Preview Preview and Changes: Round 6 - Port v Collingwood

[longdonkey]

Esava - Cox
Zerk - Mihocek
Allirr - McInnes

?

that's not where we will lose the game v Collingwood. The issue will be what happens when the ball hits the ground.

Expect easy goals with their smalls running to goal or please not this ...the ball spilling over the back of the pack.

 

[elpirate]

Port by 30.

 

[Coobk001]

.

So no, it didn't feel like this. The feeling was apprehension for sure. But you felt like they could get it done. Right now you'd either have to be blindly optimistic or not paying attention to believe the club is capable of achieving the ultimate.

This feeling has built over 12 years.

The feeling we had then was 2 years of failure, whilst we were still dominant and still climbing, smashing most teams, allowing us to believe we were good enough, young enough, and improving.


The Hinkley era is just so LONG it's not even comparable. 2013/2014 were a climb, then we had 5 years of failure. Then yes we climbed again, but with the clear trends in our losses, the inability to win big games against big sides, the possibility Covid was just favouring us, and the fact we got walloped in 2 of our only big games away in 2020, meant there was not much convincing us we could actually do it, and the finals result just showed the doubts. In 2021 we limped to 2nd, really just fluking that, again struggling against the best, and then absolutely choking in the most epic manner possible, in the way that was the worst fear of every fan. So another era gone because we bone it in 2022, then go ahead and fluke a streak in 2023, that leaves us caught out in finals again.

It's era after era of failure. No change. No hope. It's an absolute history making period this for any club ever, no club has ever persisted through this level of stability for no success. It's clearly the worst and most depressing position we've been in as a club ever. 2011/12 had nothing on this. To be 100% convinced as a supporter that we are so fundamentally flawed, that no matter what we do, where we finish, how fit we are, who we recruit, etc, no matter what, we will NOT win the GF, let alone even get there, just makes everything so hollow, boring and pointless. Watching the same failings and heartbreak over and over and over, with no change is just insanity.

 

[Rash]

Esava - Cox
Zerk - Mihocek
Allirr - McInnes

?

yeah i dont mind those matchups, seems extremely realistic. miochek ussaly gives us trouble but i feel more confident we can keep him quiet due to zerks incredible 1on 1 form.

 

[Rash]

that's not where we will lose the game v Collingwood. The issue will be what happens when the ball hits the ground.

Expect easy goals with their smalls running to goal or please not this ...the ball spilling over the back of the pack.

we have solved our backline worries in the air with our new recruits obviously, but i think we have all been saying for a while we dont have a genuine lockdown small defender.

 

[Coobk001]

I totally disagree that this game means little if we win.

I think if we win this it says a heck of a lot. The reality for me is we won't win it, I don't think we're even a remote chance at all. Collingwood will win and win comfortably. I hope I'm proven wrong, but I don't see it happening.

As I've highlighted before we dont really win these games and I fully expect us to fail again in front of a Collingwood crowd. We will allow them to get their tails up at some point and their crowd will get going, we'll shrivel up and cower, and they'll put a gap on us.

 

[Rash]

I totally disagree that this game means little if we win.

I think if we win this it says a heck of a lot. The reality for me is we won't win it, I don't think we're even a remote chance at all. Collingwood will win and win comfortably. I hope I'm proven wrong, but I don't see it happening.

As I've highlighted before we dont really win these games and I fully expect us to fail again in front of a Collingwood crowd. We will allow them to get their tails up at some point and their crowd will get going, we'll shrivel up and cower, and they'll put a gap on us.

very well said

 

[morell]

I was a kid so a win was a win for me, but this is how I'd imagine most would've felt in 2004 H/A.

Nah it's completely different

We could pretty much bank win after win at home in those years. We had a game plan and structure that worked and dominated teams. Wasn't perfect but it was very reliable.

The expectation for finals was palpable and so was the reaction when we failed. Hate to play wank word bingo but it was feelings of anger, demanding, eager for change, commitment to be better. I'd even suggest it was ruthless even though we did fall short.

There was hope in other words.

Nothing like it is now. Probably a reflection of the difference in timeframes. If we didn't make the GF in 04 and then failed for another...5 years. In exactly the same way. With no change coming. Then it would have likely been the same.

 

[Buget]

Esava - Cox
Zerk - Mihocek
Allirr - McInnes

?

Who is going to Elliott? He is a damaging lead-up small.

Port (and most of the AFL), don’t have one-on-one small defenders anymore.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

Drew to tage De Goey.
Our midfield should get a bit of space to work.
We will play 3 talls and some of their smaller forwards will dine out.
There will be a mismatch of play with Aliir trailing somoene like Bobby Hill on the lead.
We will see how Charlie goes on Moore.
We just need to keep up with their small players.

 

[Scodges]

Who is going to Elliott? He is a damaging lead-up small.

Port (and most of the AFL), don’t have one-on-one small defenders anymore.

Jones maybe.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Buget]

Jones maybe.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

I suppose Jones is the closest to a small one-on-one defender.

With him playing further back and coming forward towards the ball, it might work.

Ultimately, if the tall defenders can intercept and keep the ball from hitting the deck, this may be a mute point.

