Preview Preview and Changes Vs Adelaide

[Port85]

The only thing im really worried about is the clearences. we got smashed last week by the young GWS, and i believe the Crows are much better then them in that area. If that happens again i can see us getting done by 7 goals plus

I think against GWS we were priming ourselves to win the clearances and probably set up with a very attacking midfield structure. I am not too worried about clearances around the ground because if we quickly identify that we are getting smashed we can clog the game up around stoppages and make it a real dour affair that the Dangerfields and Sloanes of the world struggle to get out of. Jacobs will probably win the majority of taps, we just need to make sure that the second Thompson, Danger and whoever receive the tap that we smash them in a tackle instantly. The real danger will be at center bounces where it is difficult to clog up the play due to the obvious rules.

If it's a real arm wrestle in the middle we will have to rely on the creativity of our forwards to deal with incoming inside 50s that are not always clean. This is where the creativity of Wingard and Neade plus the ability of Monfries and Schultz to take courageous marks on a lead to dodgy low balls in tight areas will be a big advantage.

 

[ash_78]

Gray should probably come in against GC IMO, not this game.

I honestly can't see us winning this week based on our clearance smashing and lack of polish under pressure last week. But this club has a way of winning the unwinnable games, and if they pull this one off I will officially declare us back in business!!

 

[Macca19]

Apparently we shouldn't play Neade because he isn't physically ready for the rigours of a showdown.

The tingles obviously missed his tackling and work in tight.

They seem to be hoping he takes on Rutten so 'next week they can hold a Jake Neade tribute match'. Class personified.

 

[Wargreymon90]

To be fair gws smashed Sydney as well in the clearances.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Looks as if we will have to drop Neade as it is disrespectful to play him against 'Men'

It'll be even more disrespectful when he kicks a goal and sets up 5 more against their plodding defence.

They seem to be hoping he takes on Rutten so 'next week they can hold a Jake Neade tribute match'. Class personified.

Lulz. As if Ben Rutten could get within 10 metres of Neade.

I disagree that their midfield is better than ours.

It was certainly better than ours last year. Is it better than ours now? Not sure. I guess we'll see on Sunday.

 

[BUTTON 92]

I disagree that their midfield is better than ours.

Whats your reasoning for this?

 

[5um0F1]

Look on the crows board. Apparently after every thing Adelaide have been through it would be disrespectful to play a 'high school boy' against 'real men' in the showdown. Don't really understand the logic when our boy Neade has the guts and skill he does.

The problem is probably more that Neade will sprint 100 metres, circle several times around the "truck", kick a snap off the side of his boot (or pass off to another forward) and return back to the middle before "truck" has managed to alert his synapses that something blurry is moving very fast around him...

 

[wharfietilidie]

That's the big question for us - to neutralise the clearances or the ruck. We drop a ruckman and we read off Jacobs tap and rely on winning the clearances at ground level. I'm not sure if Redden can last a full game rucking with Jacobs 100% of the time (even switching for westhoff or trengrove when Jacobs is off) but he is the only one that can match him in a wrestle. If we choose lobbe who can run with him all day watch out, lobbe who got KILLED by Jacobs last time. At least heading in with two rucks neutralises Jacobs influence which is key for us I think.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Whats your reasoning for this?

Depth?

If you were listing the club's midfielders in order, Dangerfield and Thompson would be 1 and 2 and Sloane would probably be top 5. But with Ebert, Boak, Hartlett, Cornes and Broadbent, Port would have 5 out of the top 8 (you could argue Wright over Broadbent, but I'd take the guy who's an excellent kick over the guy who gets a few more touches).

 

[Janus]

Listen, I'm not saying its a foregone conclusion that we'll win. We most likely will lose. But what some people on this board are saying is that Brisbane, who went with Adelaide for three quarters, has a better midfield and forward line than us. You want to talk about a lack of respect? Where is the respect for our team? Our players? What makes Hartlett, Ebert, Broadbent, Wines and Cornes less of players than anyone in the Brisbane midfield? What makes a crocked Jonathon Brown better than Schulz?

If Adelaide flicks the switch this game and plays like they did last year, then obviously it's game over. But until that happens, I'm going to back us in. The players haven't given me a reason to doubt them this season - they've done everything we've asked for. I'm not going to give up on the team before a ball is bounced just so I can ease the pain by being able to say "See, I was right." Call it the naïveté of hope.

 

[Doctor Feel]

Robbie has had one serviceable game at league level. He is not ready. Not at least for a full game.

 

[BIG MATTY T]

Why dud this game have to be on a sunday...the anticipation is killing me

 

[finbarr]

Listen, I'm not saying its a foregone conclusion that we'll win. We most likely will lose. But what some people on this board are saying is that Brisbane, who went with Adelaide for three quarters, has a better midfield and forward line than us. You want to talk about a lack of respect? Where is the respect for our team? Our players? What makes Hartlett, Ebert, Broadbent, Wines and Cornes less of players than anyone in the Brisbane midfield? What makes a crocked Jonathon Brown better than Schulz?

If Adelaide flicks the switch this game and plays like they did last year, then obviously it's game over. But until that happens, I'm going to back us in. The players haven't given me a reason to doubt them this season - they've done everything we've asked for. I'm not going to give up on the team before a ball is bounced just so I can ease the pain by being able to say "See, I was right." Call it the naïveté of hope.

Amen.

