Review Round 21, 2019 vs Sydney

Power Girl

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Bonner's amount of possessions or disposal efficiency is not the issue. He is soft at the contest.
And do you know what? I had not seen a softer series of efforts from a Port player before or since, than Karl Amon last year. But he has been persisted with and come good. Just go back and look at everyone on here baying for Amon's blood last year. Selective memory much!
 

Tibbs

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I agree, he also is more educated and more understanding of Port Adelaide traditions ....quick to correct nuffs that do not know what they are talking about when discussing our club.
As odd as that sounds, being that he is a dead-set Crow Bot, you are spot on! At least he tries hard to praise Port (even tho he might not want to), and has a good knowledge of our players, as he sees more of us than most of the Vic-centric commentators!

Dwayne Russell on the other hand is just a sycophant ... A Port man, but tries too hard NOT to praise Port.
 

Kiss from a Rozee

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And do you know what? I had not seen a softer series of efforts from a Port player before or since, than Karl Amon last year. But he has been persisted with and come good. Just go back and look at everyone on here baying for Amon's blood last year. Selective memory much!
I've seen Bonner show hardness, I don't think he is soft. I just think he gets completely lost sometimes, and gives up on contests too easily.
 

Magus

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I've seen Bonner show hardness, I don't think he is soft. I just think he gets completely lost sometimes, and gives up on contests too easily.

Agreed. He's basically suffering the same symptoms that Jasper used to show but with slightly more reliable disposal. Hopefully he doesn't lose too much confidence.
 
well yes but that's unrelated haha

I meant like broken my world view. I didn't believe it even when I looked it up! I was sure he'd been playing since at least 2015, just insane how good he is!
I reckon he was very iffy in 2017. He was dropped a couple of time and finished 18th in our best and fairest. He was 8th last year in the B&F.
 
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Tibbs

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The movement of the ball and the endeavour throughout the game was a thing of beauty. We look so good when we get our structures right. We really have been begging for this all year because we have a very talented list.

I know it will be a very unpopular opinion but I think Bonner has so much more talent than he is showing and if we persist (like we did with Amon because i am sure i was not alone in never wanting to see him in a Port jumper again and i was WRONG) we will get the same rewards. I believe Bonner has too much class and ability to read the play to lose him. I also think he is a confidence player who has lost his confidence and his dash and run. I remember him dancing around players and going for a run but it seems a very long time ago. His next coach will get the best out of him I am sure. Now i will put on my tough pants ready to deflect the bitter and vitriolic Bonner insults that will be incoming.
Bonner had a couple errors. The htb in the 2nd qtr was dumb for sure. He still had 19 running at 84%.

He's been asked to use his leg speed to make the play, s**t like this is gonna happen in the short term. I still have big hopes for him.
And do you know what? I had not seen a softer series of efforts from a Port player before or since, than Karl Amon last year. But he has been persisted with and come good. Just go back and look at everyone on here baying for Amon's blood last year. Selective memory much!
I have been a fan of Bonner, and like you want him persisted with, but after yesterday's poor performance, NOT in the Power!! Back to the SANFL for him. After numerous mistakes early, I took particular note of every Bonner possession, & honestly cannot remember ONE effective disposal or touch ... he had a shocker! And if the coaches (read: Ken) are serious about rewarding form, he has to be dropped!

Also, IMO you err in comparing him to Amon. Yes Amon played terrible last year, but did have a couple of injuries that derailed his continuity. Despite that, we all were happy for him to be cut, & if there were any takers, he would be out! A big part of his turnaround in 2019 was the huge kick up the clacker he got from realizing that his AFL career was over, unless he pulled his finger out! Credit to him, he as dug deep, put in a great preseason, and finally delivered on the potential, the club, his teammates, and us, all thought he had.

Continuing to to play an under-confident, under-performing Bonner does no one any good! Its not good for him, and its not good for his team mates who are showing good form in the Maggies. I reckon he has the goods to make it, but let him do it under less pressure
 

Port 2004

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So, let’s get this straight.