 

[Watto71]

Im doing night shift so I won't see the game which could be a blessing.
My concerns are let's just bomb it into the forward line.
The fact the commentators are now talking about it and saying we go to Dixon to much worries me most.
Dixon is the no1 target in the AFL this season.
However ever when we lower our eyes and honour our leads we look so much better.
If we do this we win

 

[VineValerian]

Wobblers to run us ragged early, 5 goals up at qtr time, 7 at the break, then we dig in and keep a respectable 34 point loss.

Ken's presser goes somrthing like:

"Well they were a touch sharper than us at the start, meaning we were chasing shadows a bit. Which is what can happen if you're not on top of your own game against a team like Collingwood, who are a great team, which we knew coming into this matchup, and they can do that to you. Great sides can do that to you. And they're a bit scary with 70 thousand passionate fans backing them. These great sides get on a roll, it's hard to stop. But I thought we showed how mature we were in the second half. We didn't let the steamroll us, we responded, not enough to win, but we responded, as good sides do. And wd are a good. We believe we are are a good side. But maybe just not quite a great side - yet! But we'll work on some marginal gains in the areas we thought we were a little down in today, and we'll get better. We're good now, just not quite great yet, but we're not too far off. It got a bit scary out there early, but we did, well, we did ok after the start. That's what we need to learn and take out of this game. We need to seize those moments in games, like great sides such as Collingwood do in big games. We need to seize the moment. On it. Get better. Get to be great. Ok thanks fellas ...... been a tough day at the office" (chortle chortle - grins - walks off)

Aye carumba

 

[Ford Fairlane]

I expect Jones to get Hill and Burton to go to Elliot.

 

[Rash]

I hope if we do tag its degoey rather than daicos

 

[yepits2020]

With the vic press saying this is the game that will kick off their season, we need to be aware of the umps jumping on the bandwagon and pushing Collingwood along…. I would not be surprised is there is a loo sided free kick count to half time where we are loosing by a lot .. the umps start evening up the free kick count with garbage frees and if we get too close, watch us get reemed again.

I know that Collingwood will actually be coached and our drivers will be shut down. Will the coaches have a way to win or will we rely on the players finding a way ( despite the coaches) as against Fremantle?

We have the talent to win this.

 

[Shaucob_Burjan]

The thought of Burton defending one of their high effort smalls

 

[Mr Experience]

Anyone know what's holding Sinn out of the side currently?

 

[portforever]

Yep. We have a poor record against good sides at home, but when it comes to top 4 sides away, we just don't win those games. Personally I think Collingwood will end up top 4 by the end of the year. They have faced GWS and Sydney in the first 2 rounds, their lack of preseason caught up to them. After winning 2 on the trot and smacking Brissy in Brisbane, they're back on track.

2023: (0-3 away against top 4) 2nd Brisbane, 5th Carlton and 1st Collingwood smacked us away last year. (71, 50, 48 points)

2022: (0-3 away against top 4) 1st Geelong, 2nd Melbourne, 4th Collingwood (35, 14, 6)

2021: (0-1 away against top 4) 4th Brisbane (49)

2020: (0-2) 2nd Brisbane, 4th Geelong (60, 37)


So we're going 0-9 in last 4 years, average losing margin of 41 points.


There's this myth that come finals, finishing top 2 means nothing to us. It's a myth, it's wrong. Yes we have very little chance of winning at home, because we are flawed, but at least it is a small chance, because we have absolutely zero chance away from home.


Reigning Premier clashes
2015 - Hawks at Etihad - 22 point win.
2016 - didn't play away against reigning Premier
2017 - WB at Mars - 17 point win.
2018 - didn't play away
2019 - WCE at Optus - 42 point win
2020 - didn't play away
2021 - ditto
2022 - Melb at Traeger Park - 14 point loss
2023 - Geel at GMHBA - 12 point loss

So maybe if we look back at those games against reigning premiers from 5+ years ago, there's something to hang our hats on.

I think we need a coach who has done the task in a grand final as a coach and can instill some spine in our group so we can have real hope to succeed against the best. History so far has shown we get overawed in the big games.

 

[Poo Eckert]

I expect Jones to get Hill and Burton to go to Elliot.

Burton will be terrified he has tattoo’s

 

[Buget]

It was reported in the injury thread that Boak didn’t complete the main training and Dixon hasn’t trained all week due to illness.

Looks like McEntee will get a reprieve. Whilst, Sweet might get a call up if Dixon goes out.

I suppose the question is, how many are sick?

 

[Wargreymon90]

It will be no change. They may go McEntee sub and Mead starting.

 

[PAFC66]

Far too much negativity in this thread. Head to head our mids have them covered, we win this by 5 goals

We can dominate the midfield like we did against Melbourne and still lose comfortably.

 

[PAFC66]

It was reported in the injury thread that Boak didn’t complete the main training and Dixon hasn’t trained all week due to illness.

Looks like McEntee will get a reprieve. Whilst, Sweet might get a call up if Dixon goes out.

I suppose the question is, how many are sick?

They should rest Dixon for a month and make him come back through magpies. He can't move and is an absolute liability