Opinion Non-Crows AFL 4: The Centre Cannot Hold

[I Lost My Keays]

I’m stoked that North didn’t accept the kitchen sink for the first pick. I get JHF is a great talent, but I’m so happy that we got Rachele

 

[Rotayjay]

It's hilarious over on the PAP board

They keep using this term "Real/True Port people" - a meaningless plastic nothingless term.

"We keep looooosing because we don't have enuff troooooo Port people at the club"

Because the Power is a plastic franchise. I think Hinkley will go sometime in August - that's sacking season.

 

[Mutineer]

They have too many midfielders. They're one of the few clubs that should be drafting on needs because they can't trade elite players in. Rachele would have been perfect for their side and what they need

That may be the case but most recruiters/list managers go best possible talent with early picks and needs with later picks.

I might add the only mid they have with Callaghan's skill set is Josh Kelly and Finn also offers express pace and size.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

It's hilarious over on the PAP board

They keep using this term "Real/True Port people" - a meaningless plastic nothingless term.

"We keep looooosing because we don't have enuff troooooo Port people at the club"

They think their brand is synonymous with success. May have been true in the SANFL at one point in time, never been true in the AFL.

 

[Scorpus]

That may be the case but most recruiters/list managers go best possible talent with early picks and needs with later picks.

I'm sure they would, and in most cases they should. But what's happened at GWS is it's unbalanced their list, and they end up letting their high pick midfielders go to other clubs for peanuts.

 

[footy4ever]

Lindy is now Lauren. “Tell me Ken, have the Crows played Carlton?” WTF

Well Lauren, “no, but they’ve played Port…” should have been the answer.

 

[jackster83]

They have too many midfielders. They're one of the few clubs that should be drafting on needs because they can't trade elite players in. Rachele would have been perfect for their side and what they need

They should have traded more of them out. Hopper and Green are essentially the same player, and both would fetch a high price on the trade table.

Losing the running types like Shiel and Treloar really hurt them. They used to be stacked with line breakers.

 

[Scorpus]

They should have traded more of them out. Hopper and Green are essentially the same player, and both would fetch a high price on the trade table.

Losing the running types like Shiel and Treloar really hurt them. They used to be stacked with line breakers.

Even more bizarre was drafting Jackson Hately in 2018 knowing they already had Hopper and the very next year they would be getting academy player Tom Green

 

[1990crow]

AFL app campaigning for a priority pick for North Melbourne after 5ROUNDS.

And they're not even last.
This comp is disgusting.

 

[ABAB]

No wonder they overrate their list and don't think they will be in an even worst state after Hinkley is sacked mid next year compared to when he inherit them. We didn't even get a band 2 compensation for B.Crouch and they somehow seem rate Amon as better than B.Crouch....lol.

 

[Mutineer]

They should have traded more of them out. Hopper and Green are essentially the same player, and both would fetch a high price on the trade table.

Losing the running types like Shiel and Treloar really hurt them. They used to be stacked with line breakers.

Probably why they drafted Finn Callaghan?
Dual sided (left prefered) 192cm 88kg inside/outside midfielder, express pace, highly penetrating accurate kick with great aerial ability. He's the class to player along with Josh Kelly to the more "grunt" type mids like Hopper, Green, Coniglio etc.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

That may be the case but most recruiters/list managers go best possible talent with early picks and needs with later picks.

I might add the only mid they have with Callaghan's skill set is Josh Kelly and Finn also offers express pace and size.

That makes sense when it's a clear standout. If there is a scenario where recruiters rate 2 or 3 players about equal on their talent order, do they just take the best mid or do they consider needs as well?

 

[Mutineer]

That makes sense when it's a clear standout. If there is a scenario where recruiters rate 2 or 3 players about equal on their talent order, do they just take the best mid or do they consider needs as well?

I doubt there would have been a recruiter in the land that wouldn't have taken Callaghan at that point if they had the pick and if they were prepared to overlook the go home factor Finn presented it was a no brainer.

 

[ABAB]

Even more bizarre was drafting Jackson Hately in 2018 knowing they already had Hopper and the very next year they would be getting academy player Tom Green

GWS seem to rate midfielders first and then the rest, they probably rated all the midfielders in the 2018 super draft before M.King and B.King. Thankfully, this worked out for us last year.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Because the Power is a plastic franchise. I think Hinkley will go sometime in August - that's sacking season.

Yep

In a shit season you need the guy who is leaving to take the bulk of the damage because when he leaves it's out the door

Get rid of your scapegoat too early though and the blowtorch gets turned on the rest of the club.

