yes/No and why

No

Harder draw.
No fairytale run with injuries.
Declining output from Westoff, boak without the chance of being dropped.
Same deficiencies for past 3 years crippling us again.
Ken reverting to type and the merry go round of picking underperformers goes on and on.
Our younger players having second year blues/not being as good as we thought/not being developed properly.

 

[OneGreatClub]

Everything's ok because it wasn't the Crows that we lost to.

Not at all and yes I was flat after the showdown as were 150% on our forum but I thought this thread is about looking forward now? In fact I have accepted if they win the GF I can live with it. They are just further ahead on their journey than us. I'm looking forward to my own club's future. I see nothing wrong with the OP trying to have one thread that focuses on some positivity surely? On to the Magpies GF and our youth.

 

[OneGreatClub]

Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows OGC. We're all emotionally invested in how this club performs, and want it to be successful. We can't all watch it repeatedly fail due to mismanagement and incompetence, and sit back saying "aww shucks, maybe next week/year/decade boys."

I consider the title of the thread. The other 1000 threads on here go around in circle jerks about our players are spuds, sack the coach etc. Seems someone can't have an opposing view. I've been down in the dumps too over recent weeks remember but the Magpies team have given me some hope. Sacking the coach may not be the answer.

 

[Malibu#27]

One thing to remember when assessing the season is we were two 'big' losses from missing the 8, but also one win from finishing second, and 2 wins from being clear on top.
Hence the could we improve next year is an obvious yes - win a couple close games against top 8 sides, but also no - drop a game v st kilda or some other side challenging.

Given most of our wins v bottom sides were resounding, we should be able to maintain that, the challenge is sneaking another 2 wins against contenders. Close games and goal kicking are crucial.

 

[SureBuddy]

Well another positive might be Eddy getting a full preseason. If he can build his tank and also put on a little more size, you might find him as a regular in the team.

Well we can only hope anyway.

 

[shewho]

Shewho loves these 'positivity' threads, but Port Adelaide teams earn their positivity, they don't just get it blindly like the other mob across the road.

I'm not blindly optimistic. In 2014, after our prelim loss, I questioned our hunger (based on an air of backslapping at the B&F). Sadly, that hunger wasn't in evidence in 2015-16.

For me that is still the missing link. We played with good intensity this year and were ruthless against lesser opponent but we lacked something against the better ones. It's not the cattle, it's not the skill and in the main we appear to be well coached, especially defensively. Maybe it's that real hunger.

This gut wrenching loss is another chance to get the hunger we need. In 2004 that hunger came from Wanganeen who pleaded with the playing group for a flag before his time was done. Boak Gray Westhoff are in a similar boat now.

If we don't display a real hunger next year and don't make the 8, I'll be among the first to say this group lacks the mental edge to succeed.

 

[JimmyBeerCans]

If we don't display a real hunger next year and don't make the 8, I'll be among the first to say this group lacks the mental edge to succeed.

So you need 4 years of fail to get to that point?

 

[tribey]

So you need 4 years of fail to get to that point?

Could you imagine if that happened?

We re-up on Hinkley, give him a 2-year extension to the end of 2020, and we miss the eight or get bundled out in week one at home again?

What then? Stuck with a lameduck a la Williams in 2010.

Three years of failure isn't a blip.

 

[thundercloud]

Could you imagine if that happened?

We re-up on Hinkley, give him a 2-year extension to the end of 2020, and we miss the eight or get bundled out in week one at home again?

What then? Stuck with a lameduck a la Williams in 2010.

Three years of failure isn't a blip.

If you look at rainall graphs any graph projections life is a not linear relationship. Things do no go perectly that way, their is variables. Take time to look at the stock market and come back then

 

[philreich]

Nothing will happen without tough decisions, a helluva lot of hard work and a fair degree of good luck. After the heart breaker against Hawthorn, Pittard said, "We're not satisfied with third", and we assumed the next stop in 2015 was a grand final berth. Didn't exactly work out that way - if we want success now, we have to make it happen.

