Port draws line in the sand

[Enviable Tradition]

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25546628-5016212,00.html

PORT Adelaide captain Domenic Cassisi has had enough.
Enough of the Power's inconsistency, enough of the bad quarters, enough of the yo-yo and enough of the sort of efforts that quite rightly have the Power labelled AFL "pretenders" after nine rounds.
So, in his first year as captain, Cassisi has put his stamp on proceedings - firstly by subjecting his team to 100 laps of the Alberton training pool on Monday morning following their abject 55-point loss to Sydney.
And now by declaring Port's leadership group have "drawn a line in the sand" regarding player performance.
The Power's leadership group were locked in their Monday night meeting for more than three hours as they thrashed out the issues that have kept Port from doing any more than flattering to deceive in 2009.
"I think that's important as leaders we step up and make clear to the rest of the group that a performance like that is definitely not good enough," Cassisi said on Wednesday.
"There's no doubt that our leadership meetings go longer after a loss and we are trying to get a result and we had quite a lengthy discussion.
"What came out of it was that we're ready to draw a line in the sand, move on and get some consistency.
"We've got a big challenge this week against Collingwood at the MCG and that's what we're looking forward to."
Among other issues discussed at the meeting were how Port's players want to be perceived around the country and also why the team could produce such a dreadful first term against the Swans when in pre-match Cassisi had told teammates the "vibe" was as good as he could remember.
"Our performance week in week out is too different and until we get some consistency then we're not going to be improving," Cassisi said.
"That's what we spoke about on Monday, being consistent in those areas - we want to be perceived in the competition as being a team that is tough and plays hard footy and attacking.
"At this point in time we're doing it for one week but not the next and until we get consistency we're not going to be regarded in that area."
Former Port Adelaide player and now pundit Dwayne Russell has contended that some of Port's players lack self-motivation, saying the league's best practitioners "do not find the next step in their careers because the coach is prodding their backsides every week".
Cassisi denied that, but reckoned anyone missing the drive from within would quickly find themselves out of the team and eventually the list.
"I wouldn't like to think so, if you're lacking in that area then you won't be playing in our team for too long," he said.
"You get given a wonderful opportunity to represent the club and play at an elite level and if you haven't got the self-motivation then you're not going to last too long in the game, so I wouldn't think that's an issue within our club."

I know it is all talk but I honestly think that Dom's leadership is fast becoming the biggest positive out of this year. I think he isn't going to stand for the bullshit we have seen over the last few years. It is good to hear him talking about players not putting in being out of the team and out of the club.

 

[Steve Dore]

Talk is cheap.

 

[Phhht]

At this point in time we're doing it for one week but not the next and until we get consistency we're not going to be regarded in that area.

I'd like them to concentrate on each and every quarter before they looked at things in the context of week to week.

Do the boys need to break down a game similar to what the Aussie cricket team often do.... concentrate HARD on trying to win each and every session and winning a game will take care of itself.

 

[Relativity]

"There's no doubt that our leadership meetings go longer after a loss and we are trying to get a result and we had quite a lengthy discussion."

Perhaps they need the lengthy meetings after a win.

 

[Macca19]

We'll lose by 6 goals.

This is about the 4th 'we arent gonna stand for this anymore' this year. Until it results in consistency on the park then its just spin.

 

[drcollossimo]

We'll lose by 6 goals.

This is about the 4th 'we arent gonna stand for this anymore' this year. Until it results in consistency on the park then its just spin.

Tend to agree can't see why the Sydney loss stands out from the West Coast one, the St Kilda one, the North Melbourne one.........

 

[sog35]

We'll lose by 6 goals.

This is about the 4th 'we arent gonna stand for this anymore' this year. Until it results in consistency on the park then its just spin.

And the 18th since 2001. Starting to become a culture and there is truly only one consistent factor.

 

[Steve Dore]

Tend to agree can't see why the Sydney loss stands out from the West Coast one, the St Kilda one, the North Melbourne one.........

