Toast Who would have thought....

[gbear]

Premierships aren't won in July. I'll compare it at the end of the season.

Actually Premierships aren’t won in September this year either, but I digress

BTW this post is just recognising where Port currently are taking into accohbt being in a hub and the 2 red eye game day flights: . At the resumption of the season, I along with many other posters probably would have been happy with being 4-3 at this point.I am just enjoying the ride in these Covid-19 times.

Try not to get your knickers in a knot!

 

[El_Scorcho]

I know the big comparison is 11-4, but I think we all agreed at the time that there were huge issues with how we were playing despite the results in 2018.

This year our style appears more robust, we haven't totally sacrificed scoring as a priority. We have better balance across the ground. We have a structural issue we can't now fix which is the lack of height in the backline, but we are good enough to beat anyone.

It's all about taking a lot from these close wins over the last couple of weeks and building that culture of finding ways to win. Every close win builds that culture. Older players can look at the composure of Zak Butters under extreme pressure and start to believe in themselves and each other.

Plenty of time for some classic what happen power, and I find it impossible to trust a Ken Hinkley side, but in a vacuum that ignores the last 7 years we're in a great spot where teams around us less reliable.

 

[Macca19]

We are playing significantly better football this year compared to 18. Significantly.

 

[ibd77]

Look at it this way. It's the toughest season of all time and not just for us but all clubs. Early wins on the board is gold as the pressure is off for the second half of the season. Those early wins have been well earned despite what people say about the opponent's we have played.

What the AFL community don't realise is that if we were off by any percentage during those games, we would have lost those winnable games and would not stand at 6-1 now.

Now there are plenty of weaknesses in our game which will be exploited such as our undersized defence, however the players are confident they can cover those weaknesses with improved skills, determination and intent.

I just hope that the forthcoming home games that we don't ease off as we could lose the unloseable games.

 

[Turiyasangitananda]

Actually Premierships aren’t won in September this year either, but I digress

BTW this post is just recognising where Port currently are taking into accohbt being in a hub and the 2 red eye game day flights: . At the resumption of the season, I along with many other posters probably would have been happy with being 4-3 at this point.I am just enjoying the ride in these Covid-19 times.

Try not to get your knickers in a knot!

Ha, fair enough. Look it's a great start, and we've done well with the things we can control. Enjoy the ride. I've liked the development of some of the younger players, the continued renaissance of Travis Boak, the forward line structure. But there's enough evidence for me to not get too excited just yet.

What would a pass mark be for you this year?

 

[ctpower]

We are playing significantly better football this year compared to 18. Significantly.

I thought you made a good point on Your podcast the other week when you said we’ve introduced a bunch of good kicks into the side.
So true.
I think the effort has been there there for a few years now but the players have become exasperated when there was no reward for all their effort.
Bringing in these players who can kick changes that.

 

[FishingRick04]

We are better than the 11-4 team
We have leap year stats on our side

we will be doomed with Ken forever like Trigg to the Crows!

 

[PowerForGood]

I wonder how many 4am starts Collingwood and Richmond get?

Not starts, but I hear Steele Sidebottom, Jeremy Howe and Daniel Wells had a 4am finish not long ago.

 

[Doctor Feel]

• Both pre season games away from Adelaide.
• Forced to hub on the Gold Coast because the Victorian teams didn't want to accept the inevitability of having to leave their virus ridden state.
• Hosted GWS on the Gold Coast for no logical or rational reason whatsoever.
• Two consecutive 5am matchday flights.
• A whole bunch of shitty timeslot Foxtel games despite the fact that we're top of the ladder and the fixture is being done week by week.

* this competition man, so draining being ****ed over all the time

 

[TeeKray]

I don't think people should so easily dismiss how well we were playing at 11-4. The real problem that year was that our game was ultra defensive and based on suffocating opposition teams, which kept them in the game and required only a little bit of fortune on their end or misfortune on our end to lead to disaster. And that's exactly what happened - in the space of a few weeks Freo ground us down after we lost Ryder and Gray, we bottled a lead against the Crows after Jenkins hit the post but was given a goal, Dixon, Ryder and Houston went down like dominoes against the Eagles and we lost after the siren.