The “doom and gloom posters” who have been absolutely critical with Ken for insisting on picking a midget forward line devoid of tall forwards — which has undeniably cost us at least three wins this year alone (Richmond in Round 4, Bulldogs in Round 15, GWS in Round 19) — finally get their wish with the selections of Dixon and Marshall, and the team is infinitely more potent and effective.

The past 2 weeks have emphasised how much of a stubborn, incompetent bozo Hinkley is and vindicated his critics.

But I don’t know, there’s still time to go back to 66 games of Jake Neade and Sam Gray one-out against 2 & 3 intercept markers, I guess.
I was actually referring to certain
individuals in particular who are so called Port supporters but have been posting negatively on this board for years anything Port. Hope that clarifies it for you. Apologies for having an opinion.
 
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Port 2004

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So, let’s get this straight.

The “doom and gloom posters” who have been absolutely critical with Ken for insisting on picking a midget forward line devoid of tall forwards — which has undeniably cost us at least three wins this year alone (Richmond in Round 4, Bulldogs in Round 15, GWS in Round 19) — finally get their wish with the selections of Dixon and Marshall, and the team is infinitely more potent and effective.

The past 2 weeks have emphasised how much of a stubborn, incompetent bozo Hinkley is and vindicated his critics.

But I don’t know, there’s still time to go back to 66 games of Jake Neade and Sam Gray one-out against 2 & 3 intercept markers, I guess.
Sorry, forgot to add. I am pretty sure I didn’t actually voice any support for the selections you mentioned in your post. So let’s get that straight.
 

Power Girl

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I've seen Bonner show hardness, I don't think he is soft. I just think he gets completely lost sometimes, and gives up on contests too easily.
No no no no. Last year he looked soft. He blatantly backed out of contests. Amon wasn't hesitant. He was soft. He has grown. He has developed. He has been allowed to get past that and he is now a fairly decent player. He is still not a hard, in and under player and he never will be but he is confident and able to do what to do the stuff they recruited him for, his skills set.

Bonner has been soft this year, no arguments. But seriously I have never seen anyone actively avoid contact like i saw Amon do on multiple occasions last year. But because of selective memories, it is like it never happened and Bonner needs to burned at the stake. If we let this board do to Amon what we all wanted to last year we would not have seen the "good" Amon that we have seen this year because he was bound to outer Siberia never to be seen or heard from again.

edit: Amon was soft but came good
Bonner can be soft and should come good.
 

Power Girl

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I have been a fan of Bonner, and like you want him persisted with, but after yesterday's poor performance, NOT in the Power!! Back to the SANFL for him. After numerous mistakes early, I took particular note of every Bonner possession, & honestly cannot remember ONE effective disposal or touch ... he had a shocker! And if the coaches (read: Ken) are serious about rewarding form, he has to be dropped!

Also, IMO you err in comparing him to Amon. Yes Amon played terrible last year, but did have a couple of injuries that derailed his continuity. Despite that, we all were happy for him to be cut, & if there were any takers, he would be out! A big part of his turnaround in 2019 was the huge kick up the clacker he got from realizing that his AFL career was over, unless he pulled his finger out! Credit to him, he as dug deep, put in a great preseason, and finally delivered on the potential, the club, his teammates, and us, all thought he had.

Continuing to to play an under-confident, under-performing Bonner does no one any good! Its not good for him, and its not good for his team mates who are showing good form in the Maggies. I reckon he has the goods to make it, but let him do it under less pressure
I don't disagree that a spell in the twos might help him.

I am probably fighting the battle of he should never been seen in a Port jumper ever again brigade that said the same about Amon previously and numerous other players that are now all faves.
 

Power Girl

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I've seen Bonner show hardness, I don't think he is soft. I just think he gets completely lost sometimes, and gives up on contests too easily.
I think he is down on confidence and doesn't know his role. If he didn't have the sublime footy skills i wouldn't care if he got dumped but he is actually skilled and we need to not just dump on the roadside but develop confidence in players worth persisting with. We don't only have to persist with talls.
 
I disagree. I think he reads the play (when confident) beautifully.
Yeah thats why I edit corrected to ‘under pressure’

I have probably watched way more of Riley Bonner play irl than you.
Ok then?
 