 

[The Smaller Warrior]

you make it sound so easy!
Having two ruckman gives them an extra runner. Need Mitchell as he can run all day starting.
Who right now is a mid / runner thats playing in the SANFL that could be brought in as the sub?
Cassisi, Thomas no runner, I said Gray but as stated doesnt have the legs yet, who? I think it shows we still need some speed when drafting / recruiting this year as depth

I would literally keep the squad exactly as we have had it,

But bring in Mitchell at half time rather than waiting so long.

Having Neade and Wingard gives us plenty of pace and one of them can float into the middle.

 

[Peck]

Depth?

If you were listing the club's midfielders in order, Dangerfield and Thompson would be 1 and 2 and Sloane would probably be top 5. But with Ebert, Boak, Hartlett, Cornes and Broadbent, Port would have 5 out of the top 8 (you could argue Wright over Broadbent, but I'd take the guy who's an excellent kick over the guy who gets a few more touches).

I'd almost have Hartlett as the best on his day, with Boak being very close behind the Adelaide duo. Yes Dangerfield and Thompson are fantastic, but I don't think either of them can match the freak that is Hamish Hartlett, and neither of them deserve to be rated far above Travis Boak, who will probably be the best inside midfielder on the park.

So overall I'd say that Dangerfield and Thompson as a duo are a little better than Boak/Ebert or Boak/Cornes (whoever you rate higher), but they are absolutely even with Boak/Hartlett if Hamish is playing well. With our secondary midfielders of Ebert, Cornes, and Broadbent being superior to whatever Adelaide can throw at us, then I don't think they can beat us in the middle without Jacobs having a blinder. Hopefully our ruckman can at least make it a wash up against him.

Basically we about 7 good players to throw in the centre square with Boak, Hartlett, Broadbent, Cornes, Ebert, Wingard, and Wines. We should win that contest. Around the ground is different, but we will just have to wait and see how that pans out.

 

[Schulzenfest]

I'd almost have Hartlett as the best on his day

Problem is that Hartlett has 'his day' two or three times a year. That's like saying that Westhoff is better than Scott Thompson because Thompson could never do what he did against GWS.

 

[FishingRick04]

I remember a time when Port when into nearly every game favourite based on the previous years reputation and managed to stuff alot up, I think it was 2008? hmmm

 

[manureid]

I also have memories of how bad we were last season, so until I see us perform against a finals team, and perform well, I am reserving my judgements on where we are at in the Hinkley re-model. Early signs are good, but we have to remember, a lot of these players are the same guys that were 7 shades of shite last season. This will be a good test of where we are at, but rating us better here, better there, on paper, is at this stage hope, as these guys have yet to prove they are better imo. Call me a pessimist, but I just have not been able to blank out the past few years yet....

 

[FishingRick04]

No changes pls.

Bringing in one of Gray or Cassisi is a ridiculous idea.

Dropping one of Lobbe or Redden for a non-ruck (ie not Renouf) is ridiculous.

Go even with Jacobs in Ruck with two of Lobbe/Redden/Renouf, shut down Walker and constrict Thompson and Dangerfield = game over, flip flip, game over

Can I like this post 100 times?

 

[FishingRick04]

I also have memories of how bad we were last season, so until I see us perform against a finals team, and perform well, I am reserving my judgements on where we are at in the Hinkley re-model. Early signs are good, but we have to remember, a lot of these players are the same guys that were 7 shades of shite last season. This will be a good test of where we are at, but rating us better here, better there, on paper, is at this stage hope, as these guys have yet to prove they are better imo. Call me a pessimist, but I just have not been able to blank out the past few years yet....

Heath wasn't, Stevenson wasn't, Pittard hadn't played, Neade wasn't, neither was Monfries. That's nearly a quarter of the team.

 

[Peck]

Problem is that Hartlett has 'his day' two or three times a year. That's like saying that Westhoff is better than Scott Thompson because Thompson could never do what he did against GWS.

Sadly this is true to this point, but I'm backing Hamish in to turn that around this year. He was tagged/scragged out of the game last week to be perfectly honest, hopefully he can stay focused this week.

 

[manureid]

Heath wasn't, Stevenson wasn't, Pittard hadn't played, Neade wasn't, neither was Monfries. That's nearly a quarter of the team.

That is 5 of 22...leave 17 blokes, who are mostly the ones being touted as 'better' on paper. Chuck in Mitchell for 6 if you like, but my point still stands. Our 'guns' or 'prime movers' need to show me they can do it against quality opposition before I start proclaiming us as 'back'.

 

[PatientMental]

Kane Cornes will win the Showdown medal, because the voters will be in so much shock that he was able to shut down either of Thompson or Dangerfield while also gathering 30 disposals and kicking the winning goal.

 

[Trewth]

That whole "playing Neade is disrespectful" smells like fear to me.

I also think the idea of going on last years performances is insulting to Burgess, Hinkley and Richardson and everything they have achieved so far. Janus' sentiments echo mine, but far more eloquently than I could have said.

 

[finbarr]

Heath wasn't, Stevenson wasn't, Pittard hadn't played, Neade wasn't, neither was Monfries. That's nearly a quarter of the team.

And we have a more than competent group of coaches now, capable of picking apart the opposition as well as pinpointing our own weaknesses and working to rectify them. Nothing heartened me more last week than hearing Hinkley walk straight into the press conference and highlight the thrashing GWS gave is at centre clearances. No more resting laurels with this coaching group. No more grandiose statements after an "ok" win. And no more ammunition handed to our opponent in the build up to the match via silly, over confident statements. I feel reasonably confident because for the first time in a long time I know our players will be grounded and as best prepared as possible.