Autopsy So Port, What’s up?

[Long live PAFC]

Plenty of ways to describe this season, but I think that the word, bewildering, sums it up best.

We have supposedly had an excellent preseason, Bassett suggested it was the toughest he has seen. The off field side of things is probably as good as it has ever been in Port’s history – solid board, excellent sponsorship, long term plans, great membership numbers, etc, etc. Our coaching staff, on paper, looks solid and is stable. Our draw was arguably the best we could have ever hoped for. We corrected all the issues that hurt us last year and learnt from those mistakes. Player and list management seems excellent – yea we have made some mistakes but so does every club. We have locked away players and committed to keeping the core group together. Hell we even kept Logan and Stewart around due to them being well liked. On paper, we have a list that has everything and is stacked with first round picks.

So why has Port been unable to perform?

Is it effort? We are clearly lacking confidence and are not enjoying our footy. Why can’t the players get motivated? They play for a well funded, well supported, historic club that is fighting for respect and has backed them every step of the way. Not to mention they get to play AFL for a living.

Is it our structures? Are we playing a game plan that would have worked well in 2014/15 but, with the new protected zone, can be easily picked apart? Is it the right structure but we aren’t implementing it? Would our 2013/14 game plan actually be working quite well now with the recent rule changes?

Over trained, cooked, or just unfit? Has Burgo gone too far or lost his edge? Are we focusing on the wrong thing? Did we assume that the interchange cap would mean slower more methodical games built around endurance rather than burst and breakaway speed? Are our players not strong enough and unable, and therefore unwilling, to tough games out?

What has happened with our player development? Boak, Gray, Ebert, Hartlett, Wingard, Hombsch, Jonas and Trengove haven’t looked right and been out of form. Amon and Impey have stalled. Westhoff, Broadbent and Neade haven’t been able to become the consistent performers that we expected. Maybe we overestimated our list?

Injuries and suspensions have been cruel. No doubt the decision to not allow top ups was poor and hurt us. We lost two first 22 players who also happened to be two of our most experienced. Throw in no Schulz, Carlile, White and Krak, so no spine or run. That’s around 100-120 goals + assists and a whole lot of experience and leadership. I think this has hurt us more than we expected and more than it should have. Our most experienced player not in the AFL side is Kane Mitchell! We just have no depth.

I think what it all comes down to is simple though, we are just not good enough. We are a bottom 6, maybe bottom 4 side at the moment.

So what does the club do about it?

 

[Us against the rest]

Not sure, Wingard looks disinterested, Hammer wants to throw his weight around and not play the footy we know he can. Gray is a star and has personal pride in his game and only knows one way, Wines, Boak, Pittard, Jones are trying hard, while one these four players, Boak is Captain, Wines and Pittard are on Kens Favourite list and Jones is one Kens projects.

So you can see where i am going with this, simply the boys apart from the above are not playing for the coach for some reason. We had a drop in form when Ryder came to our club and now the same when Dixon arrived at Alberton. Could be the likes of Wingard and Hammer don't like the fact that it's not all about them any more. Could be that the players are confused and frustrated with what the structures and game plan is all about but now the players are starting to point fingers at each other too. IMO they look like a frustrated bunch of players, Gray looks sick and tired of carrying the load and has had enough imo.

 

[finbarr]

I blame Amanda Vanstone.

 

[Us against the rest]

My worry is, i hope i am wrong and it's simply confidence and we can turn this s**t fest around and have a big 2017. If not the fall out is going to be horrific.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

I blame Amanda Vanstone.

Who's that horrid Tasmanian Senator with that awful voice?

Jacqui Lambe?

Her fault anyway.

 

[raptalia]

There is an elephant in the room.

If we are to believe the media some players have been upset by David Koch's comments on social media. Personally I agree with the President in that the supporters deserve better than we are getting from some players. Maybe putting it up on social media was not the best way to go but sometimes you have to call it as you see it. Given the President's comments I would be surprised if there were not some significant personnel changes at the end of the year.

 

[Macca19]

If you dont want to be called a disgrace, dont put in disgraceful performances. Its pretty simple.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

If you dont want to be called a disgrace, dont put in disgraceful performances. Its pretty simple.

Right on man.

Poor sensitive campaigners.

****ing man up, cop it on the chin and prove the doubters wrong.

 

[DaTBird187]

It's confidence and effort. Nothing more, nothing less.

Stop blaming gameplan, coaches, booty calls and our presidents social media skills.

 

[elpirate]

It's confidence and effort. Nothing more, nothing less.

Stop blaming gameplan, coaches, booty calls and our presidents social media skills.

Therefore it's the coaches. They are responsible for ensuring the group is confident and puts in the required effort.

