Review Showdown 59

[Us against the rest]

To lose 3 games by under a kick this year is concerning in that I don't want it becoming a trend.

The best teams win the close matches.

They didn't lose this because of a lack of effort - they lost it because of a lack of application in the final minute. Sweet moronically hacking the ball forward into space as opposed to keeping the ball close in congestion, despite having Ollie and Drew - two of the biggest plodders in the centre square chasing the ball. Ollie of course doesn't get to it first, stupidly gives away the free. Then Bergman foolishly handballs instead of taking the tackle and forcing a ball up, Butters the same except he kicked it into space.

4 experienced players making boneheaded decisions when it was truly there to be won is extremely concerning no matter how you want to slice the rest of the game up.

On a positive note, great to see Whitlock, Berry and Moraes key parts of the fourth quarter comeback.

I truly believe this team is better than its record, but when you look at the actions of the vets last night late on, maybe I'm wrong about that.

So glad to see the young guys doing well but the lack of smarts by the more established players in the dying seconds would have made Carrs blood boil.
Never nice to lose but i think we are headed in the right direction, Carr seems to have a game plan that is solid.
As much as we should never have let that last goal through, the tingles allowed Berry ti to score for us also in the last munute.
Looking at it in an unemotional way we did okay and let's face it we're not going to win a flag this year so finishing lower will help with picks, finishing in the top 8 and then getting found out in finals just to save a selfish coach his job is what has hurt this club in the past.

 

[Port 2004]

He should have retired after his 2-3 nasty head knocks. At this point he's just adding to the risk of a pretty bleak life after footy.

No worries Doctor ****en Dolittle.

 

[PAFC Since 1870]

As disappointing as last night's loss was IMO a mentally weak team would have thrown in the towel when 14 points down at the mid point of the last term instead of fighting back and hitting the front with 40 seconds left on the clock.

Both teams c***** up opportunities to score throughout the game, it was the execution (or lack there of) of the 1 percenters in those vital final seconds that ultimately cost us the chocolates, but I'm confident Josh Carr and his assistant coaches will eventually sort that out.

The self entitlement of the fruit tingle crowd was on full display again last night because regardless of where either team is on the ladder Showdowns are their grand final which has been to the detriment of the bigger picture for that franchise for a very long time now, and long may it continue!

Self entitlement is a nice way to put it. Some of the behavior directed towards Port supporters when they took back the lead was utterly deplorable. They go on about us being ferals but heck me some of them were being utterly ridiculous.

 

[Donuts_]

Still no better this morning. Just crap to lose that.

 

[Port 2004]

At least they win showdowns

For now. It will change for sure. We will beat them next time.

 

[KenGaveUsWhatHeDeserved]

**** the sugar coating on here is spew worthy after yet another game we’ve lost we should’ve won this year.

Was a teeeible performance too. We lost to an out of form Adelaide that lost Tex early and butts too.

A midfield of Sam Berry, Peatling and Soligo destroyed our much hyped midfield. It’s hard to fathom.

Legitimately curious who is out of their midfield, that didn't take them to the Minor premiership last year?

Quite fascinated that so many people here not four weeks ago were just begging for competitiveness, dwkist half the spud list, and hoping to finish as low as possible are now crying about losing to the Crows by a point in their home game.

Or are we aiming for finals now thinking we could be an end of season bolter from 10th spot?

 

[Port 2004]

Never understand why our midfield is so hyped. They're beaten by trash every week

I know one thing for sure. You are Crom trash.

 

[Port 2004]

They had 2 rotations down for 3 quarters , coming off a 5 day break with a second string side out there and won territory all night. We shouldn't have even got that close. What world are you in? You can't compare it to last years games. Any half decent side beats the crows tonight by 10 goals. We are still a rabble.

Your team the Crom are a bit of a rabble. Gee you must have been disappointed with their effort at the Gabba. That was really piss poor. You also must have been disappointed after finishing top and not winning one quarter and out in straight sets. Haven’t won a flag since 1998 and not looking like that drought is anywhere near being broken. I can see why you are so angry. Maybe write a letter to Nicks and vent you frustrations that way rather than coming onto the Port board and a constantly acting like a dickhead.