The difference this year is we have actual ball movement and attacking weapons. We are scored against easier but we give ourselves a chance up front. My feeling is that it's going to get harder and harder for us as the year goes on and teams start to go to work on shutting us down. The response when this happens will be the key in terms of whether we can maintain our position towards the top or if we'll slide back down towards the middle rungs.

 

[Revan11]

Carltons form coming into this game was very good. Comprehensively beat the dogs who smashed essendon on friday night. Have also beaten essendon and Geelong at GMHBA stadium. They are not the easy beats of old.

Theyve been up in QLD for a week whilst we fly up on the day. Final quarter down to 2 on the bench, Rozee playing on one leg (anyone saying he should have been out there is kidding themselves) and we couldn't get Chaz back on in the final 5 minutes. Not to mention how bad we usually are in close contests under Hinkley. And yet after all of this, it didn't bloody matter.

If you dont believe that this team can win the flag this year, you never will.

I believe we can but there's one team in our way that we match up terribly against. Brisbane.

 

[El_Scorcho]

I don't think people should so easily dismiss how well we were playing at 11-4. The real problem that year was that our game was ultra defensive and based on suffocating opposition teams, which kept them in the game and required only a little bit of fortune on their end or misfortune on our end to lead to disaster. And that's exactly what happened - in the space of a few weeks Freo ground us down after we lost Ryder and Gray, we bottled a lead against the Crows after Jenkins hit the post but was given a goal, Dixon, Ryder and Houston went down like dominoes against the Eagles and we lost after the siren.

The difference this year is we have actual ball movement and attacking weapons. We are scored against easier but we give ourselves a chance up front. My feeling is that it's going to get harder and harder for us as the year goes on and teams start to go to work on shutting us down. The response when this happens will be the key in terms of whether we can maintain our position towards the top or if we'll slide back down towards the middle rungs.

I agree, I think we were executing that 2018 defensive style about as well as we could have at the time, it was just a garbage philosophy that had already been taken as far as it could by Freo under Ross Lyon. You can't just defend. Good teams will beat you in enough contests to find a way through and they can defend as well.

I agree that teams will start to set up to beat us a bit more as we look more and more legit. I just hope we continue to build that mental toughness and get used to winning. I still worry about manic pressure teams and our ability to execute ball movement against them, but we'll see. At least now we've got a good array of marking targets and seem to be committed to a functional forward line.

 

[HighBudget]

I agree, I think we were executing that 2018 defensive style about as well as we could have at the time, it was just a garbage philosophy that had already been taken as far as it could by Freo under Ross Lyon. You can't just defend. Good teams will beat you in enough contests to find a way through and they can defend as well.

I agree that teams will start to set up to beat us a bit more as we look more and more legit. I just hope we continue to build that mental toughness and get used to winning. I still worry about manic pressure teams and our ability to execute ball movement against them, but we'll see. At least now we've got a good array of marking targets and seem to be committed to a functional forward line.

Not to mention how draining that game plan was on the players both physically and mentally! The whole team would pretty much be running up and down the field, there was hardly ever a forward line waiting when we got it forward, all our goal kickers were still running back by the time our midfield got the ball forward and when we lost the the ball everyone had to run all the way back to the defence again! The team would work so hard only for the opposition to regain possession and break through our highly pressed defence to kick an easy goal at the other end, it just sapped all the confidence out of the team! That was horrible Hinkley ball

 

[Dav]

Our defensive press this season is honestly a sight to behold. Full credit to the coaches for developing it and implementing it, when you get repeat inside 50s like we do it becomes hard to lose games.

Carlton absolutely exposed it yesterday but the coaches just made some adjustments and after quarter time we no longer looked as fragile.

It’s hard to put into words but I just feel like we’re a genuinely good team this year.

 

[Capital Power]

The difference being that they were crap, unconvincing wins. This meant many of us were not surprised when the wheels completely fell off and we missed finals.

