Preview Round 2: Port Adelaide vs Essendon, Adelaide Oval, Saturday 27/03/21 @ 4:35 AEDT

[BrunoV]

It's easy - you just keep whipping.

Cat o 9 tails

 

[ghostdog]

How can a guy on $800k a year be a whipping boy?

We paid him to be star and he hasn't delivered.

Question answered. Good job

 

[fairbump_playon]

Cat o 9 tails

Cat of 800,000 tails?

You’re right though, the prince can’t be the whipping boy. The real whipping boy is the one taking the beating for mistakes Shiel makes.

So... anyone upfield trying to mark the footy coming in too hard, in the wrong spot and spinning weirdly...

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

For me, if Stringer is ready he comes in for Cahill and Hooker swings back to play on Dixon. Would rather he has another VFL game to be 100% good to go though so perhaps unchanged (or possibly Waterman instead of Stringer).

 

[Lore]

I'm not expecting too much 'bandaid to win' type coaching or selections. It's basically going to be a year of training runs, training structures, training craft, blooding kids against an AFL quality opposition and teaching them to stand up under pressure, play for each other, and work hard until the death knell. We had 8 guys under 25 games on the weekend, and 12 under 50. Hooker probably isn't going to be there for our next tilt at a premiership, so it seems likely that where he plays will be more about giving the inexperienced guys the best opportunity to perfect their roles with appropriate guidance and within the structure.

 

[JayJ20]

Rozee destroys us so this is already a win for us.

A lot of focus has been on our backline vs their forwardline (and rightly so), but how will the midfield battle go?
No SPP makes things interesting because Port have a slowish midfield. Our mids were too quick for Hawthorn at various stages and threatened to take the game away from them before we collapsed in the 3rd. We have enough quality in the midfield to make it a decent contest.

One thing we've done well in both games this year is winning the territory battle. That can be put down to our team defence and forward pressure. Even during the 3rd quarter vs Hawthorn, we had 16 inside 50s to Hawthorn's 15. They kicked 8.0 and we kicked 1.4 with one OOTF IIRC. Make it 6.2 to 3.3 and we comfortably win that game.

Ultimately I think our backline vs their forwardline will be the difference, but I do think we can compete with them in other areas of the ground. Draper, Shiel, Parish, McGrath and Merrett will dictate how close we get. If they cover for our defence, then we may not have to worry about Dixon kicking 10.

 

[thaibomber]

It's early on the morning of Sunday the 28th of March now. I am sitting outside enjoying my first coffee for the day and I have a smile on my face. I am enjoying the 100% turn around from round one I witnessed last night. Port were giving us a hiding in the first half, we were 45 points down at the long break. Then in the third we suddenly went ballistic 15 inside 50"s for 9 goals 3 to Ports 1 goal 4. Sheil discovered some mongrel inside himself and just ran through packs like they weren't there, Parish pin pointed 2 meter Peter 4 times from the center and he converted all 4. Harry Jones took 2 absolute screamers to lodge his 2 goals for the quarter. The back line coverage really was not a problem as our mids covered defensively to perfection. The last quarter was a dour struggle but old Hooksey kicked one at the 29th minute to have us win by a point, I sip my coffee and smile again..... then I wake up...... Bugger!

 

[JayJ20]

Summary of Rutten's press conference:

Stringer ruled out. Needs to make sure he can play a full game.
Hooker will play forward. Rutten is backing Laverde, Francis and Ridley to get the job done.
Perkins is close to a debut, but he's not sure whether it'll be this week. Sounds like Perkins won't play.
Waterman to HB to improve his conditioning so that he can play a full game at AFL level. Sounds like he won't come in.
No special attention/treatment for Fantasia. Will be treated like any other player.

I'm glad we're prioritising fitness

 

[BomberTime]

Sounds like there will be changes.

After the disappointment of the Hawks loss, happy to give them another opportunity. With the knowledge that Stringer and Perkins are pushing for a spot in round 3.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Lloydy the velvet hammer....don’t agree tbh...