Because the West Coast loss was just bad luck that all the players were more concerned about the post match quadruple milestone game celebrations and the St Kilda loss was just bad luck that we struck St Kilda at the top of their form and the North Melbourne loss wasn't so bad because we nearly stole it at the end despite having only 20 fit players.

This team only performs when it has had a big kick up the bum and after a three hour meeting the leadership group has finally realised this.

The sad thing is that we may well beat Collingwood this week, although I doubt it, only to be easily beaten by Freemantle the following week at home.

 

[El_Scorcho]

God I wish they'd shut the bloody hell up and do their talking on the field!

I don't want to hear anything about this crap anymore in the paper leading up to a game. It proves nothing and if we don't come out against Collingwood and fight like our lives depend on it we look like a bunch of soft mouthy idiots.

Shut up and do your talking on the field.

 

[Port85]

Seriously STFU!

You haven't done what you have said you will do umpteen times over the last 3-4 years, why should we magically believe what you say now.

Do the senior players/media department really think their supporters are morons?

 

[Natman]

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25546628-5016212,00.html



I know it is all talk but I honestly think that Dom's leadership is fast becoming the biggest positive out of this year. I think he isn't going to stand for the bullshit we have seen over the last few years. It is good to hear him talking about players not putting in being out of the team and out of the club.

PROVE IT - the players who speak in the media have only proved that they can "talk the talk" but not yet proved they can "walk the walk". I'm not convinced that the majority of them have the mental toughness or uncompromising desire to achieve it.

All I fear has been done with another media speak, is that we would have "woken the sleeping giant" in Collingwood - not that Malthouse needs much ammo against us or that Collingwood are a giant.

This season is shaping to be a watershed in more ways than one.

 

[FishingRick04]

PROVE IT - the players who speak in the media have only proved that they can "talk the talk" but not yet proved they can "walk the walk". I'm not convinced that the majority of them have the mental toughness or uncompromising desire to achieve it.

All I fear has been done with another media speak, is that we would have "woken the sleeping giant" in Collingwood - not that Malthouse needs much ammo against us or that Collingwood are a giant.

This season is shaping to be a watershed in more ways than one.

If they win we all know the next game is the important one anyway, this has alot of Brisbane 2001 over it, a turn around like that would be nice.

 

[Ported]

The players are only answering questions posed to them by media representatives.

I'm sure if they had a choice, they'd say nothing at all.

 

[Natman]

The players are only answering questions posed to them by media representatives.

I'm sure if they had a choice, they'd say nothing at all.

There are ways to answer questions without saying anything with a couple of 'yeah, nahs' thrown in.

For some reason our guys just seem to give too much ammunition to the opposition teams and supporters and the media to latch onto.

Has it been more prevalent since Hitaf left and is it a direction from the club for the players to be seen to be more "human" to the footy public in the hope of attracting more supporters?

 

[_Christoh_]

Hmm a line in the sand huh??

I suppose this line will be drawn going backwards. Im guessing it will not be a straight line but one that goes side ways as well.

How many of our players will know what to do when they get to said line in the sand:
will some step over,
will some jump over,
will some dare not cross it
or will some bury their head in the sand and try to go under it and hope when they come up that said line is no longer there and they can continue on their merry way.

We have too many heads in the sand to even see the bloody line. This kind of talk just prepares me for a win and an insipid loss over the next 2 weeks as per usual.

Id much rather hear our selection panel come out and say they are drawing a line in the sand by holding players accountable for these insipid losses. That sort of talk with action is whats going to stop these crap losses.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

Id much rather hear our selection panel come out and say they are drawing a line in the sand by holding players accountable for these insipid losses. That sort of talk with action is whats going to stop these crap losses.

I think that is what they are saying. Selection tonight will be the real test. If they are fair dinkum there will be serious changes, if they are not they will play around the edges and claim to be making real changes.

 

[Papa G]

My prediction, we will lose by 7 goals.
Cassisi's leadership questioned - and by extention Choco's faith in him as captain.
Questions arise about Choco losing the players.
Choco definately won't be coach next year.
Choco will blame injuries to Burgoyne, Motlop, Matthew Primus whoever for the loss.
19,000 crowd at Footy Park next week (probably in the rain).