Yep, one of those was the corresponding game vs Carlton away (at the G), which I got to. The least inspiring win I've ever been to. It was clear there was writing on the wall being papered over, just to mangle a couple of cliches.

Yesterday's win, though much tighter, was much harder fought and against a much improved opposition. I don't think we'll slide like we did then.

 

[Port85]

I think we're legit this year but the main issue is that we've got a few of the old stagers in Richmond and Collingwood creeping up the ladder and Brisbane have already beaten us.

Brisbane and Collingwood have already shown a capability to go in without lube for entire quarters against us in recent memory and Richmond are a champion team for good reason.

I'm reasonably confident on any given day that we could beat the teams from Geelong down on the ladder but the other teams in the Top 4, not so much.

 

[Capital Power]

I think we're legit this year but the main issue is that we've got a few of the old stagers in Richmond and Collingwood creeping up the ladder and Brisbane have already beaten us.

Brisbane and Collingwood have already shown a capability to go in without lube for entire quarters against us in recent memory and Richmond are a champion team for good reason.

I'm reasonably confident on any given day that we could beat the teams from Geelong down on the ladder but the other teams in the Top 4, not so much.

Good chance we'll get Collingwood without De Goey and Pendlebury, and Richmond are also depleted. Timing may be on our side.

 

[Hot Port]

Port please make it happen, before Travis and Robbie hang up their boots. Our best chance!

 

[Chewy316]

I believe we can but there's one team in our way that we match up terribly against. Brisbane.

I hear you, whilst at the same time I would suggest that any team who loses the midfield battle so comprehensively as we did a few weeks ago, is going to be in for a tough time regardless of the opposition forward line.

The biggest question is whether we have the personnel to win the midfield battle against Brisbane. I think its probably a 70/30 split, but there's still a ton of time left in the season.

Outside of Collingwood and Brisbane, I'm dont think we are overmatched by any other team.

 

[Arsene Wenger]

Its a fantastic effort to date - no doubt about it. Just gotta keep chalking up the wins + make sure we are cherry ripe come finals time.

Next month is a test for all clubs and depth. We will need to rest a lot of players to get them through and right for the business end of the season.

 

[Doctor Feel]

I feel like we might have a let down at AO as I believe it will be hard for the players to be switched on this week as its very easy to fall into a "were home for a bit now" mentality and mentally take the foot off the pedal slightly.

 

[Harlott]

I believe we can but there's one team in our way that we match up terribly against. Brisbane.

I felt we played against high octane Brisbane both this year and last year. Maybe they’re always like that, I don’t watch enough of their games. I’m in no way a coach but Ladhams for height and effectiveness in the backlines might work against them If he can create like he did yesterday. Would give them something to be thinking about rather than three undersize “tall defenders”, two of whom are mainly ‘stoppers’.

 

[Capital Power]

I feel like we might have a let down at AO as I believe it will be hard for the players to be switched on this week as its very easy to fall into a "were home for a bit now" mentality and mentally take the foot off the pedal slightly.

I think you could be right, but countering that is a very healthy dose of everyone at the Club knowing full well they're upsetting the AFL agenda this year by being better than they're supposed to be. Not that I condone property damage but one of the best images from yesterday was Ken thumping the door. A bit of campaigner is creeping in. Love it.

 

[gbear]

I think we're legit this year but the main issue is that we've got a few of the old stagers in Richmond and Collingwood creeping up the ladder and Brisbane have already beaten us.

Brisbane and Collingwood have already shown a capability to go in without lube for entire quarters against us in recent memory and Richmond are a champion team for good reason.

I'm reasonably confident on any given day that we could beat the teams from Geelong down on the ladder but the other teams in the Top 4, not so much.

if we have improved, we need to beat the likes of Collingwood and Richmond this season. The players should not fear the opposition, rather embrace the challenges.

 

[gbear]

Good chance we'll get Collingwood without De Goey and Pendlebury, and Richmond are also depleted. Timing may be on our side.

Richmond depleted resulted in a horrendous game last year