 

[Forzaport]

Ending the negativity isn't as simple as flicking a switch.

For there to be positivity, we need to feel that the club, the team, is performing as expected at minimum or ideally, performing better than the sum of its individual parts.

This year feels like a wasted season, it wasn't just 1 umpire decision at the death in extra time of the elimination final or a missed kick at goal. It was several missed opportunities over the course of the season that saw us finish 5th instead of top 4. It was repeated poor selection policy that saw us lose games before the first bounce. In this context, people are entirely justified in being negative.

Coaches and clubs make mistakes all the time. The ones that succeed learn from those mistakes and don't continually go back to the same well, trying the same thing over and over expecting a different result.

 

[JimmyBeerCans]

Could you imagine if that happened?

We re-up on Hinkley, give him a 2-year extension to the end of 2020, and we miss the eight or get bundled out in week one at home again?

What then? Stuck with a lameduck a la Williams in 2010.

Three years of failure isn't a blip.

My fear is rocking up round 1 next year and seeing the same dreadful skill level and woeful forward entries as we chaos goal ourselves to another unconvincing drab AO win all while realizing we are no serious threat again.. fun times

 

[El_Scorcho]

What do people think will change next year?

Are we going to suddenly become consistent? Are we going to suddenly figure out a system to enter the forward line and score efficiently? What makes you think things will change to the point where we could win multiple consecutive finals against battle hardened top 4 teams?

 

[PAFC66]

What do people think will change next year?

Are we going to suddenly become consistent? Are we going to suddenly figure out a system to enter the forward line and score efficiently? What makes you think things will change to the point where we could win multiple consecutive finals against battle hardened top 4 teams?

It won't.
It's all over
Shut up shop.

 

[Andre]

Relax. Have a steak and chill out.

Ha ha ha. It's taken 15 years and almost 20 thousand posts, but I've finally annoyed someone enough to be put on ignore. Poor DazalenkoUBewty is not taking criticism of Ken well. I boggle to think how he would have gone when we wanted Choco gone and then Primus not appointed.

 

[Andre]

What do people think will change next year?

Are we going to suddenly become consistent? Are we going to suddenly figure out a system to enter the forward line and score efficiently? What makes you think things will change to the point where we could win multiple consecutive finals against battle hardened top 4 teams?

Forward entries / forward structure (related items) and a midfield able to grind out possession / movement forward when the opposition is on top. Even games we win we generally suffer runs of goals against us. We need a defensive mid to help us 'shut up shop' to stop opposition momentum. Our midfield balance is not right, it's definitely the sum is less then the total of it's parts at present. This is just as important as our forward line woes, but gets overlooked by the masses as it's not so obvious.

Is it Drew whose the defensive mid? If so then he needs to be fast tracked next year if we don't trade one in. It can't be like this year with Bonner / Howard / Marshall of leaving it to right on finals to get games into them. I want us to chase Rockcliff, he'd be an accumulator, that'd help when we're getting spanked, but we still need that much more defensively orientated mid. Especially for big games / finals.

 

[NEGAN]

I feel more positive had a great laugh reading this thread, something I haven't done since Saturday.

Thread successful.

 

[Lagooner]

Could you imagine if that happened?

We re-up on Hinkley, give him a 2-year extension to the end of 2020, and we miss the eight or get bundled out in week one at home again?

What then? Stuck with a lameduck a la Williams in 2010.

Three years of failure isn't a blip.

This is the real danger. Things could get very awkward and expensive. Quickly.

 

[Andre]

Could you imagine if that happened?

We re-up on Hinkley, give him a 2-year extension to the end of 2020, and we miss the eight or get bundled out in week one at home again?

What then? Stuck with a lameduck a la Williams in 2010.

Three years of failure isn't a blip.

