Predictions for the Freo game

[RussellEbertHandball]

If we convert our shots at goal, I'm talking to you messers Ebert, Motlop and others, especially early, we will give the game a real shake.

 

[Toots Hibbert]

Here's the match preview from the Port site:-

http://portadelaidefc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/6038/Default.aspx?newsId=40290

 

[Alberton]

Tarrant and Pavlich both do knees in the first quarter.

Solomon loses it and hits Lonie.
Solomon out for 8 weeks.

Dockers collapse, lose by 45 points and their season is over.

..
..

Anythings possible..............

 

[Lach72]

Tarrant and Pavlich both do knees in the first quarter.

Solomon loses it and hits Lonie.
Solomon out for 8 weeks.

Dockers collapse, lose by 45 points and their season is over.

..
..

Anythings possible..............

That would depend on whether he had been taking evasion lessons from Kane Cornes.

 

[*PAFC*13]

Freo by 24 points..
Bulk fights..
Rodan Port's best..
Krakouer wont do much..
Cockshell 2 goals..
Carr BOG..

 

[TerryToonice]

Tarrant and Pavlich both do knees in the first quarter.

Solomon loses it and hits Lonie.
Solomon out for 8 weeks.

Dockers collapse, lose by 45 points and their season is over.

..
..

Anythings possible..............

Tredrea snaps and runs onto the field, straight into Solomon

Motlop to choke in the forward square and kick three points

Cornes brothers to run into each other and smash those huge jaws of theirs

Docker heroes triumph by 65 points, and the Power cry on their way home

we can be nasty too mate

 

[gbear]

Freo by 25pts

 

[*PAFC*13]

Tredrea snaps and runs onto the field, straight into Solomon

Motlop to choke in the forward square and kick three points

Cornes brothers to run into each other and smash those huge jaws of theirs

Docker heroes triumph by 65 points, and the Power cry on their way home

we can be nasty too mate

We can also be sarcastic..

Huge Jaws? You must be thinking of Brogan

 

[ash_78]

Subi won't pack out with expectant supporters wearing purple, full of hope that 2007 will be their year, chanting Freeeeeeee-o, Freeeeee-o solidly for 7 hours before the opening bounce.

WA radio commentary won't be the least bit biased and the callers will know all the Port players, and will manage to correctly identify each of them.

Lonie will run through Solomon at the opening bounce and, bleeding from the head from a J.Carr roundhouse in the ensuing fight, refuse to leave the ground.

The crowd will give Chad a standing ovation each time he kicks backwards if we run down the clock in the last quarter with a slim lead. However, they won't moronically yell out "ball" or "deliberate" at inappropriate times.

Chocco will call Gerrard Neesham after the game for some coaching tips. And to discuss water polo.

Schammer will dazzle us with his kicking skills.



Taking bets at 100/1 that a single one of those will happen.

 

[Port_GW]

Schammer will dazzle us with his kicking skills.



Taking bets at 100/1 that a single one of those will happen.

That ones unlikely mate, as hes recuperating from surgery, similar to what Matt Thomas had, and wont be back playing for the Dockers until probably the second half of the season.

 

[ash_78]

That ones unlikely mate, as hes recuperating from surgery, similar to what Matt Thomas had, and wont be back playing for the Dockers until probably the second half of the season.

Odds just went up to 1000/1

 

[maccas_no1]

Fremantle by 21 pts, I think it will be a very competitive game with Freo easing away in the last quarter.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Heart says yes, head says no. But I'm really looking forward to the game, probably as much to watch the development of our new/young players in one of the most challenging of environments.

 

[dreamkillers]

Heart says yes, head says no. But I'm really looking forward to the game, probably as much to watch the development of our new/young players in one of the most challenging of environments.

I'm the same and just really want to see them keep playing footy and not go defensive.........it's a great test for the club.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

I watched the tactics in the Saints v melbourne game last night with interest. St Kilda employed a rolling flood through the midfield to strangle Melbourne's ability to move the ball through the midfield and dry up forward sorties. It was very similar to something we did effectively at times late last year (the Bulldogs game comes readily to mind) and I guess comes from the Sydney playbook. I'd be happy to see that sort of defensive pressure as well as attacking capacity.

7 news last night interviewed some footy boffin (cannot remember his name, but I think he might've been a Champion Data stats guy - I only came in after the intro) but he spoke about how much the game has sped up, even over the last season. He described the Richmond v crows game as a watershed - it seemed after that clubs decided that pace, pace and more pace (I tactfully decided not to use the word 'speed') was the way to beat flooding tactics - something Choco was trying to employ from the start of 2006 but probably wasn't using the right personnel, but a path we've really gone down now.

 

[Pinepower]

Heart says yes, head says no. But I'm really looking forward to the game, probably as much to watch the development of our new/young players in one of the most challenging of environments.

Yeah that is me as well.

 

[ClintEastwood]

Yeah that is me as well.

Yup, me three.

 

[Ported]

Fremantle by 21 pts, I think it will be a very competitive game with Freo easing away in the last quarter.

I feel we won't win, but i'd actually say the opposite. If we're within 15 points at 3qtr time i think we can win. The danger is getting blown away early.

 

[Phhht]

As with most, I think the dockers are favs. My heart says there is hope though and I just hope one message is given to the boys - run, run, run, run run and when you cant run anymore - RUN! I see this as one of the dockers weaknesses but perhaps not at this stage of the season.

