Preview Round 13, 2022 vs Richmond @ MCG, 09/06/22

[Marmozet]

Both teams coming off a bye in Round 12, Richmond went down narrowly to the Sydney Swans at home, but not without controversy. A 50m penalty was not paid to Richmond which would most likely have drawn the match. Meanwhile, Port Adelaide smashed Essendon in the first half before the rain came and Essendon started dominating in the third quarter. Very little happened in the last quarter as Port got away with a 16 point win.

Form:
Richmond: 9th, 6-5
Port Adelaide: 11th, 5-6





Last Time We Met:

 

[Memphis]

No confidence after that weak performance against Essendon to win this game.

 

[dirty2]

We have to get past the bye first.

 

[philreich]

Apparently our season is back on track, which I don't believe for one moment. Only a win in this game will convince me otherwise.

 

[Coobk001]

Tigers by 22

 

[bomberclifford]

Open space of the MCG.
Thursday night after the bye.
Cold and wet forecast.
Up against Ninthmond.
Low expectations of a win.
—
Port by 7points in a slugfest.

 

[Marmozet]

Crowd will be pretty small.

Not many Port fans will travel over and Victorians prefer to stay home and watch on TV on a Thursday Night.

 

[powermacs]

Heading back over for this for the first interstate trip in what seems forever. Is there still a pub port people go to?

 

[VineValerian]

Port to stay with the Tiggers until midway through the 3rd quarter using the shut down method we had versus the Dees, then the big cats to ease away to win by 23 points.

Good fight, but sheer class and "keep it moving forward" system and leg speed to eventually prevail.

 

[Willsy10]

We've had some close encounters in recent years and i don't think this one will be any different. A lot are expecting Port to be given a belting but are Richmond really that good? They didn't belt Essendon either and they faded badly in the second half against the Swans. I think the form of the two teams at the moment is fairly similar, both are playing okay but aren't playing great.

We can definitely win this one, i hope we bounce back fresh from the bye.

 

[Andre]

I think we'll win this one. Not because we're in form or better than them. Based on we've got the Suns (who finally look decent) and Fremantle coming up, that are certain losses. After the early season pressure on Hinkley the football gods have been cruel, giving the results against s**t sides, to give enough for our piss weak admin to prolong the inevitable. A loss against Richmond with those tough games coming would start the pressure building again. Given said football gods hate Port, we'll win this, taking enough pressure off for us to then lose the next 3, but still be 6-9 and a 'mathematical chance'. FMD.

 

[Chewy316]

With 6 losses already and relatively poor percentage by comparison to their counterparts, Port really can only drop 3 more games if they hope to make finals. I fully expect them to get blown out against Melbourne and Fremantle. So despite it only being the start of the 2nd half of the season, this game is as crucial as any given the context of the situation.

Win, and the club is back to .500 and the talk of finals remains. A loss though would certainly make things difficult. With respect to Hinkley's stranglehold on his coaching position, a loss isn't going to see him sacked that weekend. But a loss will be required in order to make it clearly evident that this side is not going to make the finals. As long as they can mathematically make the finals, I highly doubt the club would consider acting on his position. However, a loss next Thursday, followed by 2 more losses in the next 4 games (which are Sydney, Gold Coast, away to Fremantle and GWS) would put the club at 7-9, with the next two games being Melbourne in the NT and Geelong at home. If the board didn't act at 7-9, I suspect a 7-11 W/L record will put Ken firmly in the firing line given not only would the club not be in a position to make finals, but that they were eliminated from contention realistically with over a month left in the regular season.

A win against Richmond suddenly makes it a somewhat realistic expectation that the team could go on a run, win three of their next 4 (after the Richmond game) which would put them at 9-7 entering the Melbourne and Geelong games. That would have the club relevant as a finals contender, and I could see the board backing Ken in at that point even if they missed the finals, because they were right there at the pointy end of the regular season.

Given how poor this current team is under pressure, I don't think the latter hypothetical is going to be in play. I expect them to show up next Thursday and it will be a relatively close game, but they will in typical fashion crumble when the going gets tough in the 2nd half, to lose by 2-3 goals. Ken will remain upbeat given his "close enough is good enough" approach, but the reality is that a loss, no matter how big or small, will be one step closer to being sacked at the end of the season (if not sooner).

 

[Jack_1870]

Dear Ken,
I am certainly no master coach or tactical genius, but if I may be so bold, an observation I have noticed over numerous recent games against Richmond, can you please suggest to whomever is taking the kick in to have a quick look around and take note of where Nankervis is, he'll probably be positioned on the right wing, and if so, if it's not too much trouble, politely advise him it might be best to kick the ball out to the left wing.
Thanks.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Dear Ken,
I am certainly no master coach or tactical genius, but if I may be so bold, an observation I have noticed over numerous recent games against Richmond, can you please suggest to whomever is taking the kick in to have a quick look around and take note of where Nankervis is, he'll probably be positioned on the right wing, and if so, if it's not too much trouble, politely advise him it might be best to kick the ball out to the left wing.
Thanks.

If Nankervis was our full forward he'd win the Coleman, so adept are we at kicking it to him.