This is the one that gets me. KT and Koch came on board and had to deal with the still lingering aftermath of the Williams appointment. They should be the last pair in the AFL to be panic rushed into signing up a coach.

 

[Adz2332]

Our huge positive of the year, the backlines. A young undersized at times backs lines.
It points directly to bassett...
ill end the negativity when we end the hinley era and id give bass a go!

 

[shewho]

So you need 4 years of fail to get to that point?

Put your October 2102 glasses on. In 2013 and 2014 we overachieved. In 2015 and 2016 we underachieved. In 2017 we were very close to the expected/hoped for trajectory of a list that was in disarray in 2012.

I think Hinkley thought it would take about 6 or 7 years to get us to the top. It was in his 8th year that Mark Thompson got Geelong their first flag. At the end of 2006 they very nearly sacked Thompson after not making finals in his 7th year. They had gone 5th, 12th,9th, 12th, 4th, 5th, 10th up until then.

This year was a pass albeit a bare one. Hinkley deserves to see out this contract. Personally, I would love to NOT extend Ken's contract until the end of next year- Buckley style. I'm a Ken man but the message has to be sent loud and clear to the players and coaching staff- we are playing for "now".

If we bomb out next year (and by that I mean we don't make finals) then it might be time to let Ken go and we can't afford to pay out two extra years. If we continue to improve on 2017, he thoroughly deserves an extra two years. If we make a GF he deserves an extra 3-4.

Ken's selection on Saturday night was for the future and not for the now. WC played for the now (i.e. recruiting Mitchell and Petrie). It's time to play for the now- put the coaches and players under that pressure by NOT extending Ken's reign until later. If Koch wants to back his words with action that's what he'd do.

However, GC's interest in Ken may force our hand.

 

[raptalia]

Put your October 2102 glasses on. In 2013 and 2014 we overachieved. In 2015 and 2016 we underachieved. In 2017 we were very close to the expected/hoped for trajectory of a list that was in disarray in 2012.

So what are we overachievers or underachievers? In some people's eyes make the eight and we don't deserve to be there, we don't make the eight and we have failed? That is hardly a positive outlook.

In 2013/14 we played some good footy and deserved our success then in 2015/16 we went backward with basically the same key players plus Paddy Ryder. Why that happened is the point of contention. Did we become complacent? Did changes to our Coaching Panel have an effect? Did the opposition wake up to us and stop Ken's game plan or did he simply change it? Is there some other factor or is it a combination of all of these? Who knows?

2017 was an improvement for sure but given the events of the past few years how positive are we about staying in the eight and improving our ladder position. Like many I have a sense of excitment over some of our young players and I would like to think we have a future in the young guys we have blooded in 2016 and 2017 but geez it is hard to be confident. I guess I would be a lot more positive if I thought we had a Coaching Panel that could get the best from our current list.

 

[BillyW]

Put your October 2102 glasses on. In 2013 and 2014 we overachieved. In 2015 and 2016 we underachieved. In 2017 we were very close to the expected/hoped for trajectory of a list that was in disarray in 2012.

Well written Shew.......I agree with all of that...

I have no doubt we were overs because of what Ken brought to the club in the way of attitude and game style........we went unders when we were worked out a bit and had some ill timed injuries............
This was the year he had to prove he was the man and we managed to finish 5th after the H&A ridding the lads of the complacency that would see us drop gimme games the years past and with only 4 real disappointments 1) no showdown win (including a thrashing) 2) the Essendon debacle 3)WC at home 4) not snagging a big scalp. Then he backed a stack of kids and got within a kick of a far more experienced opponent in a cracking final
(which I'm still massively disappointed we lost!!!!!!!!!!)
I have been saying no need to rush an extension but I feel he has EARNED the right to go again........and I for one absolutely hope he can finish the job he started.........

 

[DazzaTys]

No problem with Koch calling the players out. At least here the issue is Koch didn't call out the coaches or off-field staff in general along with them.

Spot on.