I am interested to see a couple of things

1. How Cocky goes against a player who is athletically his equal - McPharlin. I think cocky may be a tad quicker but otherwise it will be a great learning curve for Cocky against one of the best backmen.

2. Would love to see Rodan pitted against Josh Carr. A big test I know but I think it may just work for us. All of our boys, especially the Corneseseses????? (maybe that should read as Corni) need to ignore his needle. He is the best in the business at it but I feel a lot of our boys aren't the best at coping with it. If not Rodan then maybe Wilbur can have a crack at him.

3. How Ladey and Broges combat big Sandy. Will go a long way to the outcome of the game. Not sure how Sandy's fitness is but they do have adequate coverage in Longmuir.

4. Who will Choco have pitted against Crawley and Peake. These 'lesser' light types have a habit over the last couple of years of hurting us badly.

5. Of couse, how will the Krak go. I say play him early, forward pocket and have a steadying influence like Ladey around. Once he settles, unleash him further upfield. GO THE KRAK!!!!

6. White will need to win his position and win it well. If he gives Grover a towelling early, it may unbalance them if they need to move someone else onto him. Whatever he does - DO NOT play him close to goal. We need him patrolling just outside the forwrd 50.

7. Kane needs to tag Bell and tag only. The less positions he gets the better. If he does get heaps of the ball he needs to change his poor decision making and absolutely pathetic kicking. Sorry Kane, you are one player who has been on a downward spiral since 04.

8. Will be interesting to see how their running power stacks up against our speed. Looking through their side I cant see that much speed. We can hopefully exploit this, if it exists.

 

[Toots Hibbert]

As with most, I think the dockers are favs. My heart says there is hope though and I just hope one message is given to the boys - run, run, run, run run and when you cant run anymore - RUN!...

Are we going to be running with the football or chasing after Freo jumpers? I think the first thing is to be hell bent on winning the clearances. Once you've got the ball you can use your speed but the first thing is to win the physical contests.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I watched the tactics in the Saints v melbourne game last night with interest. St Kilda employed a rolling flood through the midfield to strangle Melbourne's ability to move the ball through the midfield and dry up forward sorties. It was very similar to something we did effectively at times late last year (the Bulldogs game comes readily to mind) and I guess comes from the Sydney playbook. I'd be happy to see that sort of defensive pressure as well as attacking capacity.

7 news last night interviewed some footy boffin (cannot remember his name, but I think he might've been a Champion Data stats guy - I only came in after the intro) but he spoke about how much the game has sped up, even over the last season. He described the Richmond v crows game as a watershed - it seemed after that clubs decided that pace, pace and more pace (I tactfully decided not to use the word 'speed') was the way to beat flooding tactics - something Choco was trying to employ from the start of 2006 but probably wasn't using the right personnel, but a path we've really gone down now.

Ford was the Champion Data boffin on after the game? I got the game live on main event ch 518 on Fox but they cut coverage a few minutes after the game ended. I did miss a few minutes of half time flicking to the League game.

With respect to beating the flood, we definitely used our pace to beat it against Sydney for 3 quarters. In the 3rd quarter Sydney used their full press flood really well and we didn't handle it very well. When we did use our pace and tried to break up Sydney's flood, we tended to bomb it long and Ebert was the man we aimed for or Cocky was at the bottom of the pack and Ebert flying over him. That's why I said it looked like we were going long to Tredrea but Tredrea wasn't there.

 

[Phhht]

Are we going to be running with the football or chasing after Freo jumpers?

This is a possibility - its what happened a lot last year.

I think the first thing is to be hell bent on winning the clearances. Once you've got the ball you can use your speed but the first thing is to win the physical contests.

I dont think we have a problem getting a hold of the ball. I may be off mark but I thought our clearance work from centre bounces and stoppages was good even during our poor last year.

We seemed to run into problems once we had it and didn't really have players having smart, quick decisive disposals. And the disposals that we did have were average at best. I cant remember how many times we got hurt on the turnover last year.

I feel that this is where Choco has spent a heap of time and effort on during the preseason- once we have it use it quickly, whether by foot/hand or by running with - and making sure the disposal is quality even when under pressure.

Thats why I like the looks of a lot of our younger players. Guys like Boak, Krak, Bentley, Gray etc and along with the burgers x2, pearce appear to have the ability to send us in the right direction - take note Kane, Grew, Lonie, Surj - and with effective disposals. It is where we miss people like R James, Carr, Dew, Schofield and even the d*ck Stevens. Smart players who know how to get the ball downfiel effectively.

If we can get the majority of the side to be able to do this then I think many of our apparent problems with the forward line will be rectified.

We still need guys like Brett and Motlop making better decisions with their leading but that will come.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Ford was the Champion Data boffin on after the game? I got the game live on main event ch 518 on Fox but they cut coverage a few minutes after the game ended. I did miss a few minutes of half time flicking to the League game.

He was on the local 7 news during the sports segment. I'm not even sure he was from Champion Data.

 

[crows_4_life]

this may suprise a few of you but in my tips port are my roughie for the round,

port by 11 points

 

[Wishinman]

This will be our most important game for the season. The confidence that may have been gained over the pre season could be smashed to pieces, ala the Essendon massacre at the start of 2000. Mental fitness will be more of an issue than physical fitness, with Chad, Ebert, White, Motlop and Toby really needing to stay focussed for us to have a chance.

I will be happy if we get within 3 goals, but would not be suprised if we got up.