PORT ADELAIDE v MELBOURNE - preview and game thread

[Diablo 1]

Hes not gonna be a superstar. Hes a pick 60 or something. He's workrate was admirable in his first year, but i never thought he had superstar written all over him.

To be honest I'm not even sure he has a future. He's one of those legitimately dime-a-dozen vanilla run-with players that we could just as easily land at pick 60 again this year. I admire his attitude; he's a goer. But as an AFL footballer I think he is found wanting.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Bartram is a serious worry. His lack of general and spacial awareness is unique, as is his profound ability to torch the ball almost every time he gets it.

Gets a pass for this year because he's had some rotten luck with injury, but he'd want to work very hard on his ball use in the summer.

Bartram was good when he a was a first year, high draft pick player. Now he is a third year player (rotten luck with injuries) yet he is still playing at the same standard as before.

[45HG 1,539]

Bartram was pick 60

[Guest unstable punt]

I dont know why people are so surprised. bate has always had appalling agility and foot skills. I also find it baffling how demonlanders are so angry that we have crap players yet to get better players we need to lose this game. Its catch 22. We have davey, mclean, robbo, rivers, moloney and paul johnson out of our best team so lets just relax. I don't care what anyone says, Buckley's ability to find the footy is great

we just need to lose this one and next week and forget it all ever happened

[jacey 333]

Good thing I wanted to lose this game, or I'd be filled with murderous rage. Instead its just quiet contempt and indignation.

At least next week when the opposition scores i won't go YESSSSSSSS....I mean NO, i don't know what to think.

[Guest unstable punt]

At least next week when the opposition scores i won't go YESSSSSSSS....I mean NO, i don't know what to think.

to think l was worried through the week that we might lose the number 1 pick

[Jaded No More 60,136]

Yeah, and he deserves a spray. Yze has been a better player than Bartram is ever likely to be. To handball it straight into the guts of the on-coming Port player who was blatantly expecting it shows the typically mindless disposal that plagues Bartram's game.

Please, Bartram stuffed up, he didn't do it on purpose.

Bit rich for Yze to be having a go at a kid 10 years younger than him, when he is meant to be a leader and yet his output this year has been disgraceful.

Should worry about getting his own ball before yelling at others for not giving it to him!

Edit: Jeff White- oh dear.

[Guest unstable punt]

whoevr is their tackle coach should get the flick NOW, l have never seen more pathetic half-hearted tackling in my life

[45HG 1,539]

Tackling is not just about technique, it's about application, dedication, desperation and pride.

Things we need to learn to do week in week out

[Jerry Lundergard 412]

whoevr is their tackle coach should get the flick NOW, l have never seen more pathetic half-hearted tackling in my life

Can't say i have ever seen as many tackles not stick in my life. We both lack desire to lay an effective tackle and we are P*SS WEAK!

[Guest unstable punt]

Tackling is not just about technique, it's about application, dedication, desperation and pride.

Things we need to learn to do week in week out

l'm just glad thats over <_<

[Kiss of Death 708]

Really happy that wasn't on FTA and i didn't see any.

[45HG 1,539]

70 point average losing margin at that groun in our last 8 years.

What is it with that ground?

[Mono 454]

you've gotta be positive on this [censored], it can only get better

Been saying that for a while now.

[45HG 1,539]

Hands up if you had a whinge about winning last week

[Diablo 1]

Please, Bartram stuffed up, he didn't do it on purpose.

Bit rich for Yze to be having a go at a kid 10 years younger than him, when he is meant to be a leader and yet his output this year has been disgraceful.

Should worry about getting his own ball before yelling at others for not giving it to him!

Edit: Jeff White- oh dear.

Short memory? Yze has been a champion for this club over the years.

As much as anything this year he has been a victim of circumstance, at a club that is trying to rebuild through youth. His output has been a long way from his best, but calling it 'disgraceful' insinuates that it is entirely his fault. Conversely, Bartram has been very lucky to keep his place at times this year. I'm inclined to think he would have spent a bit more time at Sandy, on form, if we were at the other end of the cycle.

Yze has had 20 touches today to Bartram's 14. As far as I can tell they're both rotating through the midfield. I wouldn't say Yze has been influential but he's been a darn sight more effective than Bartram.