 

[rogerjames]

We're lucky we have one of the all time greats to guide his development

View attachment 2599451

Can't work out why he's still there. Our development of rucks has been very poor over a fair time now. Its really hurting the clubs progress.

 

[GremioPower]

The best teams win the close matches.

They are closer to 50-50, than an actual skill. Good teams play close games against good teams; and they beat bad teams comfortably.

However, I admit that experience and mentality seem to help gaining or losing an edge at those ending moments of close matches. If they actually do and how much difference they would make, I don’t know.

 

[TredreaWilbur]

We just dont get enough of the ball and our players go missing.

Farrell 12, Burgoyne 14, JHF 20, Wehr 17, Richards 10.

Mackinley 5, Lai 15, Berry 11, Moraes 15. Dante 5.

Marshall 7...

Jones 8. I can forgive. Durdin 6 I can forgive but realistically needs to get involved more. This isnt McEntee.

Berry and Whitlock were poor for 3qtrs but came up clutch in the last. Worth persisting with to get them to that sweet spot of 50 games.

But ultimately our midfield were soundly beaten. We did not change it up enough from our 4 mids all day. Butters, JHF, Drew and Wines. No one else. And they only seemed to turn up for half the quarters.

Normally we'd at least change it up more when we are getting bounced in centre. We need Burgoyne, Bergman rotating through. Even Moraes, Berry and Richards.

Even Dante had only 5 CBAs. He was no good around the ground but we normally use him far more when we need to win clearances.

 

[PowerLil]

How

He's made up his mind.
He's gone.
We'll finish bottom 4 either way anyway

You write this often. Pray tell?

 

[Us against the rest]

I'm trying to stay positive and upbeat about our future, yeah i hate losing especially to those flogs but at the same time this is what Carr has inherited from selfish Ken.
I like that we now play for the club and supporters, not a selfish coach trying to save his job year after year.
If we had won by a few points can be like papering over the cracks sometimes, at least now the coaching panel will be forced to examine crucial moments in that game where we got it wrong, especially the last minute and train to not let it happen again.

The team looks united and happy, they have stuck it out in these close games, last year they would have lost that game by more as soon as the pressure was applied to them

 

[Grave Danger]

Your team the Crom are a bit of a rabble. Gee you must have been disappointed with their effort at the Gabba. That was really piss poor. You also must have been disappointed after finishing top and not winning one quarter and out in straight sets. Haven’t won a flag since 1998 and not looking like that drought is anywhere near being broken. I can see why you are so angry. Maybe write a letter to Nicks and vent you frustrations that way rather than coming onto the Port board and a constantly acting like a dickhead.

It's not acting.

 

[PowerLil]

Seriously flabbergasted by Sweats' decision to hit to space. Hasn't he seen a Collingwood game in the last four years? If you're up, tap straight down to create repeat stoppages to kill the clock.

So much this. The guy is thick as two planks of wood. I went off my dial when he did it. So. F***ing. Dumb.

 

[theouthouse]

The fact that gamestyle under pressure and fatigue reverted to the long bombs down the wings in the third, where Port did actually end up losing the game in context, to then learn in the pressure of a game to go back to the new gamestyle was a good sign.

Neither of these teams look like challeging for anything this year, but if you had to pick one Port look the far more likely to grow into the season.

 

[FishingRick04]

Thr turn around in previous performances is amazing. Let's not forget how garbage all the media experts said we would be.
We were shafted against Daints, blew our chances against Hawks, whacked Geelong, lost by 1 point to apparently finals bound Adelaide. Most of us would have taken that.

Im so happy Berry kicked that clutch goal.
Whitlock some strong clutch marks.

Shame Milera had aids or something and no one wanted to go near him, that was the game.

Don't pick on micro moments, its easy too, but serves no benefit.

There will be alot of learnings from this game

 

[JUSTWORK]

Should have won this game.

