Preview West Coast vs Port Adelaide (Round 3)

[Frank Hansen II]

Hopefully Gaff plays like he did last week while I was watching: looked slow, turned it over. Controlling those wide wings is half the game at Optus.

 

[philreich]

Getting off to a slow start in such a hostile environment would be tough to overcome. If our boys can shut the crowd up early and take them out of the equation, it'll go a fair way to getting the result we want.

 

[Jonts]

Hopefully Gaff plays like he did last week while I was watching: looked slow, turned it over. Controlling those wide wings is half the game at Optus.

Looks like a guy with bad Groins

No acceleration or penetration to his game

 

[SureBuddy]

We will absolutely pump them in the midfield. That is where the game will be won.

 

[Schulzenfest]

We will absolutely pump them in the midfield. That is where the game will be won.

Lycett is possibly our most important player in this one. The only way their mids get on top is if Naitanui gives them silver service all game. All Lycett needs to do is break even.

 

[Marmozet]

 

[Hammer#8]

I think speed and outside run is where the Eagles midfield most struggle. They're reasonably slow but it's NicNat's tapwork which creates space and opens them up to move the ball.

The majority of the Eagles best midfield plays are where they have uninterrupted linkups where their forwards leadup into space. They struggled with the Dogs surge, frantic pace and tend to have to control the ball, maintain possession to get a scoring break.

Also they largely stayed in the contest against the Dogs from a forward group that hit the scoreboard and made the most of their opportunities in front of goal.

A great contest to be had against us no doubt.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Pretty much the only thing we can do under Ken Hinkley is beat the reigning premiers during the H&A season

2013: Sydney
2014: Hawthorn
2015: Hawthorn, twice
2017: Western Bulldogs
2018: Richmond
2019: West Coast
2020: Richmond

Three constants under Hinkley,
1) we beat the reigning premier except for once in 2016, and
2) we win Rd 1 except for once in 2015 lost to eventual minor premiers Freo by 7pts at Subi and
3) we have lost all the games at AO against WCE. We are 0-5.

We have a strange record against WCE. We have a better win % against WCE than Freo in WA (Freo we are 20-8-12), yet we can't beat them at AO. Our 36-17-19 record in WA is the best of non WA teams, just ahead of Haw 45-21-24 and Gee 44-20-24.

Port have the second highest winning % against WCE only just behind Sydney, which we will leap ahead of if we win this game.

AFL Tables - West Coast Win-Loss Records

afltables.com

Subi 14 8-6
PS.... 2-1-1 .... never played WCE at the WACA. Played Freo 2 times, 1 win, 1 loss.
========
WA.. 16-9-7

FP.. 13-10-3
AO...5-0-5
========
SA.. 18-10-8

Carrara 1-1-0

Total 35-20-15

 

[Astronema]

Our side is in red hot form and could blow any side out of the water in the space of a quarter, West Coast will have to show a lot to keep the game close IMO.

What happen power is always a possibility, but I’m really looking forward to watching us play against a potential top 8 side for the first time this year.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

If you didn't watch the WB v WCE game here are the highlights of the game to see what they did well and what WB did well against them. Once again nice job done by Lace Out.

Their tall forwards of Kennedy, Allan and Darling (9 goals between them and 8 last week) along with Naitanui will causes us issues. Have to keep a watch on flyin' Ryan as he loves jumping into packs and taking speckies in front of goals.

We have to win the midfield battle like the Doggies did, to get over them.

They played Naitanui + Vardy and 3 talls Kennedy, Darling and Allan sometimes all 5 on the ground, stretching the bulldogs shortish defence, for those who struggle with the concept of Lycett + Ladhams and Dixon, Marshall and Georgiades. They have 3 defenders 192cm+ Rotham, Barras and McGovern and Hurn always plays taller than his 187cm, like Jonas does.

Geez even the Bulldogs went tall Martin + English and Naughton and Bruce with the Bont (at 194cm) spending a lot of time in the forward lines. Reckon the Bont kicked 2 of his 3 goals whilst playing in the forward lines.

 

[Powertron]

No Yeo or our nemesis Schuey, and we have pretty much a full compliment to pick from.

If this was at AO I’d say 5+ goal win, given the umpiring advantage they have at home we win this by 17pts.