 

[1990crow]

Yep

In a shit season you need the guy who is leaving to take the bulk of the damage because when he leaves it's out the door

Get rid of your scapegoat too early though and the blowtorch gets turned on the rest of the club.

Hinkley gets the big pay out either way and wrecks their off field salary cap.

 

[1990crow]

That may be the case but most recruiters/list managers go best possible talent with early picks and needs with later picks.

I might add the only mid they have with Callaghan's skill set is Josh Kelly and Finn also offers express pace and size.

Callaghan makes sense to GWS when theyve already got Toby Greene.

 

[1990crow]

Probably why they drafted Finn Callaghan?
Dual sided (left prefered) 192cm 88kg inside/outside midfielder, express pace, highly penetrating accurate kick with great aerial ability. He's the class to player along with Josh Kelly to the more "grunt" type mids like Hopper, Green, Coniglio etc.

If GWS manage to keep Taranto (which I expect they will), they're midfield in a couple of years will be of its chops.

Josh Kelly ~ Tim Taranto ~ Lachie Whitfield
Brayden Preuss ~ Finn Callaghan ~ Tom Green

Bench: Jacob Hopper, Lachie Ash, Stephen Coniglio

 

[ABAB]

If GWS manage to keep Taranto (which I expect they will), they're midfield in a couple of years will be of its chops.

Josh Kelly ~ Tim Taranto ~ Lachie Whitfield
Brayden Preuss ~ Finn Callaghan ~ Tom Green

Bench: Jacob Hopper, Lachie Ash, Stephen Coniglio

That's what we said about them since their existence. They've always drafted too much midfielders.

 

[Rotayjay]

Ken Hinkley has had not one, not two, but three opportunities over two windows to win Port a flag. They were, of course, in 2014 when they just lost a preliminary final, and the next window when they lost those prelims by a whisker (2020) and comfortably (2021). Port did not capitalise on those chances - simple as that.

 

[Mutineer]

If GWS manage to keep Taranto (which I expect they will), they're midfield in a couple of years will be of its chops.

Josh Kelly ~ Tim Taranto ~ Lachie Whitfield
Brayden Preuss ~ Finn Callaghan ~ Tom Green

Bench: Jacob Hopper, Lachie Ash, Stephen Coniglio

They should trade Taranto IMO, his foot skills are the worst of all their mids and they have plenty of grunt types already. They'll likely get more than he's worth as well in draft collateral.

 

[FR0GGY]

They should have traded more of them out. Hopper and Green are essentially the same player, and both would fetch a high price on the trade table.

Losing the running types like Shiel and Treloar really hurt them. They used to be stacked with line breakers.

Not every team likes to be STACKED

 

[DJ75]

If GWS manage to keep Taranto (which I expect they will), they're midfield in a couple of years will be of its chops.

Josh Kelly ~ Tim Taranto ~ Lachie Whitfield
Brayden Preuss ~ Finn Callaghan ~ Tom Green

Bench: Jacob Hopper, Lachie Ash, Stephen Coniglio

It won't matter if they don't change their culture and get a decent coach. They are awful given how stacked their team is.

 

[ABAB]

Ken Hinkley has had not one, not two, but three opportunities over two windows to win Port a flag. They were, of course, in 2014 when they just lost a preliminary final, and the next window when they lost those prelims by a whisker (2020) and comfortably (2021). Port did not capitalise on those chances - simple as that.

And both those years they had the dream run with fixtures and injuries, we all know a bit of luck is required to win the premiership, hence why they are so difficult to win but they were truly blessed by the footy gods and now it's time for them to get the rough end of the luck to balance out. The bender by Dawson is only the start.

 

[relapse]

It's hilarious over on the PAP board

They keep using this term "Real/True Port people" - a meaningless plastic nothingless term.

"We keep looooosing because we don't have enuff troooooo Port people at the club"

One of the Port posters claimed "once we get rid of Hinkley, we're firmly back in the premiership picture"

Clearly they have learned nothing from this year

Even if they get rid of Ken the fact remains that their squad isn't anywhere near where they think it is and their senior players are cooked.

Their biggest issue has been obvious for a while, they have a massive talent gulf in terms of middle aged players because they spent a large part of the mid 2010s trading away a lot of their first rounders.

This year has proven the their next tier of players ie Willem Drew, Dan Houston and Karl Amon (who had one fluke season) are massively overrated and nothing but B graders who do not have a massive influence over games. Throw in other guys like Mayes, Bonner, Farrell etc and their list is not going to be winning a flag anytime soon.

There's no premiership awaiting the next coach, instead they're going to have to do a massive clean out and then try and build a premiership side via the draft around Butters, Rozee but that's most probably about 5-6 years away.