Sweet in the ruck, not dropping the ball to his feet second last centre square contest to create multiple stoppages and burning time.

Wines and Drew not winning a two on 1 v ranking and giving away a free kick

Butters, collecting the high over the head handball and rather than taking the tackle to create another stoppage dishes up a crappy dribble kick into the lap of a crows player, which result in two handballs out wide and the match winning goal.

3 big mistakes in the last 45 seconds from senior players who should have done better.

 

[PAFC66]

Your team the Crom are a bit of a rabble. Gee you must have been disappointed with their effort at the Gabba. That was really piss poor. You also must have been disappointed after finishing top and not winning one quarter and out in straight sets. Haven’t won a flag since 1998 and not looking like that drought is anywhere near being broken. I can see why you are so angry. Maybe write a letter to Nicks and vent you frustrations that way rather than coming onto the Port board and a constantly acting like a dickhead.

Cool story. Point out what I said was wrong.

 

[tribey]

Should have won this game.

Sweet in the ruck, not dropping the ball to his feet second last centre square contest to create multiple stoppages and burning time.

Wines and Drew not winning a two on 1 v ranking and giving away a free kick

Butters, collecting the high over the head handball and rather than taking the tackle to create another stoppage dishes up a crappy dribble kick into the lap of a crows player, which result in two handballs out wide and the match winning goal.

3 big mistakes in the last 45 seconds from senior players who should have done better.

The paucity of clutch gene from certain players who had spent up to a decade indoctrinated with the message that such situations are all about ‘luck’.

Contrast to Clarko’s Hawks who told all and sundry that they were constantly drilled to deal with such situations, as they knew they’d be in a lot of them constantly playing at the pointy end.

We’ve triumphed under such circumstances maybe twice, perhaps thrice, since Chocolate coached us.

Port is to big, close games as England is to penalty shootouts.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

Things must be different now

Previously I’d be like meh after that

But now I’m still in a campaigner of a mood

 

[PAFC66]

For now. It will change for sure. We will beat them next time.

Couldn't beat them without 6 best 22 players off a 5 day break and 2 rotations down for 3 quarters. I wouldn't hold your breath. Their shit midfield seem to beat out overhyped mids everytime.

 

[PAFC66]

Things must be different now

Previously I’d be like meh after that

But now I’m still in a campaigner of a mood

Same. Probably because that was the best chance we had to beat them in a long time. Even if it meant tanking for the rest of the year

 

[tribey]

Things must be different now

Previously I’d be like meh after that

But now I’m still in a campaigner of a mood

100%. I’ve snoozed all the footy pages and half my friends list.

Last year when we got smoked by 98 I was like “”

 

[Ford Fairlane]

That last 40 seconds was a microcosm of what Carr said about the last quarter against St Kilda - we went for the quick kill instead of sticking to the game and grinding it out. Then we lost our shape at that last play. Durdin's copped some flak for not sticking that last tackle but he tackled like a maniac all night. Who was on Cook for that last kick? How does he get on his own like that? How many set shots on goal did Georgie miss again? As Rick said, you can pick moments anywhere in a 1 point loss.

We had 356 disposals to their 339, so we found plenty of ball. After the first quarter their pressure rating was over 200 for most of the last 3 quarters. That's finals intensity but we stuck with them. Yes it was a messy game, pressure does that.

We won hitouts, centre clearances and stoppage clearances, our top 4 mids had 100 disposals between them. Our midfield didn't go missing, we just didn't execute the game plan well enough across the ground at critical times and let them get on top.

We lost contested possessions 150 to 143 but we were 21 above our season average - they were 13 above theirs.

We took 103 marks to their 78, we took 12 marks inside 50 against a defence that normally smothers us to their 8. We took 16 contested marks to 10.

This year was always going to be about improvement and bedding down a gameplan that can win anywhere. We know the list needs work, after all it's full of list cloggers and has no depth according to some. But we are improving and the game plan is robust. We've played 3 of the top 4 teams in the past 3 weeks - had 2 losses less than 1 goal and a 30 point win (that should have been 60).

Looking forward to continued development.