 

[DaTBird187]

Therefore it's the coaches. They are responsible for ensuring the group is confident and puts in the required effort.

You can only motivate so much. This is all on the players. They have to take some ******* responsibility and want to overcome this.

 

[OneGreatClub]

There is an elephant in the room.

If we are to believe the media some players have been upset by David Koch's comments on social media. Personally I agree with the President in that the supporters deserve better than we are getting from some players. Maybe putting it up on social media was not the best way to go but sometimes you have to call it as you see it. Given the President's comments I would be surprised if there were not some significant personnel changes at the end of the year.

They were playing crap well before Kochie's comments

 

[bos10]

Plenty of ways to describe this season, but I think that the word, bewildering, sums it up best.

We have supposedly had an excellent preseason, Bassett suggested it was the toughest he has seen. The off field side of things is probably as good as it has ever been in Port’s history – solid board, excellent sponsorship, long term plans, great membership numbers, etc, etc. Our coaching staff, on paper, looks solid and is stable. Our draw was arguably the best we could have ever hoped for. We corrected all the issues that hurt us last year and learnt from those mistakes. Player and list management seems excellent – yea we have made some mistakes but so does every club. We have locked away players and committed to keeping the core group together. Hell we even kept Logan and Stewart around due to them being well liked. On paper, we have a list that has everything and is stacked with first round picks.

So why has Port been unable to perform?

Is it effort? We are clearly lacking confidence and are not enjoying our footy. Why can’t the players get motivated? They play for a well funded, well supported, historic club that is fighting for respect and has backed them every step of the way. Not to mention they get to play AFL for a living.

Is it our structures? Are we playing a game plan that would have worked well in 2014/15 but, with the new protected zone, can be easily picked apart? Is it the right structure but we aren’t implementing it? Would our 2013/14 game plan actually be working quite well now with the recent rule changes?

Over trained, cooked, or just unfit? Has Burgo gone too far or lost his edge? Are we focusing on the wrong thing? Did we assume that the interchange cap would mean slower more methodical games built around endurance rather than burst and breakaway speed? Are our players not strong enough and unable, and therefore unwilling, to tough games out?

What has happened with our player development? Boak, Gray, Ebert, Hartlett, Wingard, Hombsch, Jonas and Trengove haven’t looked right and been out of form. Amon and Impey have stalled. Westhoff, Broadbent and Neade haven’t been able to become the consistent performers that we expected. Maybe we overestimated our list?

Injuries and suspensions have been cruel. No doubt the decision to not allow top ups was poor and hurt us. We lost two first 22 players who also happened to be two of our most experienced. Throw in no Schulz, Carlile, White and Krak, so no spine or run. That’s around 100-120 goals + assists and a whole lot of experience and leadership. I think this has hurt us more than we expected and more than it should have. Our most experienced player not in the AFL side is Kane Mitchell! We just have no depth.

I think what it all comes down to is simple though, we are just not good enough. We are a bottom 6, maybe bottom 4 side at the moment.

So what does the club do about it?

Mate I'm still trying to explain last year!

 

[raptalia]

They were playing crap well before Kochie's comments

That is why he made the comments. You are right though OGC, if the players dish up crap they have to expect adverse comments. No point in being precious about it just get on with proving the bastards wrong.

 

[nadsee]

You can only motivate so much. This is all on the players. They have to take some ******* responsibility and want to overcome this.

GOOD POINT:

We keep being told, by the players, that it is a work place. If my work performance was consistently poor, I would be sacked. I know that my Boss is a knob, but I still try my best.
The coaches, do not want the team to lose. Winning is the best credential that they have for the own CV's.
The motivation for the players, of being the better than the rest, should be enough to get the blood pumping.

Or maybe a mortgage payment, family & friends watching the game, is too much for them.

Mental toughness, can not be coached, either you have it, or not.
The magic potion to get the players UP for a game, has to come from within.

 

[Grave Danger]

Portie McPortface

 

[I Dont Care]

I blame Amanda Vanstone.

From the moment she dropped the slab on the table, I knew she would be trouble

 

[PAFC66]

Wingard is playing like 2012 .. Even then he had more influence.

There's definitely a divide in the group.

 

[ploppy]

I don't think it's effort..they are trying but it looks that way because there confidence is being sapped by losing which is due to their poor skills and poor tactics and decision making.

 

[KenOath]

There is an elephant in the room.

If we are to believe the media some players have been upset by David Koch's comments on social media. Personally I agree with the President in that the supporters deserve better than we are getting from some players. Maybe putting it up on social media was not the best way to go but sometimes you have to call it as you see it. Given the President's comments I would be surprised if there were not some significant personnel changes at the end of the year.