Hope I am wrong.

 

[PAFC04]

Why does it take 3 hours to figure out that we played shite.

Did they point fingers, if so it would have been a screaming match in there blaming each other for the insipid loss.

Are the coaches in this meeting as well?

 

[understudy]

Malthouse is backing the visitors to hit back this week.

“Historically they’ve been very, very good on the rebound,” Malthouse said on Thursday morning.

“They’re a tough side … they really got blown away in one quarter of football last week, and couldn’t get back in the game.

“So we know we’re going to be in for a hell of a fight.”

Malthouse said he had “a lot of admiration” for Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams, and said the Power’s 2008 results – when the club was decimated with injuries – shouldn’t be given too much credence.

“This year, I don’t know where they are on the ladder, but I don’t take much notice of that ladder,” he said.

The Collingwood coach is known to work by his own methods when assessing an opposition – based on a side’s performance over a set period.

So how does the Power rate on the Malthouse ladder?

“Reasonably high … above us, put it that way.”

 

[Steve Dore]

Why does it take 3 hours to figure out that we played shite. ....

They kept switching the topic side to side without making any headway and when this didn't seem to be working they went back over ground covered previously to see if that would help. Eventually someone had the balls to try and move the topic forward but their comments were misdirected and only resulted in the topic shifting back to the centre.

The highlight of the meeting was Kane Cornes racking up a personal best 37 comments however most of these gained little traction and tended to go over ground already covered.

..... Are the coaches in this meeting as well?

I wouldn't expect the coaches to be at a leadership group meeting.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

They kept switching the topic side to side without making any headway and when this didn't seem to be working they went back over ground covered previously to see if that would help. Eventually someone had the balls to try and move the topic forward but their comments were misdirected and only resulted in the topic shifting back to the centre.

The highlight of the meeting was Kane Cornes racking up a personal best 37 comments however most of these gained little traction and tended to go over ground already covered.

I wouldn't expect the coaches to be at a leadership group meeting.

You think those Blackberries are just for sending information?

 

[PAFC04]

I have come to the conclusion that leadership group meeting resolves nothing......how many meetings before this have they had only to keep dishing out consistent, inconsistent performances...

Can our leadership group lead?

Remove the leadership group, the captain is the leader and not 4 or 5 others to have there opinion.

How much creditability can supporter take out of what Cassisi has stated after the 3 hour meeting when everyone is saying that our senior group let the team down against Sydney......

Perhaps in the 3 hour meeting they were discussing the coaches instructions or dubious gameplan.......question has to be asked, do our players truly support Choco.

 

[Natman]

I have come to the conclusion that leadership group meeting resolves nothing......how many meetings before this have they had only to keep dishing out consistent, inconsistent performances...

Can our leadership group lead?

Remove the leadership group, the captain is the leader and not 4 or 5 others to have there opinion.

How much creditability can supporter take out of what Cassisi has stated after the 3 hour meeting when everyone is saying that our senior group let the team down against Sydney......

Perhaps in the 3 hour meeting they were discussing the coaches instructions or dubious gameplan.......question has to be asked, do our players truly support Choco.

I have always said that leadership groups are a waste of time and just happen to be fashionable in the AFL at the moment.

Leadership has to be the responsibility of the 22 that get picked each week and for the others on the list when they get their chances. Leadership would be shown in different ways from the oldest and most experienced players to the first gamers.

If all of the squad are not being taught leadership skills equally then there is a weakness in the process and may as well not be counted upon for any decent effect on the playing performance of the team as a whole.

I read where it was the leadership group that decided the "line in the sand stuff" - any chance of the rest of the team having input into the decision making and execution process?

 

[Ford Fairlane]

The remaining players have been allocated a burning in the guts that will leave them spewing.

 

[PAFC04]

Leadership group = Another place to put the blame on to when shit hits the fan.

Is there i division between senior players and non senior players?

The more I think about this the more I am starting to think there is a rot developing amongst our players and coaching all pointing the fingers at each other and finger pointers not admitting that the are wrong.

Are the players and coaches looking after there own job instead of looking after the club first?