Cautious optimism atm.

Now that the team is set to win instead of trip over its own d¡ck the onus is now squarely on the players to win their matchups and get it done.

If I could trip over my own dick, I'd count that as a win.
 

Power Girl

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Yeah thats why I edit corrected to ‘under pressure’

Ok then?
i see under pressure as different to confidence.

Perhaps i am wrong but confident to me means when your coaches have your back and you are given license to make errors but that's ok. Under pressure is in game time and a good operator (who feels confident either has that ability or not).

Bonner is absolutely cool under pressure. Always has been.

But Bonner is not performing at optimum level due to whatever reason and I am looking to coaching. May not be the reason but that is my opinion.
 

Tibbs

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I don't disagree that a spell in the twos might help him.

I am probably fighting the battle of he should never been seen in a Port jumper ever again brigade that said the same about Amon previously and numerous other players that are now all faves.
No probs ... I agree with you then. He definitely has the talent, and has a definite future in the AFL. I would love to see him get it together the way Amon has this year!
 
Bonner always thinks he has more time than he actually has, which is why he'll get caught holding the ball without fail at least once a game. And I'm not talking about situations where a teammate sells him into trouble, but times when he'll actively look to take on opposition players with a sidestep that he doesn't have yet.

He's like the reverse Pittard. Pittard would get the ball in space, run into pressure and then blindly kick and it would result in turnovers most of the time. Bonner gets the ball under pressure, tries to run out of it and if he manages to do so he'll deliver a nice kick when he's in space.

His second stint (since the Gold Coast game) has been much better than his first in terms of his intent at the ball and his ability to tackle. He's improving and that's all I ever want to see from a Port Adelaide player.
 
i see under pressure as different to confidence.

Perhaps i am wrong but confident to me means when your coaches have your back and you are given license to make errors but that's ok. Under pressure is in game time and a good operator (who feels confident either has that ability or not).

Bonner is absolutely cool under pressure. Always has been.

But Bonner is not performing at optimum level due to whatever reason and I am looking to coaching. May not be the reason but that is my opinion.
There are players who do best with the field ahead of them, and Bonner usually does fine at that. It kind of applies to those long pings at goal given to him from set shots too - hes got protected space so its simpler.

For a 1990s back pocket thats fine, but now we expect loose half backs to push upfield and that means they need to maintain a broader field of awareness than just ‘in front of me’...he’s got to watch out for players coming from the periphery and time pressure is more real. Its tough, the creating half back needs what was once pretty much just a midfield instinct/skill.

The things I don’t like about Bonner’s game is that its in higher pressure situations (on field...eg proximity of opponents that might tackle or obscure options) that his weaknesses are exposed, and high pressure situations come up most often against the best sides and in finals.

I also have not seen a player overcome the deficiencies he’s shown so am skeptical that they can be. I’d love a counter example, particularly one where a coach change has made a difference.

tl:dr - with Bonner I think its a brain thing, not skill, motivation, fitness or coaching. Would love to be wrong.
 

Power Girl

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Bonner always thinks he has more time than he actually has, which is why he'll get caught holding the ball without fail at least once a game. And I'm not talking about situations where a teammate sells him into trouble, but times when he'll actively look to take on opposition players with a sidestep that he doesn't have yet.

He's like the reverse Pittard. Pittard would get the ball in space, run into pressure and then blindly kick and it would result in turnovers most of the time. Bonner gets the ball under pressure, tries to run out of it and if he manages to do so he'll deliver a nice kick when he's in space.

His second stint (since the Gold Coast game) has been much better than his first in terms of his intent at the ball and his ability to tackle. He's improving and that's all I ever want to see from a Port Adelaide player.
Possibly because he has always been faster (prior to the AFL) than his opposition. He has beautiful skills and if they are developed and we can use his agility, speed and skills he will be quite a weapon at Port.

Not all Port players need to be hard in and under skilless bullocks that blaze their way through like SPP, Wines, Rocky. We desperately need skill and silk too. (you did not say this Janus - this is more to everyone else who wants to see Bonner decapitated to prove he is tough enough)
 
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