Unfortunately the coach has failed to call them out on it for over 12 months so the Chairman (who has always backed the coaches and players in as well) had to step in and do what Ken should have done long ago! If the players have taken offence they should have a good hard look in the mirror...Ken has shielded them from much needed scrutiny for far too long and now they can't handle it!

I get the feeling Koch and KT won't hesitate to make a move on the coach if he can't turn things around by mid-season.

 

[MutleyDog]

Having suffered through both Power & Maggies games this week the thing that was most obvious to me was clearances.
We got belted (seriously smashed) in this area by both teams. Lobbe was indeed ordinary for the Power but in the Magpies game we were pretty even in hitouts.

What we were really, really super bad at was our work in close.
In both games, the opposition, if they got to the ball first at stoppages, would pick it up cleanly and would instantly handball it out to a person in the clear. Normally out the back. How many times did we see Dangerfield running around the back of the pack unchecked.

If we got to the ball drop first (rarely for the power, quite often for the magpies). One of the following would happen.
1) Fumble then get caught
2) Hang on to the ball too long without making a decision and get caught
3) Try to do too much and break tackles and get caught
4) Handball to someone under immense pressure (never in space) who would get caught
5) Loopy handball to someone, giving all the time in the world for them to get smashed.
6) Quick boot forward. (probably our most successful option)


How can this most fundamental aspect of the modern game be so badly neglected at Port Adelaide

I'm no expert on why this is happening.
1) Are we setting up badly?
2) Are too many people committing to the ball leaving no one in space?
3) Are people playing for themselves and not as a team?
4) Are our skills just that bad that we can't pick up the ball or handball?
5) Are we just that soft that we can't handle pressure?
6) Do we have no confidence in our team mates?

I think all of the above. And yes it is time to start questioning our coaches. What work have they been doing (not doing) in this area.
I remember watching a trial game at the start of 2015 (west coast at Norwood) and thinking, "how good is our work in tight. No one will get close to us this year." It didn't take long for that dream to get smashed. And it's just gone from worse to worse.

we obviously have fair weather players that drop their heads when things go bad. ("We will never give in" is soon gonna replace "tarps" as the most common taunts from our rival supporters)

If we started to even up the clearances we would have more opportunity up forward (the only time this f***ing press would be any use)
We would take pressure off our under siege backline.
And might even turn things around a bit.

 

[Tibbs]

Hi guys ... besides injuries and suspensions, we all can see something is seriously wrong! This morning I was passed some info from a source close to the club, I cant name them obviously, but they are not bullcrappers:

1. The problem evidently lies with Voss (would not elaborate)

2. Hinkley still has the clubs total confidence.

3. Boak is currently dealing with some tough off-field issues.

4. Port will make an announcement this week.

5. At least two players will be dropped for the next game.

We will see! Its only info passed on to me, so take it for what it is

Cheers all, and heads up, life goes on.

 

[MrMeaner]

I didn't realise until seeing this collection of graphs how little experience our side has. That's got to be part of the problem (obviously it isn't everything).
https://thearcfooty.com/2016/04/25/how-does-your-clubs-age-profile-compare/

Edit: It also makes it hurt that much more when we lose Ryder, Monfries, Schulz and Carlile. So much experience gone.

It also shows how bad that 2008 draft really was. It is part of the reason for the drop off in the ages. And why keeping Shaun Burgoyne could have helped.

 

[ab56452001]

Unfortunately the coach has failed to call them out on it for over 12 months so the Chairman (who has always backed the coaches and players in as well) had to step in and do what Ken should have done long ago! If the players have taken offence they should have a good hard look in the mirror...Ken has shielded them from much needed scrutiny for far too long and now they can't handle it!

I get the feeling Koch and KT won't hesitate to make a move on the coach if he can't turn things around by mid-season.

Well said , if true it don't look good for Kenny , I can't imagine KT and Co will let this go on forever and sit back while all their planning and hard work is trashed . Every team has its ups and downs but most of us have a feeling that its beyond that now.

 

[OneGreatClub]

Hi guys ... besides injuries and suspensions, we all can see something is seriously wrong! This morning I was passed some info from a source close to the club, I cant name them obviously, but they are not bullcrappers:

1. The problem evidently lies with Voss (would not elaborate)

2. Hinkley still has the clubs total confidence.

3. Boak is currently dealing with some tough off-field issues.

4. Port will make an announcement this week.

5. At least two players will be dropped for the next game.

We will see! Its only info passed on to me, so take it for what it is

Cheers all, and heads up, life goes on.

Yes life does go on, there is still hope. I'm sure the club are sorting things out behind the scenes. We need to support and as supporters do not disgrace our NTUA anthem.