 

[sobrave]

With 6 losses already and relatively poor percentage by comparison to their counterparts, Port really can only drop 3 more games if they hope to make finals. I fully expect them to get blown out against Melbourne and Fremantle. So despite it only being the start of the 2nd half of the season, this game is as crucial as any given the context of the situation.

Win, and the club is back to .500 and the talk of finals remains. A loss though would certainly make things difficult. With respect to Hinkley's stranglehold on his coaching position, a loss isn't going to see him sacked that weekend. But a loss will be required in order to make it clearly evident that this side is not going to make the finals. As long as they can mathematically make the finals, I highly doubt the club would consider acting on his position. However, a loss next Thursday, followed by 2 more losses in the next 4 games (which are Sydney, Gold Coast, away to Fremantle and GWS) would put the club at 7-9, with the next two games being Melbourne in the NT and Geelong at home. If the board didn't act at 7-9, I suspect a 7-11 W/L record will put Ken firmly in the firing line given not only would the club not be in a position to make finals, but that they were eliminated from contention realistically with over a month left in the regular season.

A win against Richmond suddenly makes it a somewhat realistic expectation that the team could go on a run, win three of their next 4 (after the Richmond game) which would put them at 9-7 entering the Melbourne and Geelong games. That would have the club relevant as a finals contender, and I could see the board backing Ken in at that point even if they missed the finals, because they were right there at the pointy end of the regular season.

Given how poor this current team is under pressure, I don't think the latter hypothetical is going to be in play. I expect them to show up next Thursday and it will be a relatively close game, but they will in typical fashion crumble when the going gets tough in the 2nd half, to lose by 2-3 goals. Ken will remain upbeat given his "close enough is good enough" approach, but the reality is that a loss, no matter how big or small, will be one step closer to being sacked at the end of the season (if not sooner).

Lol were not making finals. And who cares if we do, were a mile off the pace anyway. Is an elimation final loss any better than finishing 12th?

 

[Andre]

Lol were not making finals. And who cares if we do, were a mile off the pace anyway. Is an elimation final loss any better than finishing 12th?

Worse in so many ways. Worse draft picks, but mainly it'd give the club cover that after the 0-5 start the year was a success and Hinkley still around in 2023. It'd also lead to more older players likely given another year (for Hinkley to try and wrangle an extension), rather than take a dip to move them on and get the games into them, that we should have been doing this year as soon as we hit 0-5 and were clearly not a flag threat (at the expense of Lycett, Motlop, Jonas, Dixon, Gray getting games).

 

[Janus]

Yep, I remember in 2000 when we were had won 1 game and drawn another in our first 12 games how we threw in the towel and said "Well, we're not making finals" like a little bitch and tanked to get Nick Riewoldt, who paired up with Warren Tredrea

Warren Tredrea

Age

45

Ht

194cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.3

4star

K

10.1

4star

HB

4.2

3star

M

6.9

5star

T

1.4

3star

G

2.2

5star

No current season stats available

D

5.4

2star

K

2.8

1star

HB

2.6

3star

M

1.2

2star

T

0.6

3star

G

1.0

4star

to create the best forward line combination the AFL has ever seen.

 

[Janey]

I doubt we’ll make finals this year either, and I agree it should be Ken’s last season here, but I cannot imagine going into any game and wanting us to lose.

 

[Chewy316]

Lol were not making finals. And who cares if we do, were a mile off the pace anyway. Is an elimation final loss any better than finishing 12th?

Open your mind and try to look at this from the position of a board member.

The board want stability - contending and making finals is a pass mark in their eyes. So a win on Thursday will certainly go a fair way to keeping the team relevant (which the board will likely see as a pass for Ken). An elimination final loss is still better in their eyes than missing the finals altogether, and if they make finals there's no way they'd let Ken go imo.

But if the club are out of finals contention with a month left in the season, there is literally no way any BS artist can spin it in a way that is positive. And at that point, the spotlight would come on Ken and the board would likely let him go.

So if you want Ken gone, this is one of the bigger games in the context of the season that will somewhat determine his future.

 

[Andre]

Yep, I remember in 2000 when we were had won 1 game and drawn another in our first 12 games how we threw in the towel and said "Well, we're not making finals" like a little bitch and tanked to get Nick Riewoldt, who paired up with Warren Tredrea to create the best forward line combination the AFL has ever seen.

Yeah, because a coach in his second year, having a dip after finals first year in, is totally the same situation as we've got right now. Who wants the team to throw in the towel? We still want them to try, but want the loss to help get Hinkley out. It's not that hard.

 

[drcollossimo]

The year will play out where we will beat up on shittier sides below us and be non competitive with the finalists it’s in our DNA

 

[Marmozet]

Hope Richmond just play footy this time and not try to injure our players again

 

[Coobk001]

Next 2 games suddenly clearly going to define our year. Win both and we will probably roll on to make finals, win 1 and you'd have to say at best we're a mathematical chance. Lose both and it would have to be curtains for Hinkley.

 

[JimmyBC]

I wouldn't back us but Richmond are very beatable.

 

[sobrave]

Richmond's form line is actually pretty good over the last month, a 6 point loss to Sydney isn't the worst and they accounted for everyone else easily.

Much better than ours.

Chalk at least 1 goalless quarter down and a "brave" 19 point loss.