I'm not writing Bartram off by any means (there are several players ahead of him in that queue), but at this stage he has some serious limitations.

[Yze_Magic 3]

The real worries for me are -

Daniel Bell

Nathan Jones

Matthew Bate

Lynden Dunn

All high draft picks, and four of the dumbest footballers you will ever see.

[LeBron James 41]

The real worries for me are -

Daniel Bell

Nathan Jones

Matthew Bate

Lynden Dunn

All high draft picks, and four of the dumbest footballers you will ever see.

Unfair on Jones. He was one of our better players today anyway. What he needs is support in the midfeild, Brock anyone??

[LeBron James 41]

I'm such an idiot. I thought the game was tomorrow. I've been in the city shopping all day. *slaps head*

You lucky man <_<

[Jaded No More 60,136]

Short memory? Yze has been a champion for this club over the years.

Nothing you just wrote excuses a selfish and very experienced leader at the club to yell at a kid for a mistake he did not make with intent. Like I said, Yze should worry about his own form before attacking others.

And Yze's circumstances are COMPLETELY his fault. Junior, Bruce, Whelan and Green have all kept their spot in the side because they are teamworkers and they contribute. Yze spent the year at Sandy not because of age, but because of his application at senior level over the last 3 seasons.

[Jerry Lundergard 412]

The real worries for me are -

Daniel Bell

Nathan Jones

Matthew Bate

Lynden Dunn

All high draft picks, and four of the dumbest footballers you will ever see.

It's not often i agree with YM, but you are not far off the mark here.

I have at least seen Bate play quite a few great games for us.

I'll give Dunn the benefit of the doubt, due to coming bak from illness where he apparently lost a lot of weight.

Jones disposal and his inability to either use evasive skills to get out of packs, or feed it out by hand are a real worry.

Bell is strugggling and you can add Bartram to that list too.

[LeBron James 41]

It's not often i agree with YM, but you are not far off the mark here.

I have at least seen Bate play quite a few great games for us.

I'll give Dunn the benefit of the doubt, due to coming bak from illness where he apparently lost a lot of weight.

Jones disposal and his inability to either use evasive skills to get out of packs, or feed it out by hand are a real worry.

Bell is strugggling and you can add Bartram to that list too.

Are you serious?

Jones' disposal was one of our best today, jeeze, people need to properly watch the game.

[Diablo 1]

Nothing you just wrote excuses a selfish and very experienced leader at the club to yell at a kid for a mistake he did not make with intent. Like I said, Yze should worry about his own form before attacking others.

And Yze's circumstances are COMPLETELY his fault. Junior, Bruce, Whelan and Green have all kept their spot in the side because they are teamworkers and they contribute. Yze spent the year at Sandy not because of age, but because of his application at senior level over the last 3 seasons.

The problem is, Bartram continually makes the same mistakes. He doesn't seem to learn. Surely its incumbent on his team mates, as much as anyone, to give him a kick up the bum; maybe it'll jar him out of the trance he appears to be in. It gets to a point where back-slapping and 'better luck next time' just fails to resonate with people. If no one else will do it, then I don't have a problem with an experienced player like Yze serving it up to him.

And you're very, very harsh on Yze. I'm not trying to excuse his contribution to his own downfall; some of the responsibility undeniably lies with him. If he had any sense he would have pulled the plug gracefully in 2006 or 2007. But you cannot say, based on what we continuously hear out of the people who watch Sandy play, that he hasn't been trying his ass off and knocking on the door all year. And in 3 of his 5 AFL games this year, he has contributed something.

[Geddy Lee 582]

Jones disposal was fine today.

[Jaded No More 60,136]

And in 3 of his 5 AFL games this year, he has contributed something.

Too little too late.

And Bartram may be struggling, but Yze is the last person he should be taking advice from. At least he chases, tackles, stands within 10m of his opponent and puts his body on the line every week.

For someone who was at risk of never playing again due to the complicated nature of his injury, he has done well to come back and compete. He isn't brilliant, he never will be, but he works hard at his task and that's what you can expect from a 2nd year player (last year doesn't count, only played 1 match) playing in a team that is getting smashed every week and is devoid of any leadership.