‘A hard whack’: Lloyd urges Bombers to play rough when they face Fantasia

Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has encouraged his old side to rough up ex-teammate Orazio Fantasia when he lines up against them for the first time in rival colours this week.

www.theage.com.au

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Hooker will play forward. Rutten is backing Laverde, Francis and Ridley to get the job done.

That’s a big forward line Port have got...good luck with that

 

[JayJ20]

That’s a big forward line Port have got...good luck with that

Port's forwards will beat our defence even with Hooker back. I'd prefer we keep him forward unless we have a sizeable lead we need to defend.

We're not kicking more than 7 goals if Hooker leaves our forwardline and I think that's why we're keeping him forward. Geelong had both Cameron and Hawkins playing and our defence held up, even when Stewart went down. If we focus on defending up the ground, then our backline will manage.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Allir will go close to 20 marks

 

[owen87]

Allir will go close to 20 marks

Only if we kick it. More handballs.

 

[BrunoV]

Allir will go close to 20 marks

Is the the user name Parish2Allir taken?

 

[DapperDon]

Raz dines out on bottom teams.

Expect him to kick 6 this week

 

[EnolaGay]

Raz dines out on bottom teams.

Expect him to kick 6 this week

Looking forward to his jumper tug

 

[ghostdog]

Summary of Rutten's press conference:

Stringer ruled out. Needs to make sure he can play a full game.
Hooker will play forward. Rutten is backing Laverde, Francis and Ridley to get the job done.
Perkins is close to a debut, but he's not sure whether it'll be this week. Sounds like Perkins won't play.
Waterman to HB to improve his conditioning so that he can play a full game at AFL level. Sounds like he won't come in.
No special attention/treatment for Fantasia. Will be treated like any other player.

I'm glad we're prioritising fitness

Very patient, long term view. Rutten should post on this board more.

 

[Atavistic]

Raz dines out on bottom teams.

Expect him to kick 6 this week

I won't mind it too much. Unlike some players, at least Raz said he has a lot of love for us. And it's paying 51-1.

 

[Ati Tude]

Looking forward to his jumper tug

I'm just hoping we kick more goals than Raz. I think it's even money really.

 

[ghostdog]

Hooker forward is to preserve Harry Jones. We're not competing with the top echelon, Hooker won't be here beyond 2021 for that 2024 premiership and Rutten knows this.

 

[coastalpipeline]

Snelling is almost at whipping boy status here now

He's taken Gleeson's place?

 

[coastalpipeline]

Rozee destroys us so this is already a win for us.

A lot of focus has been on our backline vs their forwardline (and rightly so), but how will the midfield battle go?
No SPP makes things interesting because Port have a slowish midfield. Our mids were too quick for Hawthorn at various stages and threatened to take the game away from them before we collapsed in the 3rd. We have enough quality in the midfield to make it a decent contest.

One thing we've done well in both games this year is winning the territory battle. That can be put down to our team defence and forward pressure. Even during the 3rd quarter vs Hawthorn, we had 16 inside 50s to Hawthorn's 15. They kicked 8.0 and we kicked 1.4 with one OOTF IIRC. Make it 6.2 to 3.3 and we comfortably win that game.

Ultimately I think our backline vs their forwardline will be the difference, but I do think we can compete with them in other areas of the ground. Draper, Shiel, Parish, McGrath and Merrett will dictate how close we get. If they cover for our defence, then we may not have to worry about Dixon kicking 10.

You're deadset?
We are gonna get towelled up like like Bart Simpson cleaning his whistle infront of Homer

 

[fairbump_playon]

You're deadset?
We are gonna get towelled up like like Bart Simpson cleaning his whistle infront of Homer

HEY! Enough of this negative talk.

We’re NINTH on the ladder! How good is that!

 

[coastalpipeline]

HEY! Enough of this negative talk.

We’re NINTH on the ladder! How good is that!

We aren't we are tenth!
I know we gotta change our attitude but gee wizzz, McGuanes comments, he may not have a clue but he's kind of right. Maybe the team should get an entire wax! Harden them up with a back, sack & crack whack. Then use some of that beast mode wax experience for the entire game.