 

[Hammer#8]

Barrass was their number 1 defender, McGov struggled to work back to influence a contest.

I think the midfield is a breakeven contest, NicNat tap to advantage narrowed the clearance count, but Dogs won the footy for the majority of the game.

NicNat will probably dominate Lycett.

 

[dav3]

No Yeo or our nemesis Schuey, and we have pretty much a full compliment to pick from.

If this was at AO I’d say 5+ goal win, given the umpiring advantage they have at home we win this by 17pts.

Apparently Shuey is in if he gets through training this week.

 

[Jaeger]

Is Lachie Jones in the frame or is the defence too settled for him to break in?

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Is Lachie Jones in the frame or is the defence too settled for him to break in?

Hamstring issue.

 

[TeeKray]

No Yeo or our nemesis Schuey, and we have pretty much a full compliment to pick from.

If this was at AO I’d say 5+ goal win, given the umpiring advantage they have at home we win this by 17pts.

You are aware of the fact that since 2014 West Coast have beaten us in Adelaide 5/5 times whilst we've beaten them in Perth 3/4 times? Definitely not the fixture where home ground is the decisive factor.

 

[Lawnchair Larry]

Lycett has an unusual rucking action where he is sort of "in and under" before sticking a leg out to kind of distance his opposition from the ball. It's hard to describe in words.
This will be an interesting tussle with NN, with the danger being NN will jump over the top of him before Lycett can initiate his tactics.

 

[Pickett4GOAT]

If our forward press is strong we will give West Coast a lot of problems. That game in 2019 is etched in my memory. It's two years on but West Coast play the same way- slow build up and strong stoppage game or quick counter attacks using their long kickers and intelligent forwards to get behind the defence. Once the ball hits the ground in West Coast's D50 they really struggle to maintain possession and rebound like you see with teams like us, Geelong and Richmond. Once their system starts to break down they rely on stoppage dominance and their gun forwards to keep them in the game. I think we can break even in the middle. The first big challenge is limiting the threat of Allen, Kennedy, Darling. Aliir will be crucial as the intercepting tall when they try to isolate these blokes. The second big challenge is partially nullifying Liam Ryan

1

Liam Ryan

Age

27

Ht

181cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.3

3star

K

8.6

3star

HB

2.7

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.3

5star

D

9.9

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.3

3star

T

1.6

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

11.4

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.8

4star

G

1.6

5star

- it has got to be Hammer or Burton.

If it rains we will destroy them.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Lycett has an unusual rucking action where he is sort of "in and under" before sticking a leg out to kind of distance his opposition from the ball. It's hard to describe in words.
This will be an interesting tussle with NN, with the danger being NN will jump over the top of him before Lycett can initiate his tactics.

It is an awkward style, and hard to describe. I think he tries to take body on body to stop the high leapers like Naitanui jumping over him.

Last year at Carrara Naitanui got 30 taps with 9 to advantage compared to Lycett's 15 and 3. Dixon and Westhoff got a tap each and Hickey got 6 and 3 for WCE.

It's why we lost clearances 23-35 and centre clearances 6-15. Both Naitanui and Lycett got 3 clearances.

 

[Andre]

I'm getting old. I can't believe NicNat turns 31 this year. Doesn't seem that long since he was drafted.

 

[TeeKray]

If anyone knows what to do to combat NicNat it should be Lycett given he would've rucked against him at training for 8 years.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I'm getting old. I can't believe NicNat turns 31 this year. Doesn't seem that long since he was drafted.

Same draft as Watts, Stephen Hill (what's happened to him), Hartlett, Rich, Ziebell, Davis, Sidebottom and Shuey.

I think the fact he has had 2 ACL's late in the season and meant we didn't see him play for 18 months the first time he did it in Rd 23 and 12 months the other time, means he doesn't seem as old as the others from the 2008 super draft.

 

[Marmozet]

This will be our first competitive hit out since the Prelim.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

If anyone knows what to do to combat NicNat it should be Lycett given he would've rucked against him at training for 8 years.

What to do, and ability to do it, are different things. Nick Nat touched up Big Scooter at Carrara last year.

 

[Gold Rozee]

Apparently Shuey is in if he gets through training this week.

May just be a bit of pre-match tactics to keep us guessing. They wouldn't want to risk him so early in season if he is any chance to re-injure hamstring.